Pastor I Love You BUT...

Oh how I love conversations that start out like that because they always go down a road I don't like traveling. However I am not the only one that gets the Ole I love you BUT...Jesus Himself got that during His earthly ministry and He still gets it today Now trust me in NO WAY am I putting myself or any pastor on the same level as Jesus THAT WOULD JUST BE PLAIN STUPID, I think you would agree! I am however saying these conversations aren't new.

Jesus I love you, BUT I don't have time to serve you

Jesus I love you, BUT I can't trust you with my money

Jesus I love you, BUT I think I can handle this one on my own

Jesus I love you, BUT I sharing you is asking for a little too much

Jesus I love you, BUT Sunday is my day not Your day

Jesus I love you, BUT______________________________

It's nothing new even when Pilot said I find no fault in Him, the crowd cried back "we will not have this man rule over us". From the world to the "church" the conversation is all the same, and usually (not always) very selfish, self-centered, and focused on me, myself, and I. Now don't get me wrong, most of these conversations take place with good people who for some reason have found themselves in a bad place.

What pastors typically hear is something along the lines of PASTOR I LOVE YOU...

BUT the church isn't deep enough

BUT the church isn't meeting our needs

BUT all this church talks about is money

BUT the music's too loud

BUT the church is too big

BUT I'm not being fed

BUT we just want something different

BUT _________________________

What pastors don't hear are things like PASTOR I LOVE YOU...

BUT I just don't want to attend a maturity course

BUT I don't want to serve I want to be served

BUT I don't want to be a generous giver

BUT I want our church to be what I want it to be

BUT I don't want to feed myself

BUT I don't want to INVEST and INVITE the lost

BUT _______________________________

I know this won't be a popular post, BUT...

I'm thinking about a church planting friend who stepped out in faith to bring the life changing message of Jesus to a lot of people who have been saved, only to hear many on the launch team say, seeing lives forever changed isn't what we thought we were getting into, WE'RE LEAVING

I'm thinking about one of my boys who is a senior pastor (I have a number of them out there) who's church voted him in to lead, but the church didn't want him to lead, they wanted him to follow, so people are being "LED" TO LEAVE

I'm thinking of a friend of mine who pastors a church that is arguing over things that aren't even biblical while the people living right outside their church doors are dying and going to hell because their leaders won't follow their pastor, the man chosen by God to lead, so many are being "LED" TO LEAVE

I am thinking of myself and our Pastoral team. After an amazing weekend of seeing about a dozen people surrender to Jesus for salvation, after being pulled aside and hearing the story of a womans sister coming to Jesus in church after years of prayer, after being pulled aside by a person who was saved today who was so broken we never were able to talk because of her tears, after watching HUNDREDS of people take the garbage out, and spending time a sweet time around the Lord's Table, and after receiving some pastor appreciation cards, I got the OLE' Pastor I love you BUT...

To all the I love you pastor, BUT PEOPLE, I want to say this on behalf of all of us pastors, we love you, BUT...

1. Life is short and eternity is too long, we will refuse to do church for you, we are committed to doing church for the glory of Jesus Christ
2. People really do die and those close to us and far from God will remain our mission, and we think you will be very happy it did, when you stand before God as one of His kids
3. We understand it takes all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people, and it makes us sad if you're not happy but if our church isn't for you find one that is
4. God calls one man on His behalf to lead His church, our responsibility is to lead, so we will lead without apology
5. We have made a promise to church planters and missionaries and we refuse to walk away from that commitment for convenience sake
6. We have a responsibility to our children to show them Jesus is worth giving our all for
7. But are called to take up our crosses and to follow Jesus, not you

Make no mistake it hurts and it stinks when a pastor hears that a person/family is "LED" TO LEAVE the church, especially if there were years of investing in that person/family that has taken place. HOWEVER, we are committed to giving our all to THE ONE who has given His all for us. And you can talk, and you can walk, but we ready to lay down, to lay down our lives for the Dream of Jesus Christ! It's not easy but it is worth it and we will not give up!

So how do you respond to a post like this, I'm not really sure, but I do have a one thought, maybe we can help people changes their BUTTS to ANDS. Pastor I love you...

AND I am fully behind you - (Don't take for granted he knows that)

AND you can call me anytime for any reason for anything - (pastors need team players)

AND I have your back - (A threefold cord is not quickly broken)

AND I'm all in for the Dream of Jesus - (Actions speak louder than words)

AND I love your family - (Pastor/Husband/Father/Friend/Son/Brother/etc.)

AND I want to honor you by...

AND I realize you have feelings, so how are you doing

AND I will protect, encourage, prayer, you as God's man

AND ________________________________________

You might read this post and wonder if I am discouraged, let me answer that for you, NO WAY- NOT A LITTLE BIT, Jesus is doing to many great things in our church and I will not give the devil or any person that much leverage to tear down what God is building up. What's the key for me? Believing with all my heart that GRANITE is on the right track, heading in the right direction, committed to seeing NEW ENGLAND KNOW JESUS! It's not easy but who said it would be!

To all my pastor friends, I love you keep on keeping on! Jesus is worth it, your family is worth it, your community is worth it, eternity is worth it! Don't you give up, don't you walk away, don't you get mad, don't you throw in the towel, JESUS is worth our best during the good, bad and the ugly!

To all of our church families at GRANITE and around the country who said this month, Pastor I love you...

AND here are some movie tickets, THANK YOU

AND here is a card of love and appreciation - THANK YOU

AND here is some cash, take your wife out - THANK YOU

AND here is a shout out on FACEBOOK - THANK YOU

AND ____________________________________

Thank you, thank you, thank you! You make serving Jesus in our churches a JOY and together we are making a difference!