So What Can We Do? Part 1

You could see the distress on her face. We had just talked about the state of the American church as well as the state of our own church. We discussed our lack of growth over and extended period of time and what that means for the next generation. After some time a hand went up. After she was acknowledge, the sweet lady simply said, "What can we do to see the church grow?" She was distressed because she loved the church. She had felt the power of Christ's love through the body, and she wanted others to know the same. That is why she asked the obvious and pressing question, "What can we do?"

It is a hard question because it is where the rubber meets the road. It is one thing to talk about health and growth, but it is quite another to pursue it. Ultimately, of course, God causes any growth to the glory of his name. But there are theologically informed things we can do. In this post--and a few to follow--I want to offer some practical answer to this pressing question. This list, of course, is not exhaustive, but it is a place to start.

First, seek to re-prioritize your life and church according to the dictates of the kingdom of God. Matthew 6:33 tells us to "seek first the kingdom of God." The word first points to priorities. When something is a priority, it receives our attention, energies, and is the object of our dreams. Clearly, we are given a first priority, and that priority is the kingdom of God. Jesus was very concerned with the kingdom. He taught us to pray that God's "kingdom would come (Matt. 6:10)." The kingdom of God is God's rule over men and women through the gospel. The kingdom expands as people come to know, love, and worship, God. And that is our priority.

Understanding this forces us to reevaluate our lives. What gets our first and best attention each day? Are we on a mission to expand our kingdom or God's? Understanding this forces a church to evaluate their priorities and releases us from a "small church mindset." A small church mindset says, "We have never done it this way before." But a kingdom mindset looks for bold creative ways to join God on mission. A small church mindset values closeness to the exclusion of others. But a kingdom mindset values closes so much that there is a longing to include others. If we want to see real change, we must make changes that are consistent with our identity as kingdom people.

Second, realize that we are sent by God with the gospel. When Jesus appears to his disciples in John 20, he says to them, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you (v. 21)." Jesus was the greatest missionary in history. He traveled from heaven to earth to reclaim rebellious men to the glory of his Father. John reminds us that the Jesus who came is the same Jesus who sends the church to be a part of this grand redemptive drama.

Knowing this revolutionizes our understanding of life and work. There are no ordinary job when you are on mission with Christ. People are not meant to slug it out in a factory or coast by in a class. God's people are strategically placed by God to work for God in all places.

But it is not just enough for us to show up. We are sent with a message. We are witnesses of Christ. The same Jesus who sends the disciples sends them with a message. He says that "repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations (Luke 24:47). The apostle Paul explains for us the urgency of this task. "For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without some preaching (proclaiming the good news of Christ)? And how are they to preach unless they are sent (Rom. 10:13-15)?"

We are sent as kingdom people to proclaim the good news wherever God has placed us. Embracing this will move us from stagnant to vibrant. But there is more to say.