We got to the point in our ministry where if Jesus had a church in Memphis, we knew our church would be bigger.
The church speaks softer than Christ spoke, they dumb down His word to appease the coverings above them and they put focus on other things than what's really at hand. It's easy to go to a church where the truth is evaded and danced around in order to preserve comfort levels.
What happened to God's word convicting us. What happened to hearing the truth and feeling a power we can't explain overtake us and cause us to change everything about who we are to become more like Him?
I care about reaching people with the word, but I care more about reaching people with the word that Jesus spoke.
His word was radical, harsh and called you to sacrifice everything.
Let's be perfectly blunt...if Jesus had a church in Memphis, you wouldn't go!
I don't want to lead someone to Christ and they accept because Jesus makes them feel good -- I haven't done my job then!! They're still on a one way ticket to hell.
I want to lead people who are willing to give everything, total transformation, total loss of self to who Christ is and what He did.
Let's look at the parable of the sower in Matthew 13.
Thousands of people came to hear Jesus, and He told a parable that most didn't understand. This was strategic - He did it on purpose, and He explains why!
Matthew 13:3-8 Jesus talks about a sower throwing seed to the hard ground, to the rocks, to the weeds and finally good soil. He says the seeds on the hard ground were eaten up by the birds, the seeds on the rock were burnt by the sun, the seeds on the weeds were choked by the thorns, but the seeds on the good soil grew and grew.
Then He says something very interesting...
Matthew 13:9 "
Anyone who has ears should listen!”
Then He walks away!!
Here, this whole magnitude of people gathered from different towns just to see and hear Jesus...
He gives one weird parable that almost no one understood, tells us if we have ears we should listen, then walks off!
What gives??
This is exactly what His disciples said to Him in Matthew 13:10 “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
The next part is where Jesus starts to explain what He did.
Why would you keep throwing seed on the ground where the birds are just going to eat it up? Why would you keep throwing seed onto the rocks when you know the sun is just going to burn it up? You're not going to keep fertilizing rocks...or watering sidewalks.
Jesus didn't want people there just to be part of the crowd. Jesus wanted people there who could really get it! People who He could really cultivate, people who would grow for Him and produce the fruit that He desired.
Matthew 13:13-15 goes on,
"
For this reason I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see, and hearing they do not listen or understand. Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You will listen and listen,
yet never understand;
and you will look and look,
yet never perceive.
For this people’s heart has grown callous;
their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes;
otherwise they might see with their eyes
and hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn back—
and I would cure them." (HCSB)
I used to be afraid to preach like Jesus.
Not anymore.
I don't care if our numbers don't soar the first year, or 2, or 10!! I care about the quality and authenticity of the word that I'm putting out. I care that it's 100% Christs teachings and none of my candy coated garbage just to attract more people.
Our society likes large numbers! We measure our success by the number of people who show up to see our show...but Jesus didn't.
He only wanted the people who had the faith to go all-in even if the Word was hard to hear.
I'd rather be called out for my sin and go through the struggle of making it right, than to marinate in it, letting it corrupt everything good and pure that God meant for me.
TAKE THE SCALES OFF! Look at the truth that's right in front of you.
