Leading From The Second Chair
As Christian leaders, it is foundational that conversion of the lost is the highest goal. The glory of God in the gift of His Son demands first priority. The peril of a lost soul headed for Hell is of no less importance in fueling our emphasis. And yet, the good news can get lost in the noise of lesser things in our church gatherings.
Culturally, churches are expected to be many things: agents of social change, angels of mercy and compassion to the downtrodden, beacons of hope to the despondent, and institutions free of sin and hypocrisy. All of these are good, honorable, and righteous and yet none of these are described in Scripture as being of first importance.
Consider Jesus’ interaction with Nicodemus in John 3:7 where He tells the famed teacher of the Jews, “…you must be born again”. Several other things could have been on Jesus’ mind but job one was the issue of Nicodemus’ response to the gospel. The Apostle Paul uses this very language in 1 Corinthians 15:3 where he tells the church in Corinth, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received…” Paul later encourages Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2 , “…and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
Those who lead churches and Christian ministries must guard this priority diligently. The world may tire of hearing of Jesus’ love and forgiveness, but “…to us who are being saved it is the power of God”. (1 Corinthians 1:18). I entered vocational Christian ministry more than forty-five years ago and have enjoyed the benefits of being a “professional minister”. That was certainly not on my mind so many years ago but soon learned that culturally, ministers were often invited to events and conversations to offer words of peace and comfort. Ministers were elevated to professional persons with wisdom and expertise that could contribute to solutions to political injustices, unjust tax policies, the perils of government schools, and the need for gun control just to name a few. Obviously, one will look in vain in the Scripture to find Jesus and the apostles involved in such.
Churches gather weekly to worship through teaching, singing, and praying. In the mind of God who created the church, those must be more important anything else. I realized afresh during the COVID crisis in 2020 and 2021 that people wanted their church to solve the debates over vaccines, the wearing of masks, and whether the government was right or wrong. By God’s grace, the churches that navigated that minefield best were those who kept the gospel central. I would urge one thought to be paramount as you consider your worship planning. Six days a week your people are immersed in the malaise of cultural confusion. For one day, they want and need a rock to stand on. The church has the good news. We ignore it at our own peril and to our own shame. If you don’t give them Jesus, then where will they hear of Him?
Author: Greg Belser has been Pastor of Morrison Heights Baptist Church in Clinton, MS, since 2005. Greg is committed to the expositional preaching of God’s Word and the building of a strong and vibrant congregation of Christ-followers. He is the founder of the Equip to Exposit Pastors Conference held every August and the sponsor of the only MS Workshop for Expository Preaching conducted every February by the Charles Simeon Trust. Greg is a founding board member of the 242 Church Planting Network in Mississippi. He has been married to Susan for 45 years and has three daughters, all married to men in vocational Christian ministry.
