February 2005
"Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise."
GOD IS DOING A NEW THING!
What is happening to our church? This question was asked of me from a few members some months ago. While I had a sense that something was happening I could not articulate just what it was. Starting about the last few months of 2003 until about the first four or five months of 2004 our church seemed to have been in a kind of spiritual doldrums. The attendance was down, some very active members left the church (some whose job took them out of the area, some who moved a long distant from the church, and others who just left for sundry reasons), and it looked like our congregation was running on empty. I did some spiritual self-analysis to ensure that I was not the cause of what was happening to our church. I looked at the fervor of my preaching, my pastoral activities, and my commitment level, to make sure that neither had waned. Afterwards, I was convinced that I was still giving my best effort. So, I continued to look for the genesis of what I saw was happening in our church. Then, I decided it was time for me to do what I recommend to others when they need spiritual clarity - have a little talk with Jesus. Also, during this time in bible class, we were studying the book, "It's Not About Me," by Max Lucado. Now, I know what is happening in our church - God is doing a new thing!
We must admit, that for whatever reason, our church has experienced God's special favor. We have averaged over 120 individuals joining our church family each year, it was down some in 2003 and 2002, but rebounded in 2004; our income has soared, we were able to pay off our 25-year mortgage in just seven years, pay off our bus and still gave a record amount to missions. Each year, we added new ministries to better serve the congregation. The church has birthed fifteen sons and daughters in the preaching ministry; adopted 3 others; with five currently serving as pastors. His blessings were most profound, in the perfect peace He gave to our church family in our congregational life and fellowship with each other. With things going so good, sometimes we can individually and corporately become spiritual smug; forget the source of our blessings (Deut. 8:11ff); or become like the church at Laodicea in the book of Revelation and lose our zest for God. In either case, God sometimes troubles our spiritual waters.
What is happening in our church? God is doing a new thing! The activity we saw before (in 2002 and 2003) and deem it negative was in fact, divine action. In order for a renaissance to take place there are some things that must be done. First, to build something new you have to clear away the old. Second, you need to set a firm foundation. It is not good to build a larger structure on a weak base. Third, you will need new material for the new thing. It is not wise to put "new wine in old wineskins." Slowly but surely, God has in His own time, placed these requirements, necessary for a renaissance to take place in our church, in motion. Brian D. McLaren, in his book, "The Church on the Other Side," talks about three ways in which change can occur in the congregational life of the church. The forms are the renewed church, restored church and the reinvented church. According to McLaren we should seek to be like the reinvented or new church. He said,"The new church does not view the New Testament as a "New Leviticus" - a law book of strict rules-nor as a fixed, detailed blueprint to be applied to all church in all cultures across time. Rather, the New Testament serves as (among other things) an inspired, exemplary, and eternally relevant case study of how the early church itself adapted and evolved and coped with rapid change and new challenges. In place of a fixed structure that is to fit all, the new church advocates a flexible, adaptable, evolving structure that is developed to meet the current needs. The key word is adaptability." I thank God for spiritual discernment. Some have eyes, but cannot see! There is a new thing! It is biblically rooted, Christ-centered, and Holy Spirit-empowered. Look around and listen. The choirs are singing better; the ushers are standing straighter; the deacons and the deaconesses are livelier, the trustee are more dutiful; the members are more worshipful and the preaching - well, what can I say? There is a new anointing, a new fire, and a new perspective. What is happening to our church? God is doing a new thing!!!!!!!!!!!
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