A PAIR OF SIMPLE QUESTIONS

There is a new kind of entrepreneur in America today, and those who are good at their trade are making an amazing amount of money. They call themselves “consultants.”

In the simplest terms, consultants go from corporation to corporation, helping generate ideas about how to operate more efficiently, and market products more effectively. Fees for famous consultants may run to 6 or 7 figures!

A meeting between a company’s CEO and an expert consultant usually begins with some version of these two simple questions.

Question #1 is “What’s your business?” This one requires an answer of ten words or less.

Question #2 is “How’s business?” The answer should be three words or less.

Until those two simple questions are answered satisfactorily, nothing else is considered. That’s because if the CEO can’t state his company’s purpose clearly and concisely, then the company’s employees probably can’t either. And if an enterprise doesn’t know why it exists, it will eventually become ineffective, and probably sooner than later.

The same principle applies to the church.

Several decades ago, Archbishop of Canterbury William Temple said, “The church is the only society that exists for the benefit of its non-members.” How’s that sound to you? Unfortunately, it’s more than ten words.

We Christians need to be asking each other the consultants’ question about our Churches. Every church board meeting and business meeting should include a reconsideration of these questions: “What’s our church’s business?” “How’s business?”

Think for a moment about your church. How would you answer these questions?

“What’s our church’s business?”

“How’s business?”

How do you think your pastor would answer these questions?

“What’s our church’s business?”

“How’s business?”

Most important of all, how would Jesus answer those two questions? He’s the one Who founded the church, so He ought to have a big say in why the church exists, shouldn’t He?

If you have a hard time imagining what Jesus would say in answer to those questions, pick up your Bible and read the Gospels again. You’ll find that Jesus was very clear about what He expects the church to do. Very clear. Amazingly clear. In fact, clear enough to state in ten words or less.

By contrast, I’ve got books on my shelf that take hundreds of pages just to tell you what the church is, let alone describe its reason to exist. These tomes may be comprehensive, but they’re sometimes not very helpful. Jesus knew the value of simple, clear communication. Here are a few samples, each comprising ten words or less.

“I have come to seek and save the lost.”

“If you love each other, it proves you’re My followers.”

“My Father is glorified when you bear much fruit.”

“Go into the world and make disciples.”

In light of what Jesus said, try to answer those two simple questions.

What’s your church’s business?

How’s business?