The future of the Church, why do I keep worrying about it?

We spend a lot of time and a lot of energy worrying about the future of our own local church.  We also spend a lot of time and energy worrying about the future of the Church in America, or in the West, perhaps even globally.  Is my church heading in the right direction?  Is my denomination heading in the right direction?  How will the Church respond to the increasingly secularized culture of the West?  What about millennials, everybody keeps saying they aren't going to church anymore?...

These worries, or "concerns", if we want to feel better about what we call them and avoid admitting that we're worried, are probably unavoidable, to some extent.  We all want to know that our contribution and sacrifices will stand the test of time, that they are "worth it" and not wasted, and we have a natural and appropriate place in our hearts for our own local church, our denomination, and the Church in our nation.  If any one of those levels fails, or seems to be failing, it will be emotionally brutal for those for whom much of their identity is defined by being an American Christian, from this particular church, in that denomination.

Our emotional investment is natural, and for the most part a good thing, but it may also be somewhat misguided.  The Church, from the local one that you are attached to (hopefully), to the denomination to which it belongs, to the collection of churches throughout this nation (or any nation), doesn't belong to you.  The Church is the bride of Christ, the object of the New Covenant, the subject of Jesus' promise to his disciples that, "the gates of Hades will not overcome it." (Mt. 16:18)  The Church in our generation will have its ups and downs, it will win some and lose some, it may shrink in one area only to grow in another.  Through it all, from this generation to the next, and the next after that, the Church will continue to be the instrument of the will of God for declaring the Gospel and making disciples here on Earth.  And as an instrument of the will of God, it cannot be defeated, our worst or best effort notwithstanding, for its success or failure is not predicated upon our power, but God's.

Does what we do matter, then, at our local church?  Absolutely, for we have been given charge over the sheep of this particular pasture, we have been entrusted with the words of Life, and we have been tasked with making disciples here in our midst.  We have, as a local church, much responsibility of the utmost importance.  What we don't have, what we can't have, is responsibility for the future of the Church, from the local to the universal level, that power rest, thankfully, solely in the hands of God.

Is the Church shrinking in the West?  Statistics seem to say yes, but you and I will not be judged by God according to statistics.  What we will answer for is the quality of our prayer, worship, and service in the name of Jesus.  It has always been the work of the Holy Spirit to bring salvation to the Lost, to spur revival among the people of God, and to overcome the forces of darkness in this world with the light of Christ.  If the Spirit of God sends revival upon our local church, our denomination, or our nation, God will deserve the glory, for the power of God will have been the cause.  What then does the future hold for us?  As our church here approaches its 150th anniversary in July, we can't help but wonder.  God knows, God alone has the power to shape the future.  Our task, our responsibility, is the present.  Our own lives, our own discipleship, our own community and our role within it as servants of the kingdom of God.

How does the story end?

"Hallelujah!  For our Lord God Almighty reigns.  Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!  For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready." (Revelation 19:7)

God will have the victory, his Church will be victorious, for the uncountable throng of redeemed saints who comprise it are the bride of Christ, and their celebration of his victory in the glory of heaven is already certain.

Am I optimistic about the future of the local church where I serve?  Yes.  Am I optimistic about the future of our denomination, the American Baptist Churches?  Yes.  Am I optimistic about the future of the Church in the United States or in the West?  Yes.  But my optimism or pessimism alone won't determine anything.  There will always be reasons for optimism and reasons for pessimism, regardless of them, we have a task to accomplish, a mission given to us by our Lord, and we are responsible for our effort on behalf of that cause, God, and God alone, is responsible for tomorrow.

"at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10-11)

Sermon Video: Josiah - Renewal and Hope - 2 Chronicles 34

Josiah, the boy king, came to the throne at the age of eight following the assassination of his father, Amon.  The Chronicles doesn't tell us who acted as regent during his minority, nor who educated or trained the boy king, but we are told that at 16 Josiah began to seek the LORD.  At 20, Josiah began a systematic program of destroying and demolishing idols and altars to false gods throughout both Judea and also in the lands of the shattered kingdom of Israel.  At 26, Josiah oversaw the restoration of the temple complex whose repairs had been neglected for decades.  Having accomplished so much before 30, Josiah is an amazing example of youthful zeal for the LORD.
What Josiah would have attempted next we'll never know, for his future course was set by the discovery of the scroll of the Law in the temple.  Previous to this, for an unknown period of time, the people had been without a copy of the Law.  Imagine, Josiah sought the LORD without having personally read the Scriptures, with only second-hand knowledge of God.  The reforms of Josiah appear even more amazing given this limitation.  When the Scriptures were read in his presence, however, far from being reassured because of his personal faithfulness, Josiah was moved tear his robes in mourning as he realized just how far his nation had been, for generations, from the standard of God's holiness as outlined in the Law of Moses.
Knowing his people's sinfulness, Josiah humbly sought the LORD's forgiveness on their behalf, only to learn that the day of God's wrath in judgment could not be diverted.  God granted Josiah the mercy of peace during his day, because of his faithfulness, but assured him that soon judgment would come.  In response, Josiah gathered the people of Judah and Israel, from least to greatest, to rededicate themselves to the Covenant publicly.  This act of devotion to the LORD, knowing that the future held judgment, not blessings, was a further example of how thoroughly Josiah's generation sought the LORD.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Hezekiah's Revival, Part 4 (of 4) - 2 Chronicles 32

