If you have ever worked with any organizations, especially not for profit organizations, then you have seen the 10\/90 effect. That is 10% of the group do all the work and 90% see the benefit. It is in our nature to get maximum benefit for the least amount of effort. That is called survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But was does this mean with in the Church? Should this be the case of the 10% carrying the load for the other 90%? If you have been in Church circles long enough, you know that just like any other group of people, it is usually the few who do everything and the most are the ones who stand around and tell everyone what they should be doing, but seldom ever lift a finger to do anything beyond lifting a fork to their mouths, much less do any real kingdom work or sacrifice for their brothers and sisters in Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is enough to get anyone out of sorts and I was reminded of this recently as we prepared for a Church event. It was very much the few feeding the rest. It would have been easy to think about this and get mad. But then I was also reminded that Christ himself had to deal with this. After he fed the 5000, he left and was later found by the crowds. We find what happens next in John 6:25\u201327.
[25] When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, \u201cRabbi, when did you come here?\u201d [26] Jesus answered them, \u201cTruly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. [27] Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.\u201d (ESV)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Christ knew why the people were there. It was simply survival. Maximum benefit for least amount of effort. If I can get a free meal, then why not go and find this man and listen to him. It is an unfortunate point that in the first century and even now, people are the same. Still looking to be fed and not looking to feed others. This is really the point that I would like to make. It is this idea of wanting to be fed and not willing to feed others that is the reason for the lack of growth in the Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am not just talking about the literal desire to be fed as in having a meal, but the spiritual side of living out the Christian life. How many of us just go to Church once a week and call it good with God not doing anything else in the Church or small groups or discipleship the rest of the week. We are pious on Sunday morning and may be the fellowship meal afterword, but the rest of the week, we live only for ourselves. Never growing, never sacrificing, always wanting to be filled and never doing anything for the kingdom and Christ. This is not want a walk with Christ is supposed to be. The Church is not supposed to leave the work of discipleship and kingdom work to the vocational pastors and elders or even to the deacons. Everyone should be looking to serve each other in the body and they should be looking to do kingdom work. We should all be looking to feed and not looking to be fed. To serve and not looking to be served. The Apostle Peter reminds of this in 1 Peter 4:8\u201311.
[8] Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. [9] Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. [10] As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God\u2019s varied grace: [11] whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies\u2014in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (ESV)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now I do not want anyone to walk away from this blog thinking that I am getting on the Church or painting a picture of division within it. Or worse yet to put into question the faith of some simply because of what they do or do not do. That is not the case at all. All who follow Christ are bound in unity with him and under him and for better or worse, we are all sinners in need of Christ to be forgiven. The apostle Paul reminds us of this in Romans 15:1\u20137
[1] We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. [2] Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. [3] For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, \u201cThe reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.\u201d [4] For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. [5] May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, [6] that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. [7] Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (ESV)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For those who do a lot, Paul is reminding you that you have an obligation to bear with those who are weaker. This is because all are equal in the eyes of God and it all too easy to fall into the sin of self importance or thinking one is better than another simply because of works that are done within the Church. We are all saved by the grace of God through faith in Christ and Christ alone. However, all who follow Christ have an obligation to do the will of God to the best of their abilities and to work for the kingdom of God. But in the work to fed and serve each other and to disciple each other and to live live as a body of believers who are unified in Christ Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we walk with Christ, let us together as the body look to feed each other, to serve each other. There are times to be fed and to be served, but let us look to not just be fed and to just be served, but let us look towards doing kingdom work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If you have ever worked with any organizations, especially not for profit organizations, then you have seen the 10\/90 effect. That is 10% of the group do all the work and 90% see the benefit. It is in our nature to get maximum benefit for the least amount of effort. That is called survival. But […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,12],"tags":[126,147,101,105,148],"class_list":["post-155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christian-living","category-personal-growth","tag-christ","tag-feeding","tag-the-bible","tag-the-church","tag-unity"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inabiblenearyou.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inabiblenearyou.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inabiblenearyou.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inabiblenearyou.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inabiblenearyou.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=155"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/inabiblenearyou.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":156,"href":"https:\/\/inabiblenearyou.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155\/revisions\/156"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inabiblenearyou.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inabiblenearyou.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inabiblenearyou.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}