The Magnet Effect in Jesus-Centered Ministry

Photo by Dan-Cristian Pădureț on Unsplash

When I was young I loved to play with magnets. I was fascinated by the way you could place one magnet under a table and move a metal object on top of the table by seemingly invisible forces. Even as an adult magnets come in handy. After replacing a roof, roofers will often drag a magnet through the grass to attract and collect all the nails that somehow end up there after the project is finished.

In the last year, I’ve gained a deeper insight into the “magnet effect” in ministry. In John 12:32 we hear the words of Jesus, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” John then explains in 12:33, “He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.” While Jesus was describing the magnet effect of his being lifted onto the cross, I believe he was pointing to an ongoing truth. In ministry, when we make the person and work of Jesus front and center, he will draw men and women to himself. 

Over the last few years, we have seen people who normally wouldn’t be drawn to a mainline congregation coming to worship in our midst. Our staff has taken to calling this the “magnet effect.” This shouldn’t be surprising if Jesus is central to what we do, He is the one who does the drawing in. 

This is the fulfillment of a beautiful prophecy in Zechariah 8:20-23: 

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts; I myself am going.’ Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”

When the Lord is present in a place, people of every different nationality and from incredibly different backgrounds will latch on to the occupant of God’s Kingdom and cry out, “Let us go with you!”

At the same time, I’ve also learned that there is a flip side to the magnet effect. While magnets attract, they can also repel if two similar poles are placed next to each other. Even though Jesus draws all people to himself, he also repels those who are unable to surrender to his Lordship.

In John 15:18-20a, we hear Jesus say:

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you…”

It is a paradox. While lifting and exalting Jesus is the secret to faithfully drawing men and women, it will often have the effect of repelling others. Why is this? When two magnets are drawn to one another, it is because one pole is attracted to the opposite pole in the other magnet. In a sense, there is “surrender” with one of the magnets. However, if both poles are the same, they will push one another away. This is a description of those who want to be the Lord of their own lives. If a person says, “I’m fine with Jesus as long as he doesn’t interfere with me being the sovereign leader of my own life and having the final say,” in essence that person is proclaiming themselves as Lord. He or she is making their own wants, wishes, and ideas the guiding principles and lord of his or her life. The simple fact of the matter is that only those who are willing to surrender their own agenda to that of the Lord Jesus will be drawn to Him when He is lifted up and exalted. What then should we do?

In 1 Corinthians 12:9, Paul reminds us that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. We have nothing life-changing to offer from within ourselves other than Jesus. Therefore, our greatest task as Christians and the Church is to lift Jesus high. We are called to elevate and exalt Jesus in our worship, our prayer, and our lives and watch the magnet effect draw people to Him. But we must remember, the same forces that draw men and women to Jesus will always repel others. We must not take this personally and remember to pray that God will help all of us surrender our “sovereign selves” to the life-changing Lordship that only comes from obedience to Him.