The final chapter in the Chronicles' recounting of the reign of Hezekiah takes place after the reform and revival movement he helped bring about has finished its work.  The timing suggests two conclusions: #1 God thwarted the evil purposes of Sennacherib until his people had finished their repentance and had renewed their relationship with him.  #2 Doing the right thing didn't make Hezekiah and the people immune to tribulation, instead, it enabled them to stand firm when tribulation came (In keeping with the lesson of Job).
How did Hezekiah and the people respond to this challenge to the very existence of their nation?  They first took all the preparations that were in their power to accomplish, then they declared their trust that God would do what only God can do, and lastly when Sennacherib mocked the power of God, they responded with prayer to the Almighty.
How did God respond?  He delivered his people, in fulfillment of his Word and by way of demonstrating his love and compassion for them.  In the end, Hezekiah and the people of Judah persevered, maintaining their allegiance to God in a time of peril.  Overall, Hezekiah demonstrates what can be accomplished by a devout person of God through hard work, prayer, and faith.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Hezekiah's Revival, Part 2 (of 4) - 2 Chronicles 30

Having cleaned and re-dedicated the temple, and reconsecrated the priests and Levites, Hezekiah and the leadership of the people of Judah next turn to reinstituting the Passover feast.  Along the way, they face a variety of potential set-backs, each of which could have derailed the opportunity to bring the people of God together in order to praise God, but each of which were dealt with by compromise.  Hezekiah chooses to pursue the spirit of the Law, not the letter, making exceptions to the rules in order to bring about a truly national revival of repentance.  When the people show that they have a willing heart, Hezekiah doesn't let their past violations of the Law keep them from returning to the worship of the LORD.  It is for us an important reminder that the heart is more important than the outward appearance, and also that the people of God ought to be willing to stretch themselves in order to welcome lost sinners when they turn to God in repentance.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Hezekiah's Revival, Part 1 (of 4) - 2 Chronicles 29

When Hezekiah became king of Judah, he inherited a kingdom in grave crisis.  His father Ahaz had suffered multiple military defeats and left Hezekiah with enemies on all sides, including the aggressive Assyrian Empire to the north which had recently destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel.  How was Hezekiah to respond, where should he even begin?  Hezekiah chose, in the first month of his reign, to focus his energies and attention upon the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem.  Enemies without were not his first concern, for Hezekiah knew that the spiritual corruption and root within Judah would surely destroy his kingdom by bringing down upon them the wrath of God's justice.
With the temple defiled and in disrepair, Hezekiah brought together the priests and Levites, putting them to work on the task of getting the temple ready once more for worship of the LORD.  16 days later, the temple was ready.  The very next day, Hezekiah brought with him the leaders of Jerusalem for a ceremony of re-dedication that contained a significant focus: atonement.  Until the sins of the nation had been atoned for, the wrath of God still hung over the kingdom, Hezekiah knew how serious this situation was, he not only fulfilled what the Law of Moses required to atone for sin, but went beyond it as well.  The resulting ceremony not only featured sacrifices for sin, but vocal and instrumental worship as well, followed by an opportunity for the people to demonstrate their thankfullness to God.
Hezekiah knew his nation desperately needed revival, he began in the only place that will work, with repentance and re-dedication to the worship of the LORD.  If we, as a Church, or as a nation, truly desire revival in our day, we will heed Hezekiah's example and begin with purifying our own hearts and committing ourselves to truly being disciples of Jesus Christ.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Pastoral ministry, Apologetics, and Optimism for the Church

