Here are some of the things that really stuck out to me from session one…AMAZING!!!
Pastors are the most underrated change agents in the world! (AMEN!)
If I am a farmer it takes more than prayer to grow a crop…it takes skill. You are never wasting time when you are sharpening your ax (enhancing your skills.)
Growing churches require growing pastors. If I am on fire it is contagious. When God is working in your life—people get excited about it.
When Peter caught the huge catch of fish in Luke 5 it just about sank his boat…he needed the help of his partners. We need to partner with each other so that our boats do not sink.
Rick is STILL learning! He took a year & didn’t speak at a conference here @ Saddleback…he took a year and traveled and simply listened to pastors. He models the fact that leaders are learners.
“It’s not about you” isn’t just a great sentence in a book…it’s a motto that we should live our lives by. (John 3:30)
Most church networks around the world don’t communicate or cooperate with each other. (My thought - what COULD happen if the churches across the world could actually unite?)
The Reformation in England would have never happened without the printing press…the 95 Thesis would have died on the wall of the doors of a church…but someone took it and printed it…technology was a MAJOR tool in the reformation.
About 15-20 years ago God gave us a new tool…the internet. The internet was NOT given to us for pornography…it was given to us to expand God’s kingdom!
(My thought…if the Reformation took place as a result of the printing press…WHAT IN THE WORLD IS ON THE HORIZON with the technology that is now in our hands!)
We have the possibility of a second reformation in front of us!
When God wants to renew a church He always takes it through the same five stages…
First = personal renewal...it starts in the heart. If God is going to do something in your church He will begin it with you. It begins with falling in love with Jesus…again. And it is not about rules or religion…it’s about Jesus!
Second = relational renewal...end the war with God and then end it with other people. (Love God, Love Others!) When have this in your church the gossip/conflict goes down and the joy & unity goes up.
How know the first two have taken place? First…the singing gets better. Harmony creates harmony! When people love God and others they enjoy singing together. Second…people hang around longer after church is over.
Most churches never grow past these first two renewals…there’s more. (These two renewals usually happen through the traditional revival services.)
Third = missional renewal...this is when the church realizes that it is not a “bless me click!” This is when the church understands it has a purpose.
When you get the first three lined up…you can’t keep a church from growing.
Fourth = cultural renewal...this is when the culture of the church begins to change. A pastor cannot change the culture of the church…only God can…and it comes as a result of the first three renewals.
Fifth = structural renewal...you cannot put new wine in old wineskins! As the church grows the structure has to change. There is no perfect structure for a church…that is why Scripture doesn’t speak to structure. What works with 50 people won’t work with 150.
Institutions are ALWAYS the last things to change! (Seminaries, denominations, etc.) Institutions are there to protect the change of the previous generation. (DANG!)
Seminaries are usually 60-80 years behind the change.
In 2003 Rick made a list of young pastors, up and comers, people who he thought he needed to be praying for. Today half of those men are no longer in the ministry!!! Burned out, flamed out, dropped out. It is EASY to make a big initial splash!
Ministry is not a 50 yard dash…it’s a marathon! You don’t want to have a perfect season and then lose at the Super Bowl!!!
Ministry is “a life always under pressure.”
Paul was put in hopeless situations…but he never gave up because he knew the secrets of personal renewal. (II Corinthians 4:16)
How to do personal renewal - learn to enjoy the grace of God. (II Corinthians 4:1) Paul knew his ministry was all because of God’s grace and mercy. Satan is often whispering in the ears of a pastor, “you are not good enough.” But we need to understand that God knew every stupid mistake we were going to make in ministry and still chose us!
I don’t deserve to be saved…much less in ministry! (AMEN!!!) I am just a trophy of grace!
When I enjoy His grace then I don’t feel like I need to prove myself. (Which is the root of being a workaholic.) Your value has nothing to do with the size of your church! (DANG!)
When I enjoy His grace I don’t have to wallow in my failures!
NEVER confuse prominence and significance!!!
Your ministry matters to God!!! Every church is BIG in God’s eyes—HE DIED FOR IT!!!
Some guys preach it all their life and have never felt the unconditional, unrelenting love of God!
Until you settle the issue of grace you will fall into the trap of trying to win the approval of man!
We don’t need 50% of our guys flaking out before they reach the finish line!
When you FINALLY feel the love of God you won’t struggle with inferiority & won’t worry about what the deacons think!
“Is your church deacon possessed?” (Now that’s funny!)
We need to get past the idea that we have something to prove!!!
Ministry is RECEIVED, not ACHIEVED!
Second, if you are going to last in ministry you have to be authentic. If you try to live a life to win the approval of others you will always be under stress, manipulate people and be scared of “being discovered.” (II Corinthians 4:2) Paul had NOTHING to hide!
You don’t have to be perfect for God to use you…but you do have to be honest. “Everybody knows my weaknesses at Saddleback because I talk about them.”
Obvious imperfections in a pastor is a good thing. We never grow from people’s strengths…we grow from their weaknesses.
You have to decide whether or not you want to impress people or influence people. You can impress them from a distance…but can only influence them when you get up close…and they can see you warts and all.
When you are not authentic it only gets worse for you…that’s why many guys have to keep changing churches.
You can fake love for people! And the church knows when you love them.
Third, if you are going to last in ministry you have to remember that it’s not about you…and when you forget that you either get bitter or prideful. You take everything personally. (The average pastor leaves a church for about seven critics.) If the pastor stays the critics leave!
II Corinthians 4:5, “it’s not about you” is the most counter culture statement that you can say in the world…everything in our society says that it’s all about you.
