I Don't Want to Be a Professional Christian! - No Risk

I’ve been in full-time ministry for over a decade, and have experienced some incredible things. I have seen people kneeling in the main square of Reykjavík, Iceland; praying to receive Jesus in Beirut, Lebanon; and responding to the Gospel in cities from Moscow to Madrid to Warsaw.

I have prayed with tattooed, hardcore guys in São Paulo, Brazil, and gang members in New Zealand. But as time goes on, I have to fight that voice that tells me, “You don’t need to do that crazy stuff anymore. Just talk about what’s already happened - what you’ve already experienced.”

In this blog series, I’ve made the statement, “I don’t want to become a professional Christian.” By professional I mean, someone who can look the part, act the part, speak the language, blend into the culture, but whose faith is dead. There is no reverence or growth, and their lives have no impact on the world.

So far, I’ve shared two signs that you are becoming a professional Christian: a lack of reverence for God and no spiritual growth.

Another clear sign is that you stop taking risks.

In the last few months, I was tested in this area once again.

The COVID pandemic changed a lot for everyone. For me, it meant that I could no longer tour the world with No Longer Music. For thirteen consecutive years, I had travelled with this band sharing the Gospel in over forty countries around the world. I had the privilege of sharing the love of Jesus with hundreds of thousands of people. Then this all came to a sudden stop.

And it meant that most of my ministry efforts were forced to happen online. I wrote blog posts, made videos, taught online seminars, and recorded podcasts. I believe these have been fruitful endeavors, but as time went on, it was evident that something was missing. I was getting comfortable. I was no longer stepping out of my comfort zone and taking risks.

As the summer of 2021 approached, it became clear to me that I needed to step out. I could feel my faith shrinking. I told my team that we needed to go to the streets and use the camera as an excuse to tell people about Jesus. I didn’t want to go. As an introvert, I don’t like talking to strangers - but I knew I had to.

Despite the internal resistance, we went out many times, and we are still going out today - and every time we see God move powerfully. Just the other day, I was talking to a girl who had walked away from Jesus. She explained that she was hurt by people in the Church, and while she remained ‘spiritual,’ she was no longer interested in religion. I explained that Jesus loved her and that He wasn’t OK with the way she had been treated. I offered to pray for, and she began to cry as I asked God to move in her life.

I’ve had dozens of encounters just like this over this past summer, but none of it would’ve happened had we not been willing to take the risk and push beyond what was comfortable for us.

I am convinced that the greatest antidote to becoming a professional Christian is taking Holy Spirit-inspired risks. Stepping out in this way, and experiencing God’s power when we do, increases our dependence on Him and shatters the boxes we put Him in.

This is why Satan will do anything to convince us that it isn’t necessary to step out and take risks, because he knows that if we do, our relationship with God will grow like never before!