Podcast Episode #339
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If any of these danger signs are present in your church, you need to take note. They can signal decline, dead theology, or even death of the church.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
- There is a growing danger of the exclusivity of Christ being lost in many churches.
- Any rationale that minimizes evangelism is contrary to Scripture.
- Evangelism doesn’t just happen. It requires intentionality.
- Actions should emanate from your preaching of the Word.
- Your church’s missions and evangelism should focus locally as well as globally.
- When you insist on always getting your way in a relationship, the relationship eventually will deteriorate.
The five danger signs we cover are:
- Doubts about the exclusivity of salvation through Christ.
- Waning efforts at evangelism.
- Making doctrine and works either/or.
- Forgetting Jerusalem.
- Fighting rather than going and doing.
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Vanderbloemen Search Group is the premier pastor search firm dedicated to helping churches and ministries build great teams. Their Fall Lead Pastor and Executive Pastor Coaching Networks are now open for registration, and our very own Dr. Rainer will be speaking at the Fall Lead Pastor Coaching Network.
So if you’re a Lead Pastor or an Executive Pastor looking for peer roundtable coaching, check it out at vanderbloemen.com/coaching. It’s limited to 16 folks, so apply today before it fills up.
Feedback
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My warning sign story.
My first Sunday at the church I am talking to one of the long term members about the role of the deacon. She told me what they used to be (administrators) but she does not like the present role of deacons as ministers. I told her that it sounded as if the role now was biblical. Her comment was, “I don’t care what the Bible says, that is not our tradition.”
Ugh and ouch.
All of us have been called and gifted by God. Called in the sense that God has given each of us a task or tasks to do in His Kingdom. Gifted in the sense that God has given each of us the necessary gift or gifts in order to do the assigned task or tasks.
Thanks for sharing these insights, Dr. Rainer. I’ve seen many of these signs in our church.
1. Sharing the gospel is the pastor’s job.
2. No personal devotions or scripture reading throughout the week, “that’s why I go to church”.
3. Evangelism is limited to the members of the church, caring for one another is of utmost importance.
ex. “There seems to be more interest in the potential attendees than those who’ve been showing up for ten, twenty, fifty, sixty-five years. We don’t go to church every week to be saved all over again, do we?” (I can’t even begin to understand what that last sentence means)
Favourite danger sign … Misapplication/Misunderstanding of the Great Commission:
“we can’t include the word “community” in our church name because it will bring all sorts of different people here, we might even be mistaken for a [different kind of church brand]. How deceiving is it that we aren’t even operating under a name that resembles our faith?”.
another direct quote, “Why couldn’t we start by spending our resources on advertising on [local] Christian radio stations? Would it not be a bigger crowd for our church to reach who are already believers?”
So, so, so sad.
Triple ugh.
Remember that as members of the Body of Christ, we are called to: 1. Worship 2. Nurture 3. Engage in Christian Education and Bible Study 4. Do mission work 5. Practice real stewardship–time, talent, treasure 6. Daily share the good news of the Gospel 7. Become sparkplugs in our communities 8. Discuss social issues 9. Dream Dreams and see visions of where God wants us to go.
Good thread!
I do agree though with the idea that sometimes churches are being deceptive by their name. Bait and switch always leaves a sour taste in the mouth, and don’t think the church should do it.
We travel quite a bit and I am amazed at how seldom the sermon is even mildly evangelistic, and how often we hear that “isn’t the pastor’s job.” Well, it is unless he has retired from being a believer, as it is the job of all of us including the pastor.
Every growing church we have visited has good “equipping and educating” going on at times other than the sermon on Sunday. That service is evangelistic.
We try to ask ourselves weekly “if I came in here a lost person, and did not know that nor what it means for eternity, would I have learned that plus how to avoid it and find abundant life in Jesus?” If not, we failed.
Thanks Dr. Rainer,
Some has said, “Sharing the gospel is the pastor’s job”. This is true. The church as a whole is a missionary organism that has to utilize the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit to bring many people into the body of Christ. Relational evangelism is more effective than just adverts of the church’s programs. Here individual meet people face to face build friendship for purposes of winning them to Christ.
The role of a pastor is in this regard but more to nurturing those who have been transferred from the world into the likeness of Christ (Rom. 12: 1-2).
Therefore let every member of the local church raise up fulfill his/er duty alongside the leadership.