The establishment of churches seems to be the most important work today, but I would say that the revitalization of existing churches is equally important for the cause of the kingdom; In fact, revitalizing unhealthy churches allows us to accomplish two things after a single job. Not only have we established a reformed and vibrant church for the gospel, but we have also eliminated the mediocre testimony that existed before.
Sick churches are, as Mark Dever put it, “terribly effective anti-missionary forces. “They announce to the community: it is Christianity!These false proclamations defame the gospel and actually impede evangelization in the surrounding area. But when a church is transformed, the gospel thrives as the community faces a true collective witness of Christ.
- I have witnessed two twists and turns in the churches: one in Louisville (Kentucky) and the other in Dubai (United Arab Emirates).
- In both cases.
- The churches were completely transformed from preaching to collective worship.
- To church culture and evangelical impact.
- In both twists and turns.
- Although I can’t claim any credit for either of us.
- I had the privilege of seeing the radical change of a church in person.
What has helped reform these churches?
Preaching
The driving force behind all true reform will be the Word of God; when the Word manifests its power in a congregation, it softens the hardened ground and produces spiritual change. In Dubai, there were loyal members who had worked for years but had few results. They were not constantly fed weekly sermons; bold attempts were made to strengthen the congregation, but something was missing; however, when preaching became systematically explanatory and gospel-centered, it was as if someone was throwing a match at the essence. department has multiplied. When the church began to change, a former member compared preaching to a weekly artillery fire. The constant blow of the Word softened the opposition and paved the way for a more fruitful ministry to be carried out throughout the body of the members.
The pulpit must lead an effort to reform the Church, and this implies an explanatory preaching that emphasizes the gospel and judicious application to the life of the Church, especially in areas that need change. reformers are at risk of wasting time. It is better to go to a place where the Word has already been correctly preached and see how this ministry can be sustained.
Providence
Dying churches will only be strengthened if God works in them. Years ago, in Louisville, I joined an old church whose ministry languished for several reasons: the elders preceded the church, many of them exercising a faithful ministry but without pastoral leadership. He has long since left the church; and I could understand why. Apart from the loyalty of the family, little has slowed them down. Preaching consisted mainly of rustic stories without any serious biblical exposure. The church was guided more by culture than theology. And contemporary culture has settled there.
In God’s providence, there was another nearby church (a church that gathered in a school), in which the gospel was clearly proclaimed. This younger church had life, energy, and sound doctrine, but had no roots in the community or buildings. The obvious solution was to unite the two congregations. Initially, the idea of uniting the two churches was rejected by the oldest and most needy. They were very different in theology, music, culture and other aspects, but God began to sovereignly remove opponents from union and gradually changed people’s hearts to emerge the new church, such as night and day from strict opposition to Almost unanimous approval of the congregation ?, in his providence God ensured that a new work begins there , in Louisville, a church that remains alive and united today.
Many forces are ready to lead a local church, which will never happen unless God does. God’s providential care is essential to Church reform; that’s why prayer is crucial.
Camaraderie
Try not to do this alone. Church reform can be exhausting, ungrateful, and daunting. The time for this is not measured in months, but in years, and deep spiritual reform is not rapid. God uses common means of grace to grow and change His people. Sensitive churches can become impatient; and, in difficult times, it’s good to have friends.
When I started being a shepherd in Dubai, there was an old man who thought like me and encouraged me a lot when times were difficult, he was an expert in identifying evidence for free, even when I was struggling with my pastoral mistakes and inevitable interruptions. accompanying Church reform. When the crucial elements of the reform were threatened, he was there to help at the right time. If possible, share it with others before rushing to retirement. Don’t go alone.
Courage to identify men who respond to ministry and integrate their lives into their lives. Consider this a key priority: to train men in the congregation who will one day be elders and companions of the ministry.
Forbearance
How many pastors have already been fired because they made changes before the church was ready?How many reform efforts have ever been threatened by the impatience of leaders who may have known what to do, but did not spend time teaching, praying, and serving people?, earning their trust and convincing them of the points they needed to reform?Remember Paul’s exhortation to Timothy: “Correct, rebuke, exhort with all patience and doctrine?”(2 Timothy 4. 2). Just because you know what the problems are doesn’t mean they need to be resolved right away.
When I started being a pastor in Dubai, someone kindly reminded me that the church was not “my. “In other words, the people who were there and their state of spiritual maturity were the result of another pastor’s ministry, not my own ministry. I could not come and expect the church to immediately adopt my views on the life and ministry of the church, which left me free to serve joyfully people who did not always share my beliefs about the Bible or ministry, but after a few years, the image began to change.
Take a long-term view of Church reform. This helps us to have a time horizon of ten to twenty years. From a long-term perspective, we can more patiently prioritize areas of church life that need change. We can act more joyfully in an imperfect ministerial environment when we ask people to tolerate our personal weaknesses.
However, there are two things a pastor can change immediately when he comes to a new church: preaching and welcoming members to the church. In one day, you can exalt the authority of Scripture by the way you preach, explicitly drawing the points from the biblical text itself and showing that you abide by it. Second, you can immediately start interviewing new members as soon as they arrive. In this way, you can:
Few things are better than seeing a church reform in person
In conclusion, there are few things better than seeing a change in the church, from a weak and unimportant church to a vibrant and biblical church. The only way this can happen is by properly preaching the Word of God. However, some reform efforts failed, despite the fidelity of the chair; The Lord must be working to change the course of things. You are likely to succeed in the long run if you have some siblings working with you at work. However, even with all these things, you must take a long-term approach. church reform; therefore, brethren, be patient until the Lord comes; Behold, the labrador waits patiently for the precious fruit of the earth, until he receives the first and last rain; be also you patient and strengthen your hearts, for the Coming of the Lord is near?(Tg 5. 7-8).