The Missing Link

After pastoring churches for over 26 years I still struggle with the anomaly of people living under the umbrella of "Christians" without having a passion to pursue Christ. Today, the term "Christian" has come to mean one who goes to church and lives a pretty good life. In fact, the average person claiming the name "Christian" only attends church once every other week, does not read his Bible daily, finds it difficult to make time to pray, has never shared his "faith" with another person, and gives only 2% of his income to the work of the church. No wonder our churches are declining and our witness is non-existent. I used to spend hours a day wondering when the hearts of God's people were going to change. What was it going to take to start a passionate fire burning in the hearts of Christians? I wondered what was the missing link?

The last several weeks I believe that God has begun to reveal to me the missing link that is hindering God's people from ardently pursuing Him. The reason this link has been so difficult to discover is because every time it comes to light it is put to rest by those with the privilege and position to implement it. God has revealed to me that the "church" today does not passionately pursue Him and long for a radical change in their lives because their leaders do not passionately pursue Him. Now, here me out. I am not condemning the deacons and elders of our churches. I believe that just as we must look to the spiritual leader of a household when things are out of order, we must look at the spiritual leader of the church when it is out of order. Yes, the missing link is the Pastor!

Again, I am not pointing fingers at the pastors of other churches all across the world. I do not know their hearts nor do I know of their walk. The only pastor I know intimately is myself. While I could stroke my ego and profess that I do read the Bible daily, find time to pray, share my faith, and give a tithe of my income; God also reminds me that often these things are done out of habit or obligation and not from an intimate pursuit of Him. In most cases, the people will not go deeper in their walk than their spiritual leader. Too often as pastors we look at our congregation and pray that "they" would have a radical change in their hearts, when what is really needed is for us "pastors" to be radically changed.

Beginning tonight, my heartcry is no longer, "God change 'their' heart," but "God change my heart." I am the one who needs a fire lit in him. God is calling me to pursue Him with my whole heart. He is calling me to die to self, take up my cross and follow me. Lets be honest pastors, how many of us are truly dying to ourselves and taking up the way of suffering for Jesus? If Christ loves the church and died for her, then what does that say about His expectations of the pastor? If we really want to experience revival, the real missing link is staring at us in the mirror every morning . . . when I humble myself, turn from my wicked ways, pray,and seek His face, then He will hear my heartcry and bring healing. Our question is how bad do we really want the glory of God to come down and fill our land? Bad enough to be honest before God and cry out for Him to change us from the inside out?