Acting With Urgency

Feb 6, 2006

Well, it finally happened…today there is a call for snow here in the upstate…

GOD HELP US ALL!

For those not from the South let me explain…Southerners go completely NUTS when there is a slight rumor that it might snow. I am not kidding—they call off school down here if there is an inch on the ground!

And let me tell you about what happens at the grocery store…I promise, you’ve never seen anything like it—people flock to the store—buy bread and milk (I never have figured out why)—you would think that the end of the world is upon us!

Yep, urgency is in the air—all because of a little snow!

It’s amazing the things that get us excited…pumped up…whatever you want to call it. Snow does it for some people; however, church does it for me!

I can’t believe I get to do what I do—I literally consider myself to be the most blessed man on the planet…I married WAY over my head, she and I are both healthy, I pastor the best church in the world and I have the privilege of leading the most awesome staff ever assembled.

Some would think that a guy like me would adopt an “arrival” mindset—that I would want to just kick back and relax—you know, not go as hard…sort of calm down.

You don’t understand—I can’t! There is this passion inside of me to live life to the fullest. Scripture says that our time on this earth is limited…so I have made a commitment to do all that I can and enjoy all that I can.

I want to act with URGENCY!

I want to love my wife in such a way that, if today I found out I had a terminal disease and that I had less than a year to live that I would not have to try to make up for the lousy husband that I had been. I want to go all out so that when I do leave this earth my wife cries at my funeral because she misses me and not because she can’t find where I left the will!

The same is true for the church—I am passionate about what is going on here at NewSpring. I once had a pastor comment to me after listening to one of my messages, “Hey Perry, maybe you should calm down a little and be more relaxed in your presentation!”

CALM DOWN! WHAT?!?!? It’s not a matter of me calming down…you’ve got to understand, I CAN’T “calm down.” I believe in the message that we teach—I believe Jesus Christ changes lives—He changed mine. In short, I am smoking what I’m selling!!!

I believe the church needs to act with a sense of urgency—passion—an attitude of where we go all out for God…and our desire is to see a revolution take place instead of being excited about the new choir robes and pipe organ that were purchased!

I believe the church needs to spend more money on youth and children! I am sick and tired of churches in America that have more money in their cemetery fund than their youth and children’s budget—there is a word for that—UNGODLY! Folks—seriously—does it matter what the flippin’ cemetery looks like?

And keep this in mind—stats show that unless the church STEPS UP that only around 4% of the teenagers in America today will accept Christ. You think this country has problems now? Wait until THAT generation gets into leadership!

The time is NOW! The church needs to step up and act with URGENCY!

I believe the church needs to invest more time into making Sunday a creative relevant experience for all that come in the doors…and FORGET the critics who would condemn your efforts to teach who Jesus is in a way that people understand. PEOPLE NEED JESUS…I don’t have time to sit around and fight with those who confuse methodology with theology!

The time is NOW for the church to step up and begin to act with urgency.

Let me make you a promise…as long as I have the privilege to pastor this church we are not going to let up—there will be urgency in every single area of ministry—I have this conviction in me that what we do matters…it matters to God and it matters to people.

Whew—I am sweating now—time for a break! Have an awesome week!