We just completed week One of our new “One Prayer” series. You can catch up on what One Prayer is by clicking here. The series is built around the question, “If you had one prayer for the church at large, what would it be?”
My one prayer would be “Heavenly Father, Make us Reproductive!”. My message this past Sunday was on this prayer and I based it on the Great Commission text in Matthew 28:18-20. You can check out the message at ChurchattheGrove.com and click on the “Listen Online” tab at the top left portion of the web page. You can also subscribe to receive our podcast through i-tunes or another podcast source like “juice”. You can also download the sermons to load onto your mp3 player. It is a great to keep up with what God is doing while you are on vacation.
It is no secret that every statistic available shows that the church in America is in decline. Let me say that while I believe these statistic are important and true and we need to consider our future steps accordingly, I can trust in the Word of God that the church is victorious in the end! We have the luxury of knowing how the story ends. Having said this, I want to look at a few reasons that the church is struggling and in decline in light of our mandate to BE REPRODUCTIVE according to the Great Commission. Why is the church struggling?
- The Vision of the church is about perpetuating an institution rather than the gospel message of Jesus!
- The emphasis is often on the comfort of those already inside rather than on risking all to reach those on the outside.
- Measuring success has been through counting conversions rather than on MAKING DISCIPLES.
- We have expanded through land acquisition and building bigger buildings rather than reproduction through planting churches.
- We have become satisfied in acquiring members rather than accepting the challenge of sending missionaries.
- We have focused on keeping people through adding programs rather than reaching people through missional living.
- We have relaxed through thinking it was the pastor, staff and professional clergy’s job to reach people far from God rather than every believer taking missional responsibility for their personal mission field.
- We have cluttered our lives with a lot of good activities and haven’t left room for spending time with people in a way that leads to conversations about hope in Jesus.
- We are critical of people that aren’t like us rather than seeing people with compassion and seeing them through the eyes of Jesus.
I could go on…….But what are we to do?
- Make the vision about the good news of Jesus!
- The church should be a missional community rather than a comfortable club.
- Success is determined through Making Disciples! Remember……apples produce apples…..Disciples produce Disciples.
- We are wired individually to produce other disciples and for our churches to reproduce through planting other churches.
- We should emphasize sending missionaries into our community rather than recruiting through membership.
- Realize that programs are designed to keep people but missional reproduction is about sending people.
- We are all missionaries, not just the professional clergy.
- We must simplify our lives in order to make space for BEING WITH people and journeying with them in life.
- We must ask God to fill us with love for people far from God. Reject criticism and choose compassion!
