There are lots of good books, websites, blogs and good conferences (in the USA at least) as ‘church planting’ seems to be making a bit of a sexy comeback. I mean, how cool is Mark Driscoll? He pastors a multi-site church of tens of thousands, he writes amusing books, he has a cool blog, he drinks beer, he talks about getting jiggy with it in the pulpit and sometimes (say it in a whisper) he swears! Wow! I wish I was like Mark Driscoll. I wish my church was like his. What about Darrin Patrick? Now who doesn’t want to pastor a church called ‘The Journey’? It sounds painfully hip. How brilliant was his last book? I wish I was Darrin Patrick. I wish I was the pastor of ‘The Journey’. Hang on, what about Kevin DeYoung? His name is so cool that his blog is called: ‘DeYoung, Reformed & Restless’. Geddit?!! Cool as. Then we’ve got John Piper, Tim Keller, Mark Dever, CJ Mahaney and Don Carson. I want to be like them and have churches like theirs.
My church? 70+ people on a struggling estate on the east side of Edinburgh. Not cool. Not sexy. Not student friendly. I am not like these cool guys. I am not hip and not even close to trendy. But I am here, called by God to love the people HE has called me to shepherd in this place. What a great and wonderful privilege he has given to me. It’s OK to admire these men and to pray for them but it is not OK to idolise them and want to be them. That is sin. That is saying to God: ‘You’ve made a mistake with me. You’ve got me in the wrong place.’ That’s a big statement to make to the Creator of the universe.
We need to stop wasting our time loving other men’s ministries and falling into despair when our own don’t quite measure up. If that describes you then repent. Love your people. Love the people Christ has given to you. Stop loving other shepherd’s sheep! Love the one’s in front of you. Shepherd them, lead them, teach them, honour them, protect them and love them with everything you have. Stop comparing them to others. Stop comparing yourself to others. Live for the glory and honour of Jesus Christ. Seek to glorify Him. Live to impress Him.