Following up with yesterday’s post, here are a few more…
#3 - The “Feed Me” Person
I have never been able to keep one of these people around…ever!
You know the drill…they always come from another church (they weren’t being fed there either) and they want you to know that they are sincerely seeking a church that teaches the Bible (and they will stay as long as you teach THEIR VERSION of the Bible.)
But, if they become displeased with the sermon direction…or dissatisfied with your particular view on a theological issue…or convicted of not doing what they know they should be doing—they will say you are not feeding them and leave.
Pastor, being honest here…I’ve NEVER encountered a person who claimed they weren’t being fed that also had a dynamic personal walk with Jesus. If that were true then they would show up to the church FULL and not need to latch on to the breast!
It’s not our job to feed—but to lead to places where food can be found.
#4 - The “At My Other Church” Person
I have ZERO tolerance for this guy/girl.
They come into your church and begin to say, “Well, this is nice, but at my other church we used to (FILL IN THE BLANK.)”
I say, without apology, to these people that we are not “your other church,” and…if you liked your other church so much—GO BACK!
Enough about them…
#5 - The “This Is Too Big” Person
These people amaze me. A church will begin growing, lives will begin to change…literally the Bible begins to come to life…and because a person finally has to face the fact that the church is not about them…they take off, saying that the church is TOO BIG.
Now, that same person will go to a college football game the day before with between 80,000 to 100,000 fans (99% of whom they do not know) and be absolutely PUMPED that the stadium is packed. (Usually a sign that the team is winning!)
BUT…they want to go to “God’s house” the next day and desire for it to be small and “intimate.” Hmm, they want the football crowd to grow and the church crowd to be small…sounds like some very screwed up priorities to me.
Bottom line…the church is SUPPOSED to grow—period! And if it gets “too big” for someone, I would say it’s because their heart is “too small.” Seriously, ask yourself, what spiritual force would motivate someone to get angry when large numbers of people are coming to Christ and being taught to walk in an intimate relationship with Him? Jesus…or satan? Seriously—it’s NOT rocket science.
Let the “this is too big” person go…and don’t argue with them!