by Alan Rathbun
Eastern PA District Team
When I first met Sandra, it felt like a huge risk to initiate a conversation with this cute college girl. Now, after being married to her for 33 years, I realize that by taking that risk, I avoided a much greater risk of missing out on a wife who is a wonderful match for me. It turns out that what once seemed risky to do became something that would have been risky not to do.
In a similar way, it’s a greater risk for believers not to take risks with Jesus in His mission. One risk we take is the risk of stunted growth in knowing and experiencing Him.
He is the One who came to seek and to save the lost. If we don’t engage in this mission with Him by taking risks to share the gospel with our friends, neighbors, relatives, and coworkers, then we risk not knowing the beauty and depth of the compassion and mercy that motivated Him to leave the glory of the Father’s presence to die for sinners. Without risk, we greatly limit ourselves in knowing His love and giving it to others.
Churches also take a risk by not taking risks with Jesus in His mission. One pattern I have noticed during seven years in district ministry is the churches that spend years making decisions for the benefit of those in the church will one day wake up to discover that if their church doesn’t start reaching people outside the church, their church will die. When a church chooses safety and comfort over taking risks with Jesus in His mission, they risk the future of their church.
You don’t have to be around me too long to hear me say that we need to value sending over seating. Churches typically think they will make their church stronger by focusing on getting and keeping people, but sending people strengthens the faith of individuals and whole churches.
It feels risky to value sending over seating, but it simply makes churches stronger. We think sending people from our church into the harvest to reach new people and plant new churches is risky, but it’s riskier to keep people to ourselves.
Jesus risked pain and rejection so we could be comforted and accepted. Jesus risked separation from the Father so we could be welcomed by the Father. The way of risk is the way of redemption and reward. If we say we want our church to have an increasing gospel impact, but we are unwilling to take risks, we will eventually discover it was riskier to take no risks at all.