Church Questions
It is Summertime once again! The kids are out of school...the heat is rising...and, for some, there has already been the beginning of swimming, watermelons, and carefree days. The changing of the seasons and the rhythms of our culture bring with it some predictable happenings.
Predictability can benefit us – or hinder us. At times, what we view as predictable can lead us to apathy. And the truth is – most of our predictions of what will happen in the next moment of our lives (or the life of the church) are not based in any real certainty. Chuck Lawless has written (on his website, accessible at https://chucklawless.com/2024/10/12-random-questions-to-ask-about-your-church-this-week/) some questions we can ask about the church that can help us think about what those things that we have not predicted (I’ve chosen a few of them for you to see, here).
“Take some time to evaluate your church via these somewhat ‘random’ questions:
- If your church disappeared today, would your community know the difference? If not, you’re likely not making much difference.
- If God sent revival to your church, would you be ready to grow the new believers He gives you? If your congregation isn’t prepared to incorporate and disciple new believers, God may not entrust them to you in the first place.
- If your church carried out church discipline on every member living in flagrant sin, how many members would remain? I can only wonder how many churches have not exercised biblical church discipline in years.
- If your church faced persecution, what percentage of members would die rather than renounce Christ? I don’t know if we’ll face this kind of persecution in my lifetime, but the day may eventually come.
- If the government removed tax benefits for giving to the church, would your budget giving change? I doubt it would increase...
- Would non-believers hear joy when they hear your church members sing? I’ve heard singing around the world that’s often amazing – but not always in churches I’ve attended.
- If God left your church today, would any of its activities continue unchanged? One would hope not, but I wonder sometimes.”
The truth is, we are often unwilling to evaluate. We certainly have a propensity to criticize, but do to so without true evaluation. When evaluation takes place, it is often against a standard of our own making – or on the basis of our personal preferences. And in the rhythms of life, we often float from one season to the next without much thought. What thoughts do these somewhat “random” questions generate concerning your individual life, the life of Christ’s church at Foxworth First, and the community in which God has sovereignly planted us?
The LORD is busy-at-work bringing all things to their completion. He is ensuring His purposes unfold. Will we follow His perfect will for us? Will we (2 Peter 1:5-11), “...make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.” ? The Word teaches us, “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers,] be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Be friendly to those around you (be reminded of what friendship really means). Be faithful to the LORD and His ways (and faithful to His Bride: the Church). Be focused on your mission and the day that will come when this will be no more and we will be like Him!
Pastor loves you, church!