My Answer is Yes. Now What’s The Question?

I started reading a book this week titled Confessions of a Pastor by Craig Groeschel.   As I was reading this morning Craig was sharing his heart about Christians today being consumers instead of participants in the church.   He went on to tell the story of a man who waited in line one Sunday after services to greet his pastor and say to him “My answer is yes.  Now what’s the question?”  This same thing happened the next week after services and the pastor finally asked the man out to lunch so that he could ask what he meant by the statement.  The man went on to say that his life was once a mess and that Jesus had intervened in a mighty way.  Because of the change Christ had brought into his life his answer was now yes.  In other words the man would do anything for Christ and the church.

The man went on to tell his pastor “If you want me to rock babies, I’ll rock babies.  If you want me to usher, I’ll usher. If you want me to mow the church yard, I’ll be there at 6 a.m. every Saturday.  My answer to you is yes.  Now what’s the question?”

After being in ministry for five years, I feel and understand the frustration that Groeschel writes about in this section of his book.  There are too many Christians in our culture that treat the church like one of their favorite places to eat.  They only want the church if it meets their needs but they don’t want to participate in helping the church be what it’s called to be.   Too many Christians are consuming instead of participating.

“When it comes to your church (assuming you have one), what’s your answer?  Is it , I’ll pray about it…while you look for an escape?  Or is it…Yes”  Craig Groeschel

 

PJ