One of the things that I sometimes do while working at my desk during the week is listen to Dr. James White's online program The Diving Line from Alpha and Omega Ministries.  These Youtube videos often deal with topics that interest me, in particular Biblical textual issues.  One of the things that I have noticed of late, is that Dr. White's perspective, as an apologist who spends a lot of his time debating, is as a result at times negative about the state of the Church today.  When you spend all of your time and effort combating error and heresy within the Church, and fending off assault from those who are supposed to be on your side, as well as those who are not, it is no wonder that Dr. White doesn't get the chance to see the positive things that are happening in the Church that I have the good fortune of witnesses on a regular basis as I go about pastoral ministry here in my little corner of the world.
It may be that there is theological rot in many of the seminaries, some of which have wandered away from Orthodoxy, but here on the local level, at least in my own experience working with the 50+ churches that we've come into contact with through Mustard Seed Missions, I've only worked with men and women who are preaching, teaching, and living the same Gospel message as our ancestors in the faith.  If certain denominations are heading into danger, and that's something an apologist like Dr. White should be focusing on, that same trend is not evident here on the local level.  Working here in Venango County these past four and a half years, has given me a tremendous optimism about the work that God is doing, an optimism that stems from our ecumenical work for the poor through Mustard Seed Missions, as well as the food pantries, the cross walk, the 40 Days of Prayer, and all the other ways in which God's people here in this place have been working hard for the kingdom of God.
Just today as I listened to yesterday's program while working on my PowerPoint for Sunday, James expressed some of his own frustration after spending the first 45 minutes talking about some of the struggles the Church is facing by those who are wandering from orthodoxy, he said, "And I know in my  mind, God is still on is throne, I'm only seeing a small portion of it.  We've seen all sorts of people brought out of error...I know all that, sometimes you just start getting tired."  After that, Dr. White commented that he takes a long ride on his bike to help clear his mind of the weight he feels on his shoulders when fighting day after day on these issues, a sentiment that I can wholeheartedly agree with (for me, it is running on our awesome running trails in the woods at Two Mile or Oil Creek State Park).
I know that a lot of you are worried about the future, about the future of our nation, and the future of God's Church here.  There are things worth worrying about, trends that need to be countered, battles that must be won.  When that fight ways heavy on your mind, the antidote that I have found may offer you solace.  Find your fellow Christians who have a passion for those in need, and get busy doing something to help in the name of Christ, and get together with your neighboring churches to worship together.  You're not in this alone, and neither is your church.  God has brought revival to this nation through his Church before, he can do it again.  Instead of waiting around for that to happen, get started on kingdom work today, who knows, you may end up being a part of how God turns that blessing of revival into a reality.

{Update 11/21  The James White that I used to listen to while working no longer has the same ministry.  In the past 3-4 years he has followed Eric Metaxas down the road of political 'sky is falling' conspiracy theory laden hysteria.  I no longer recommend listening to his messages with the exception of the older material related to textual criticism}

Is Pope Francis right about the Gospel?

Nothing like an attention grabbing headline to get people to read an article.  This particular headline is most likely worth a chuckle to most readers, perhaps a shocked double-take to the few who wouldn't believe a Pope if he said the grass was green.  In a recent interview that was widely published by the Vatican, Pope Francis commented on the centrality of the Gospel message to the work and teachings of the Church.

A beautiful homily, a genuine sermon must begin with the first proclamation, with the proclamation of salvation. There is nothing more solid, deep and sure than this proclamation. Then you have to do catechesis. Then you can draw even a moral consequence. But the proclamation of the saving love of God comes before moral and religious imperatives. (America Magazine)

The take-away from the media was that the Pope wants Catholics to downplay the issues of the culture wars such as abortion and homosexuality; in other words, "Watch out conservatives, this Pope is a liberal!"  That erroneous reporting actually proves Pope Francis' point, the Church (and our message as perceived by the media) has been hijacked by moral and religious imperatives at the expense of the core message of our faith: that Christ died to save sinners. 
As a Church, we're in the business of reconciliation.  Reconciliation is our ministry, it is our mission.  We exist to help people find their way back home to their Heavenly Father.  If we fail in that mission, no other victory that we may achieve, political, cultural, or otherwise, will be worth anything.  If we win the culture wars, but lose the battle over for the souls of the Lost, we haven't won a thing.  In actuality, the Pope didn't say anything that hundreds of old-time Gospel revival preachers hadn't said before.  For example, the epitome of the revival sermon style given by one of history's great preachers, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", by Jonathen Edwards, focuses very clearly on the absolute need for each and every person to make a personal commitment to Christ.

And now you have an extraordinary Opportunity,

a Day wherein Christ has flung the Door

of Mercy wide open, and stands in the Door calling

and crying with a loud Voice to poor Sinners; a

Day wherein many are flocking to him, and pressing

into the Kingdom of God; many are daily coming

from the East, West, North and South; many

that were very lately in the same miserable Condition

that you are in, are in now an happy State,

with their Hearts filled with Love to Him that has

loved them and washed them for their Sins in his

own Blood, and rejoycing in Hope of the Glory

of God. How awful is it to be left behind at such

a Day!

