"The prophets prophesy lies,
the priests rule by their own authority,
and my people love it this way.
But what will you do in the end?"
Jeremiah 5:31
There are times when I feel like a professional outcast. It seems like there is some key piece that I am missing or some angle that I don't understand. It seems that "success" in ministry (most commonly accredited as attendance and giving) is attained in one of three ways (or some combination).
1. Entertain - If you can put on the best Sunday morning show, you can succeed.
2. Entice - If you promise people what they want, you can succeed.
3. Enrage - If you point out what is wrong with the world outside, you can succeed. (Yeah, I'm toeing the line with this right now.)
If people are dazzled or hopeful or angry, but they aren't any closer to Jesus, what have we accomplished?
Are we just ruling by our own authority?
Are we giving the people what they want to hear?
Are we making them feel better without connecting them to the only God who can actually make their lives better?
That's not enough for me.
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