When you figure out why you do what you do…God will show you the how. If you are doing ministry for yourself or for approval…you will not last.
You have to constantly be asking yourself, “why are you doing what you are doing?” Why are you in ministry? Why are you planting a church? It’s not about you!
A lot of guys start off as servants and end up as celebrities. II Corinthians 4:5 & II Corinthians 4:11, Paul did what he did for Jesus!!! II Corinthians 11:23-28, “you think you’ve got problems!”
People always want success without suffering! (DANG!)
If we are doing what we do for Jesus’ sake then it doesn’t should not matter to us what He’s doing in other churches—STOP COMPARING.
If you forget that it’s not about you then you will crumble under criticism. If you are going to call the shots you are going to take the shots. The most blessed ministries WILL be criticized…and not from unbelievers…but for believers!!!
If you are going to have a Christlike ministry then you will be misunderstood…and you will be criticized by religious people. The lost people LOVED Jesus…the religious people could not stand Him!!!
Some people haven’t learned that you can be friends with someone and still not agree with them.
If you have no friends that are unbelievers then you are not Christlike! If all your friends are other Calvinists or Charismatics or Baptists or…then you have a lot of growing up to do…and you are NOT Christlike.
Mark 15:10 - this is why they killed Jesus! Most attacks in ministry come against you because of jealousy!
When you are little, they ignore you. When you are growing, they criticize you. When you are large, they resent you. SO IGNORE THEM!
Just remember…it’s NOT ABOUT YOU!!!
Fourth, if you are going to make it in ministry then you need to accept your human limitations. You are NOT superman, you are human. You can’t fix everyone’s problem. You can’t fix stupid…and the Bible says not to answer fools!
The pastor who is available to people all the time isn’t worth much when he is there.
II Corinthians 4:7 - our frail bodies are jars of clay.
God often puts His greatest gifts in the weakest individuals…that way His power shines through. Other than Jesus God has always used flawed instruments.
There is NOTHING perfect on this planet EXCEPT the Word of God.
Four stages in dealing with weaknesses—denial, then hiding, then accepting, now he glories in them…and it all goes back to grace.
Humility is NOT denying your strengths but rather being honest about your weaknesses.
It’s not about church growth…it’s about people growth.
The church isn’t dependent upon my creativity and ingenuity in order to make it happen! It’s HIS Church!
Church growth doesn’t happen overnight…when God wants to grow a mushroom it takes six hours, when He wants to grow a mushroom He takes 60 years. Do you want your church to be a mushroom or an oak tree?
Saddleback has baptized 20k people in the history of the church!!! (DANG)
Fifth, if you want to last in ministry, DO EVERYTHING OUT OF LOVE!
Some of you are asking, “Where do I start?” How about your wife? (Dead silence in the room.)
Guys…listen to your wife!!! The purpose of marriage is not to make you happy but to make you holy!
“I can’t tell you the number of times my wife has saved me from embarrassment.”
“How is it that the people we love the most we spend the least amount of time with?” (Dead silence!)
“Your wife is God’s gift to you!”
II Corinthians 4:15…Paul did what he did out of love. Paul kept on going because he knew he was helping other people.
The people in your church are not for your benefit…you are there for theirs.
The truth is…the bigger your church gets the more problems you have.
The church that doesn’t want to grow is saying to the world, “You go to hell…we’re doctrinally correct…you go to hell.”
Every church caters to somebody. If you don’t believe me—change your music style next week. A church either caters to selfish church people are either those who don’t know Christ.
It takes UNSELFISH people go grow a church.
“I don’t care if you love to preach…do you love the people you preach to?”
I am unafraid to tell people the truth because I love them.
Sixth, if you want to make it in ministry—make time for daily renewal. Divert daily—withdraw weekly and abandon annually.
Do things on a daily basis that de-stress you. If you are going to de-stress…don’t do something competitive.
“Are you taking a day off every week?” (Dead silence!!!) God made the Sabbath for our benefit. If you are not taking a day off you are breaking one of the ten commandments. Do NOT call it your day off…call it your Sabbath!!!
A lot of pastors are like poor photographs…overexposed and under developed. II Corinthians 4:16!
For you to renew…you’ve got to have a plan (make a list) and a partner! NONE of us are very good in balancing ourselves. We have an amazing ability to lie to ourselves about what we are doing!
“WHO PASTORS YOU?” Every pastor needs a pastor. Don’t just have one pastor—have ten!!! “I have mentors in different areas because they are all good at different things.”
Pastors are lonely!!!
If you are serious about fellowship you have to set aside your ego and form a pastors small group. A SMALL group! If you get more than six in a room it will not work…that is why most pastors prayer breakfasts are worthless.
Don’t wait for someone to build a fellowship for you!
You will not last in ministry without peers around you.
Pastors in the area should not be your competition…they should be your best friends.
Seventh, if you are going to last in ministry then you need to live in light of eternity. You lose your perspective when you are tired!!!
Most pastors want to resign on Monday!
II Corinthians 4:17-18!
There are three motivations—internal, external and ETERNAL! Paul did what he did because, not of what he saw, but because of what he did not see.
“I’m not looking at here and now…I am looking to eternity.” When you do this—you can see your troubles as small.
Only he who sees the invisible can accomplish the impossible.A mans greatness is determined by what it takes to discourage him. (Via Jerry Falwell.) What does it take to discourage you? A negative comment? A blogger?
The secret of overcoming criticism is outlasting, out loving, our serving and our praying your critics.
DON’T GIVE UP!!! It is always too soon to quit. God’s purpose for your ministry is GREATER than the problems you are facing right now!!!
Nothing happens in your church until you get personal renewal down!!!