By Ben Disney
1. Why do people need Christ?
2. Why do people need the church?
3. Why do they need this particular church?
“Without an answer a church will flounder. Without deep conviction about the responses to these questions, a pastor will never lead a congregation to change the world. But when a pastor, a church leader, or a congregation is clear about the answers, and able to inspire others about the answers to these questions, the power of the church begins to be unleashed.” From “Leading Beyond the Walls” by Adam Hamilton
Our staff is about to spend part of tomorrow (Friday) wrestling with the answers to those three critical questions. The wording of each question is vitally important and the actual order in which they appear is just as crucial.
First things first: “Why do people need Christ?” It’s not an easy question. There are millions of people in the world who have given little thought to the idea they might actually need whatever it is that Christ could give them. They’re people who by most standards are relatively successful, relatively independent, and relatively happy. Why do they need Christ? Sometimes the perception is you don’t really need Christ unless you’re in the midst of a life threatening crisis or a terrifying ordeal that leaves you devastated, scared and alone. Even the non religious among us will cry out for a higher power when the bullets begin flying or the doctor comes back with a report that makes you feels like the world you knew has just ended.
But what about the majority of people who live out everyday doing the best they can, working hard, doing the right thing, all the while enduring the occasional heartaches of life and enjoying the moments that bring them happiness? Why do they need Christ?
I’ll share some of the answers we discovered but first I want to invite you to ask the hard questions as well. Personally, individually, in the context of a class, or just in a group of friends start to think about how you would answer the three questions. If you can’t answer the questions, or if your response sounds like some well rehearsed and rehashed line from someone else, then perhaps it’s time to start digging deeper.
Why do people need Christ? Or, better yet, start with this: Why do you need Christ?
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