Where Is Your Local Church Going?

 

There are two simple alternatives to this question. We can either stay the same (which eventually results in spiritual apathy and numeric dwindling), or we can be dissatisfied with “maintenance” and press toward growth. If we evaluated churches (as the Lord did in Revelation 2-3), we would find some to be mediocre, some to be good, and some to be excellent. Some Christians are satisfied with a mediocre church. A large percentage of Christians are satisfied with a good church. But the real question is, with what is God satisfied? Surely we know that God wants excellence.

 

Churches that are happy to stay the same are easily identifiable. Staying the same is easy because it is so typical. Most Christians experience this kind of church and therefore never desire anything more. Characteristics of a typical stay-the-same church are:

 

•    They exist to hold Bible classes and worship assemblies. If these have a measure of quality and the members are at peace with one another, then the goal has been accomplished. Almost all their work happens at the building.

 

•    They stand for the truth and will not tolerate false teaching. This is the prime directive. However, of much less concern is whether this truth is share with their neighbors.

 

•    They are very comfortable and give each other a good feeling because they stay within the boundaries of long established habits.

 

•    They may do quite a bit of work, but the work has to do with putting out fires and keeping things running smoothly.

 

On the other hand, a church pressing toward excellence is quite different:

 

•    They see the prime directive as "proclaiming the praises of Him who called us” so that a lost world will “glorify God in the day of visitation,” 1 Peter 2:9-12. They do not leave evangelism to a few zealous members, but see it as a team effort.

  

•    Bible classes and worship assemblies are not the goal, but are used to equip saints to do the work of building up the body of Christ, Ephesians 4:11-16. Most of their work is outside the building.

 

•     They get the attention of the community because they are “light” and “salt.”

 

•     Their parents recognize that it takes hard work to save their children. They do not believe “going to church” is all that it takes. They provide numerous opportunities for the spiritual growth of the younger generation.

 

•     They do not allow the grumblers and “stay-the-same” members to stop the work. Like Nehemiah, they pray and say, “hand me another brick.”

 

Where is your church going?

 

                                             Berry Kercheville,  via FOCUS MAGAZINE, April 2008, num. 98

 

 

The gospel is the most powerful tool of change the world has ever seen. Its pages burst with full-color illustrations of the anatomy of change.

Tim Jennings