Restoring the Church From Within Pt III: Ignore Negativity

But many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders who had seen the first Temple wept aloud when they saw the new Temple's foundation. The others, however, were shouting for joy (Ezra 3:12 NLT)
I don’t like the way that is done. It won’t work. We don’t need to change anything, they way we are doing it works. What do these sentences have in common? These sentences are opposed to change. When we attempt to restore the church from within, there is going to be changes made, whether it be physical or spiritual. There will be opposition, even from the believers. The most important thing to do when restoring the church from within: Ignore the negativity.
When a church family is on a downward growth trend, the focus tends to be in the past. In order to restore the church to it’s once former glory, changes need to be made. Whether the change comes from a physical standpoint (replacing pews with chairs, repainting the sanctuary, changing the style of music, or an assortment of other things) to spiritual (the methods used to deliver the message), an honest assessment must be made. Therefore, there will also be attacks from those within the church that find these changes as unnecessary and Anti-Christian.
There are seven words that when uttered, signify a dying or dead church. Those seven words are: We’ve never done it that way before. When those words are uttered, growth will cease and a decline will happen. Why? Times change, attention spans change, what people notice change, attitudes change. Because society changes, the church needs to change the methods to suit the society. If you want to attract teens to the church, have things that will excite them. If you want to attract young families to church, again have something that will pertain to them. What worked in the fifties, will not work now. What worked in the seventies will not work now. What worked in the nineties, will not work now. You need to know who you’re wanting to attract, and what they want. You need to assess why the person isn’t attending church, and if that is something you can fill. The methods will need to change, but the message must remain the same.
In order to ignore the negativity, you must refuse to be intimidated. Peter and John were standing before the Sanhedrin, they were intimidated with death and were commanded not to invoke the name of Jesus. "Then they (Sanhedrin) called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, ‘Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God.’" (Acts 4:18,19 NIV) They stood up to the ruling council, knowing they were risking their lives, and said "No, we will not listen to man, but we will listen to God." They were willing to risk their lives, for the sake of the Gospel. Are you?
Aside from risking your life, what about your job? Is your job more important than God? Do you not think that God will provide for you if you stood up to your boss and said, "I will listen to God over you." I’m not saying march into your bosses office and give them the one fingered salute and demand that you preach every morning to the workers. I am saying, don’t let fear of losing your job hinder the spread of the Gospel to those that are hurting. Think about this: If people are willing to die for the Gospel, are you willing to lose your job? One can be replaced, the other can not. (Before I get put on the spot with questions. . . yes I have stood up to my bosses and quoted that bit of scripture. I don’t challenge someone to do something, if I’m not willing to do it myself.)
Don’t let fear stop you. Don’t let what other non-believers think hinder you. In our society, we are so concerned that we might offend someone, that we would rather remain PC and not spread the Gospel message to anyone. Greg Laurie, once said, (misquoted by me) "Who would you rather offend, man or God." If you’re afraid that you will offend someone by not spreading the Gospel to them, and they die never knowing the hope of salvation that is offered through Jesus Christ, and then you stand before the Father in heaven, are you going to say, "I didn’t want to offend him." What do you think God’s response will be? We should not be here to please man. "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Gal 1:10 NIV)
Don’t let the fear of what other believers might think stop you also.. If it is from God, stand up for it, even if you are the only one standing. When the Sanhedrin were discussing the fate of Paul and John, there were given a warning by a highly esteemed teacher, Gamaliel. "Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." (Acts 5:38,39 NIV)
The other way to restore the church from within, is for you, yourself to avoid criticism. Be a leader by example. Avoid using words like, "I don’t like that. It won’t work. That’s stupid. We’ve never done . . ." Be a positive person. Use words that will only build up, not tear down. "Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (Eph 4:29) Support those who have ideas, that may not mesh with yours, but will benefit the church. Most of the times, the best ideas come from other people.
When restoring the church from within, it is important to have these three qualities. You must include God, invite others, and ignore the negativity.
Have a blessed week
Daniel G Vandenburg