Killing the Status Quo

Acts 24:5

For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:

One reason Christianity is not making much of a difference in our society is because many believers are okay with the status quo. Most feel they are good Christians as long as they are like everyone else. However, the problem with looking at the status quo is that the status quo never reaches the millions of people who are headed for Hell.

All you have to do is look at our churches in America, and you will see that most of them are satisfied with the status quo. I was talking to one of my assistant pastors about a Sunday we had just had. I made a statement to him that most pastors and churches would be thrilled to have the crowd we had the previous Sunday. That previous Sunday, our main floor was just about packed out. We had a couple sections with a few seats opened, and the first three rows of the balcony were packed with the side sections of the balcony also filled. As I talked to my assistant pastor, I told him that though most people would be thrilled, my problem is that it bothers me to see empty seats. Those seats on the main floor should have been filled, and the remaining rows in the balcony should have had someone sitting in those seats. It does not matter to me what everyone else may like; I have determined not to be accept the status quo.

Paul could never be accused of accepting the status quo. When his enemies described him, they said he was a pestilent fellow, a mover, and a ringleader. These descriptions about the Apostle Paul most certainly show us what we must be if we are going to kill the status quo. The reason Paul made such an impact is not because he was sinless, but because he never accepted the status quo.

If the status quo is not going to control your life, you must be known as a pestilent fellow. Being a pestilent person means that you are a person who shakes things up. If you are okay with what you have, you will never be known as a pestilent fellow. If you desire to be liked by the brethren, you will never shake things up. In fact, you will be highly disliked by the brethren if you shake things up. The status quo brethren don't like that someone shakes things up and makes them look bad, but if we don't shake things up, the coldness of the status quo will lead to indifference toward the lost. This world needs believers who are pestilent fellows, people who shake things up for Christ.

Moreover, if the status quo is not going to control your life, you must be known as a mover. A mover is one who makes things happen; one who is self-motivated. Before a person is a mover, they have a vision of great things happening, and they take their vision and make it a reality. Movers are influential, not because of what they say, but because of what they are doing. Get busy doing trying to make your vision for God a reality and you will become a mover.

Furthermore, if the status quo is not going to control your life, you must be know as a ringleader. A ringleader is an initiator. A ringleader does not wait for others to make things happen, they make things happen and people follow. The ringleader doesn't look to be the leader, they just find a way to make things happen and people follow them. Christianity needs ringleaders who have the faith to do something big for God, and work the old paths until something happens.