Is Pope Francis right about the Gospel?  Absolutely, it is and must always be our highest priority.  As ministers of the Gospel, our number one goal is to heal the broken-hearted, to share Christ's offer of forgiveness.  It is only then that our secondary goals, moral growth and maturity have any hope of success.  We cannot convince culture to cherish the unborn if they won't even save themselves from God's judgment, and we cannot hope to save marriages if we don't elevate the Bride of Christ by proclaiming to any and all that the Marriage Supper of the Lamb still has room for many guests. (Rev. 19:6-9)
Does that mean we walk away from moral issues, of course not.  It means that we should have our priorities straight, we should give no man just cause to think that any issue is more important to us than the Gospel, and it means that we need to not worry about our ancestors rolling over in their graves, we need to agree with Pope Francis.  The proclamation of the saving love of God comes first.
To read an excellent article on how poorly the intent of Pope Francis' words have been reported, click on the following link: Edward Morrissey's article

The Post-Christian West?

It has been popular in recent years to proclaim the end of the Christian era in the West and to speak of post-modernity as the "post-Christian era".  The assessment is that the saturation of our culture by Christian ideas and values is coming to and end.  There will be far more people in the future who have no real knowledge of Christianity so that when we encounter them (either as visitors to Church or in Outreach, or simply as neighbors or co-workers) we will have to work harder to establish basic Truths and prepare the ground for the Gospel to be heard.
The evidence in Europe of the "death" of Christianity is indeed stark; near empty Churches seem to be the norm, far more than vibrant ones.  But is this the case in America too?  We have witnessed dramatic growth in those who self-label themselves as Agnostics or Atheists, but have we also not witnessed a resurgence of those who have clung to the Church through its difficult days.  Yes, Church membership is down (almost across the board), but wasn't it bloated before with those for whom it was simply a status symbol and not really a serious commitment?
The future of the Church in America lies in the hands of the generations that will inherit the leadership and responsibility from the Baby Boomers (and this soon).  It will be up to us to raise high the banners that were handed down to us and proclaim our faith proudly despite the laughter of the sceptics.  It will be up to us to show that relationships still have value in a fragmented culture, and that love can transcend text messages.
Christianity has taken a severe blow as a cultural force in America over the last few decades, but it remains to be seen if the Church will once again rise to the occasion through acts of humility and charity.
Despair over the future of the Church is nothing new.  In generations past the Lord sent revival throughout our nation, a Great Awakening ensued; later on, a Second Great Awakening followed. 
Lord, it is time, send your Third Great Awakening to a dry and thirsty land; it is not the culture of this great Nation for whom we fear, but the lost souls yearning to find hope and peace.

Can we change ourselves?

I'm reading Will Mancini's Church Unique right now and a quote he utilized when talking about Church Growth from Gordon MacDonald caught my eye. "I have wondered if our evangelical fervor to change the world is not driven in some part by the inability to change ourselves."
This thought was quickly connected in my mind to all of the enthusiasm I've witnessed over the years to change this law or that, to elect this or that candidate, in the hopes that such a political victory will allow us to change the culture from the top-down.  If we cannot change our neighborhoods, let us change the law and get the government to do the job for us.
An example of this attitude is the abortion issue.  I believe that abortion is a moral evil that should not be legal in any society.  Life, given as a gift from God, is far too precious to squander, from beginning to end.  {this same principle affect my views on using drugs, education, poverty aid, euthanasia, and more}  For nearly half a century abortion has been legal in America.  Over 30 million abortions have occurred in that time frame, not because it is legal, but because millions of our fellow Americans have decided that it is easier to rid themselves of an inconvenient child than it is to take responsibility for him/her.  Included in this number, are millions of church attenders and millions of teens whose parents are/were Christians.  This is not a problem for "them" that those of us within the Church have no responsibility for.  We already know that divorce rates and non-marital sex rates are far too similar for self-professing Christians as they are for those who do not claim Christ as Lord.
Where does this leave us.  When we realize that political solutions, while necessary, will never solve the problem, we can begin to focus our efforts upon helping our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ live in ways that more clearly reflect the mercy which God has shown us in Christ.  The problem is not out "there" among the Lost; the problem is withing the Church, the problem is our own.
It is far easier to change the political landscape and the laws of this nation than it is to reform our churches from within.  It is far easier, but far less effective.  The revival of the Church in America begins in the pew I sit in on Sunday; it begins with us.