Own It!

Responsible - liable to be called on to answer: liable to be called to account as the primary cause: being the cause or explanation: able to answer for one's conduct and obligations: TRUSTWORTHY.

One of the greatest challenges for parents is teaching kids responsibility. There are several ways to do this: Assigning chores, Making sure the kids take care of their stuff, When something that is borrowed is broken then they pay for it, Etc. This is one of the greatest lessons that can be learned in life. Let's face it, they won't always have Mommy and Daddy around to take care of the bill.

Responsibility is extremely important when you consider the society we live in. America is full of people who don't want to take ownership of anything. Our President continues to blame Bush for all the problems in our economy without placing a critical eye upon his own policies. Governors blame the federal government for shortfalls in their budgets. Husbands and Wives blame the other for problems in their marriage. Children blame the parents for their own bad choices. The list goes on and on. At some point we have to stop the blame game and say "I DID IT!"

This isn't a new problem. In fact, you can read in Genesis 3 where Adam and Eve pulled out the blame card. After eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam said, "Yes, but it was the woman you gave me who brought me the fruit, and I ate it." Eve replied, "The serpent tricked me..." (Quotes from New Living Translation) Take a good look folks. Adam blamed God & Eve for his sin while Eve blamed the serpent. Is there any doubt that we are a part of Adam's race?

Unfortunately, we have seen this mindset creep into the church. We lay all the responsibility for our spiritual growth upon our pastors, the salvation of the lost upon someone else, and the well-being of the church upon everyone else. Here's an idea: OWN IT! When you and I choose to take ownership of our own salvation we will see positive results. Reading God's Word for ourselves can lead to growth and understanding. I'm sure we will come across things that will force us to ask questions but the Bible teaches us that the Holy Spirit is our teacher. We can never expect to grow in the knowledge of a book that we never pick up.

Does anyone remember "Cliff Notes"? These were little booklets you could buy that would provide a summary of a particular book. Most students have seen these somewhere and foolishly thought they could get all the information they needed by reading the notes. However, a good teacher will ask particular questions about the book that can only be answered if you read it. If the only information we get about the Bible comes from a sermon on Sunday, then all we are receiving are the pastor's notes. To preach through one book of the Bible can take months or even a year. Although I'm a fan of preaching through books of the Bible, I can learn much more if I will read it for myself.

The point is that we must take ownership of our salvation, our growth in the Lord, and in our involvement in the body. Pastors and Teachers have a responsibility to equip and care for you but that is only part of the equation. A leader that equips plus a member that participates equals a fantastic partnership for growth.

We also need to destroy this mindset that Sunday morning is all I need. If you read through the book of Acts you will find that the believers lived in constant fellowship with one another. It was a daily thing! I know the American mindset is a little different: We enjoy the freedoms they did not, We are often self-sufficient, and We often think we don't NEED the church. But rare is the believer that grows without a fellowship of individuals who care about their spiritual, emotional, physical, and relational well-being. When speaking of the Body of Christ in Ephesians 4:16 Paul said, "from the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love." I love the phrase "every joint supplies" because it teaches us the responsibility that has been placed upon every member. The only way a church can build itself up in love is when everyone does their share.

I have enjoyed some interesting conversation about this very thing. There are things that leadership can do to help people "plug in". There is no doubt that if we want to see community fellowship then we must lead in it. However, this community doesn't rise and fall on leadership. It rises and falls upon every joint supplying their part and Jesus being the head of it all. Imagine this with me: Jesus is doing what Jesus does, Pastors and Leaders are doing what they should do, and the various members doing what they should do. When I envision this, I see a Body that moves freely and properly. This is the picture of the church as it functions in relationship to the head.

I'm personally challenging our church take up this responsibility. This is our task, our goal, and even our purpose: Love God, Love Others, and Serve Both. It can happen if we will OWN IT!