4. Your Methods Are Too Safe
God is sovereign, right? Don’t be a chicken, pastor.
If we can all agree that it’s God’s mission, God’s power and God’s resources, why wouldn’t we risk everything we’ve got? Entrepreneurs are willing to try whatever it takes and are rarely controlled by the fear of failure. They thrive on risk and “going for it.”
Entrepreneurs can see right through the leaders who are more afraid of man than God. They can see the fear of failure. They never want to be part of something safe, and want to push the envelope with mission. They want to be sent to the places considered unsafe to live in, work in and do ministry in.
Last year as Soma leadership, we prayed for leaders to be sent to Seattle, San Francisco and Phoenix. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but the more I heard about Phoenix and some of the “hard things” about it, I knew I was ready.
People were saying:
- Phoenix has a ton of gangs and drugs and horrid schools.
- Phoenix is spread out and is more like a suburban context, which is impossible to do missional community life in.
- Phoenix is hard for relationship building. Most people just stay inside and don’t want to get to know other people.
All I heard was, “Yadda yadda yadda … .” My wife thought through the above and said, “If all these (and other excuses) are true, shouldn’t we be the first to move in and show others about our God who lives in community?”
Pastors, stop being safe with your people. Call them to take risks in making disciples.
If it doesn’t work, who cares? You’ll learn something.
If you’re following Jesus, you have nothing to lose. It’s not even really a risk. God is in control and he is good at it.
If you enable entrepreneurs to take risks, others will follow. Your church will quickly see the joy in following Jesus with reckless abandonment.
