Yesterday morning, we were on our way home from our pitstop in Kennesaw, Georgia and we listened to a sermon online. The sermon focused on faith and works. This sermon triggered a very long discussion with our kids about the importance of involvement.
Many have heard the old saying that 20% of the members do 80% of the work. How true is this? I haven’t really dug into every congregation but I have attended many in my short time on earth and this seems to be almost completely accurate. Some congregations may even have a little less than 20% of the members doing the work of the Lord.
So, what do the 20% actually do? Well, they are the ones that are organizing events, outreaching to individuals, door knocking, and doing other works that help the church grow.
From my experience, 80% simply sit on the sidelines. They attend worship on Sunday mornings, occasionally on Sunday nights, and rarely any other time of the week. A large percentage of this group show up and leave quickly when worship is over.
Is this what God wants us to do? Does he want us to show up and sit on the sidelines? If it were sports, how would your coach feel if you were on the team and showed up for the game but chose not to ever play? Would be happy that you are on the team? If I had to guess, he would want to replace you with someone who would do more to help his team be successful.
Although God never wants to replace you, the same does work for our involvement in the church. He does not want you attending a congregation and just sitting and watching everyone else do the works of the Lord. He wants everyone to be involved.
The Bible is intended for everyone, not just 20% of the people who attend the congregation.
Do you remember, Matthew 18:18-20, where Jesus tell us specifically what we should be doing? The Great Commission plainly states that we should GO and MAKE DISCIPLES of all nations, BAPTIZING them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost and TEACHING them. In those few verses, did He say, “I am only speaking to 20% of my followers.” I don’t think I recall seeing that anywhere.
This is intended for everyone to do and to continue to do until the end of our time here on earth.
I hope you reflect on your involvement in the Lord’s church. Are you one of the 20% that are doing the work of the Lord? Or are you part of the 80% who have decided to sit back on the bench? If you are one of the benchwarmers, I hope and pray that you decide to follow the commands of our God and GO spread His word to others. Jesus didn’t give us the option to sit, He told us to do it.
Could you imagine the impact on your church, your community, and the country if we are all 100% involved in the true goal of getting to Heaven and taking as many with us as possible?
God is Good…
30 Second Thoughts 