THE STATE OF THE CHURCH ADDRESS
Much like the State of the Union Address that we will hear just 2 weeks from now – I want to bring you the State of the Church Address today. I will not be making promises about how to reform the church – because I believe the day we are living in demands that man move beyond making promises about what he is going to do and allow God to come to the forefront and perform the work that He wants completed. We are all a part of this masterplan; and God desires for you to join with him in this New Year.
Gen. 12:2, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.”
Psalm 33:12, “12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people
He has chosen as His own inheritance.
Jer. 12:17, “17But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and
destroy it,” declares the LORD.
Where are we as a church today? What is God doing in the church today? How can we stay tied into what God is doing today? Where do you fit in to what God is doing?
These are all thought-provoking questions that challenge us as Christians to take a good, long look at the church today.
Is the church relevant to the world that we live in today? What I mean is; do we all just come together to get a good blessing – or are we concerned about reaching out to the lost?
There is nothing wrong with getting the ‘blessings’ – but if that is your whole focus on why you come to church; you’ve missed something – church is not about us…It’s about HIM! We have it all backwards if we are only concerned about our own needs; what we got out of a service; whether we ‘felt’ the spirit or not – each of these are all signs of maturity.
1) WHERE ARE WE AS A CHURCH TODAY?
a) Even as Samuel was instructed to not judge a book by it’s cover – you and I are also instructed to also allow God to do his work in which He chooses to and not second-guess Him!
i) 1 Sam. 16:7, “But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. Forthe LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
(1) At this time it was written of by Josephus that David was probably 10 years old here, others date him as being about 15 years old.
b) We are in the maturation process that began long before I came as pastor. This is a long-term course that God is taking us through.
c) Don’t grow weary in well doing – that’s the encouragement that you and I receive from Paul in Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
(1) Bottom Line – we are right in the middle of where God would have us!
2) WHAT IS GOD DOING IN THE CHURCH TODAY?
a) I believe that God is doing today what He has been trying to do for years.
b) It can be observed that in a time of transition many will fall away because of discouragement and reluctance to going forward.
i) Take government for example: in every political transition there are many in positions of authority and prestige that fade out with the new leadership. Sometimes it’s intentional, yet there are others who fade into the shadows because they don’t understand what’s going on or refuse to go that direction.
c) God is doing today in the church what He has been doing since the fall of man in Genesis 3. There has been the obvious attempt of God to restore you and I into the right relationship with Him. The one thing that separates us is S-I-N!
d) So, in order for this process to be completed, God must cleanse us – purify us – prepare us – make us whole (sanctified, set apart).
i) This is what God is doing today.
3) HOW CAN WE STAY TIED INTO WHAT GOD IS DOING?
a) As we see the Spirit of God having liberty in our services we have begun to move in the right direction.
b) God is calling His children to move from pettiness to productivity. If you have been frustrated by what you have seen in the world of Christendom, then you are probably feeling that pull of a more productive, fruit-bearing, life for Christ.
c) It requires constant discipline to keep away from “itsy-bitsy thinking.”
i) Selfishness, gossip, and factionalism are the cancer of the Lord’s work in many places.
(1) Phil. 2:3-4, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
(a) I’ve heard it said that the church is full of willing people: Some are willing to work, others are willing to let them.
ii) We need a sense of proportion and priorities.
(1) It is disastrous to “major in minors.”
(a) We must be able to see the greatness and importance of the work we are doing in comparison to our own personal concerns - e.g. Phil. 1:12-18
(i) Phil. 1:12-18, “12I want you brothers and sisters to know that what has happened to me has helped to spread the Good News. 13All the palace guards and everyone else knows that I am in prison because I am a believer in Christ. 14Because I am in prison, most of the believers have become more bold in Christ and are not afraid to speak the word of God. 15It is true that some preach about Christ because they are jealous and ambitious, but others preach about Christ because they want to help. 16They preach because they have love, and they know that God gave me the work of defending the Good News. 17But the others preach about Christ for selfish and wrong reasons, wanting to make trouble for me in prison. 18But it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that in every way, whether for right or wrong reasons, they are preaching about Christ. So I am happy, and I will continue to be happy.”
d) Don’t get sidetracked with the enemy’s tactics.
4) WHERE DO YOU FIT INTO THAT PROCESS?
a) The answer to this question is up to you and I.
b) You may be sitting in your pew this morning thinking: “I am saved, and that is all that God is concerned about.”
i) If this were all that God were concerned about – then at the point of your conversion you would have been translated to heaven. Job done, work finished, Duties fulfilled!
ii) Of course, you and I both know that this is NOT the case. Rather, at the point of our conversion it was the starting point of a grand journey throughout life we have been traveling on.
c) Along the way, God speaks, leads, and compels us to enter into a more intimate relationship with Him. This is where many believers cease in their growth with the Lord.
d) As we mature in our relationship with Him, He will demand more in our time, talent, and treasures.
e) Those who find church unfulfilling and meaningless have halted in their upward progression with the Lord. If you and I are moving in the right direction then we will always be encouraged and equipped. God brings the assurance that we are on the right path and making progress as well.
5) CONCLUSION
a) We as a congregation must be convinced that we CAN and WILL make a difference in our community!
i) This requires constant discipline and confidence that we can bring about changes for good each and every day.
ii) The formula for success is hope (desire + expectation) – w/o it we cease.
iii) The doors that God opens before us (Rev. 3:8) – no one can shut them if we keep His word, declare His name, and exert our strength.
b) We need to always remember 1 Jn. 4:4, “He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world.”
i) We overcome every enemy by showing gratitude for our blessings
(1) You and I have to determine to accentuate the positives in our church; forgetting the negative aspects that are easier to focus on.
(2) Look at the church of Corinth - We see that although they went through perpetual problems – they still maintained an attitude of gratitude.
(3) Col. 3:17 says, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him
