Great excerpt from Organic Church


Attn: Future Simple Church Planters--Count the Cost:

*Expect pain.
*Expect to be misunderstood.
*Expect to be persecuted and expect it to come first from those who follow Jesus.
*Expect to be maligned, attacked and ridiculed from all sides.
*Expect to grow tired and weary.
*Expect to want to give up.
*Expect to lose many old friends.
*Expect to lose all of your friends where the "church" is the central reason for your friendship.
*Only your deep and Christ-centered friendships will endure.
*Expect to be labeled. (a freak, a hippie, a cult leader, a quitter, a fraud, an idealist, a purist, a heretic, a divider, a communist, a jerk, an egomaniac, a devil worshiper)
Yes, I've been called them all to my face.
*Expect to weep...deeper and stronger than you ever have.
*Expect to doubt your calling, your convictions, your path, your faith, and your life.
*Expect to be lonely.
*Expect to be seen as utterly unsuccessful.
*Expect to die...nothing will be left of you. You will cease to exist. The last things in you to die will be your desire to be great for God and your desire to be happy.

And then, you will finally... Live.
*Expect life.
*Expect meaning.
*Expect to finally understand the prophets and apostles.
*Expect to know Jesus and his life...for that is all that you will have...and that is all that you need.

|