Live Like You're Dying

Church Planting Series, Part six

Have you ever waited for test results from a doctor’s office? Have you ever been faced with the possibility that you may die? Very soon. All done.

Tim McGraw sang a song about this type of experience. It’s called: “Live Like You Were Dying."

Take a look at some of the lyrics:

He said: "I was in my early forties,
"With a lot of life before me,
"An' a moment came that stopped me on a dime.
"I spent most of the next days,
"Looking at the x-rays,
"An' talking 'bout the options an' talkin’ ‘bout sweet time."
I asked him when it sank in,
That this might really be the real end?
How’s it hit you when you get that kind of news?
Man whatcha do?

An' he said: "I went sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,
"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.
"And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
"And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying."
An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,
"To live like you were dyin'."

Priorities change. Risks become worth it. People become more important. Living God’s purpose becomes more urgent.

Every church plant needs to live like it’s dying. It really doesn’t have a choice, does it? When there’s no plan B, no back-up, no cushion money in the church bank account; when your church can die tomorrow, you know that you and your little group of Christ followers better get out there and share the news of eternal life.

A friend of mine was planting churches in Burkina Faso, West Africa. I remember sitting with him in a Muslim village, speaking with the Muslim elders, asking if we could hold literacy classes among their people using parts of the Bible as the reading lessons. Why did my friend ride this “Fu Man Chu Bull” (see the lyrics above)? He was living like he was dying.

Every church—-every Christian needs to live like we’re dying. As followers of Christ we’re supposed to know this. We’re supposed to know that being comfortable is an illusion, that if we eat, drink, and are merry today, our lives may be demanded of us this very evening.

Are you living like you’re dying? Is your church living like it’s dying? When you do, priorities change. Risks become worth it. People become more important. Living God’s purpose becomes more urgent.

What if you got the news that your church, church plant, ministry, or life would be over in six months? How would it change what you’re doing right now? The answer to this question might be the key to your direction in ministry and in life today.

The Real Focus

Church Planting Series, Part five

Shootings have dominated the headlines this week. Those headlines include the shooting of a pastor. What’s going on? Why the violence?

Read Romans 3:10-18 for the answer. From the Psalms and Isaiah, Paul boldly exposes our sinful nature: “There is no one righteous, not even one…Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways.”

This underscores the focus, the real focus of our work on earth. We’re not here to pack out worship services, to fund ministry programs, or to establish an excellent organization. We’re here because people are crumbling, dying, and self-destructing in a sin-broken mire that leads to eternal death. We’re here because Jesus Christ broke the bonds of that mire. By grace, people can be reclaimed from destruction.

At the beginning of every church plant and ministry start-up, the focus is not on the program. It’s on the people. In fact, it’s on one person at a time. Your goal is not to have a worship service. It’s not to crank up a ministry. It’s to bring the miracle of Jesus to a person.

I think this is why most of us get into this business, isn’t it? You’ve experienced the unparalleled new life Christ gives and you want to share it.

So you meet people. You follow the leads that come your way. You take the opportunities God gives. You develop relationships. You mentor people. You become friends. You live and speak the living Word. Then what happens?

It’s a church planting principle: People will follow your pattern.

Suddenly, you’ll be shoulder to shoulder with a growing army of people reaching the people in their lives. Suddenly, many voices will join yours in articulating the life-reconstructing work of Jesus.

A result of this focus on people will usually be worship services and ministries. But those are simply the result of the living Word inside people. Those will serve as resources to contribute to the ongoing outreach. Those will serve as growth and encouragement in the relationship-forming, people-caring process. Those will expand the beauty of being in community with each other and with Jesus.

But they are results of the focus, not the focus itself.

Whether you’re reaching the first person in your church planting or ministry efforts or you’re forming a relationship with the thousandth person you’ve met, your focus is on people. One person at a time.

Why? Because evidence shows that people are falling apart and that Christ is the Rebuilder we need so desperately. Just take a look at the headlines.