January 5, 2017 | Imagine

 “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.”
[Philippians 3:14-16 NLT]
My notes
As I begin a new series at Frisco Bible, I am delighted that my personal study preparation notes can be used in the development of my brethren as well. Here they are for your use as well.
Imagine: a call for reform
 
Objective (what we hope to see God accomplish in us through the study): That we prepare Frisco Bible Church – both the organization and individuals who comprise it – for the next stage of ministry in this world.
 
Statements of the objective: 1 Chronicles 28
20 Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He won’t leave you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the Lord’s house is finished. HCSB
 
Premise (why we are studying this): The world is changing, rapidly. Families, individual relationships, and churches are all facing massive obstacles – and anyone who says otherwise is pretending. Yet rather than despair we should rejoice, because these challenges represent a grand opportunity. The local churches that respond to change and lead through it will fulfill their ministry for this season and prepare wisely for the chapters yet to come. The way to respond is to live out a bold commitment to being in tune with God’s Word while in touch with God’s world.
 
Statements of the premise: Philippians 3
14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. 15 Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. 16 But we must hold on to the progress we have already made. NLT
 
The buckle of the Bible Belt is coming off. That means the entire belt will soon fall off. And it is happening rapidly.
– Thom Rainier
 
Great leadership does not mean running away from reality. Sometimes the hard truths might just demoralize the company, but at other times sharing difficulties can inspire people to take action that will make the situation better.
– John Kotter, Harvard Business School Professor Emeritus, Leading Change
 
Theme of the study (what the study is about): We will fulfill our ministry by preparing for the future – in our homes, our society, and our church. While this can appear complex or even frightening, the reality is that it’s as simple as following God’s plan. He clearly calls us forward with these scriptural reminders:
  1. God is at work in the darkest times. Habakkuk 1:5.
  2. The Lord wants us to ever increase in His good work. Phil. 3:14-15.
  3. He expects and empowers us to fulfill our ministry. 2 Tim. 4:5.
Statements of the theme: Habakkuk 1
5 Look among the nations! Observe!
Be astonished! Wonder!
Because I am doing something in your days-
You would not believe if you were told.  NASB
I’m not minimizing the fact we live in a complex world, and I’m not suggesting that profit cannot be found in complexity. But…opportunity and profits are extracted from complexity through simplification, not by adding to the complexity. While many think it was Einstein who said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” the statement was actually borrowed from Leonardo de Vinci – both gentlemen were correct.
– Mike Myatt in Forbes
Historical background: 
  • Churches that don’t reform. To understand the need for this effort, consider the history of churches comprised of Christians who refused the continual reformation necessary to effectively serve God in this ever-changing world. For a more recent understanding, just look at the dozens of churches all around us that are in decline. Many of these were established during the great church planting waves spanning 1950-1999, but they never adjusted to the 21st century. Or examine places like Harvard University – planted to produced godly church leaders but now far from that original mission. Upon investigation, it becomes clear that every unproductive organization – like every unproductive Christian individual – suffers from one of two problems: they either quit being in tune with God’s Word or they stopped reaching to touch God’s world. In Dr. Scofield’s wonderful summary from over 100 years ago, “They stop taking the Bible as it is to men as they are.”
  • Churches that stop being in touch with God’s world. Thomas Rainer [no radical he, Thom is a staunch Baptist who remains bullish on the local church] wrote about this on Reformation Day, October 31, 2016:
What a big difference a region makes. Or use to make.
I served as pastor of four churches, and three of them were in the Bible Belt. The Bible Belt refers to that region of the southeastern and south-central United States where church attendance has been higher historically, and where biblical values are more closely aligned with cultural values.
But the buckle of the Bible Belt is coming off. That means the entire belt will soon fall off. And it is happening rapidly.
There are thousands of churches in the Bible Belt. Sadly, too many of them are not adjusting to the changing realities of the area. They still act like it’s 1975. Here’s why:
  1. They don’t recognize the decline in cultural Christianity. They refuse to admit the world has changed around them. And they are often angered when someone suggests they make methodological and stylistic changes.
  2. They have many “church rules.” The church rules could be related to attire worn on Sunday, or times of worship, or inconsequential polity issues. The point is they do things like they did 40 years ago, and wonder why those on the outside are not interested in their churches.
  3. They have leaders who have never led in a highly unchurched mission field. Of course, the problem is that the mission field around them is growing increasingly unchurched. Birmingham and Nashville, in that regard, are looking more like Spokane and Boston.
  4. They confuse traditions with truth. That is a dangerous reality. When our church members equate biblical teachings with some of the bylaws and processes of the church, the congregation is in big trouble.
  5. They do outreach the way they’ve always done it. So if Tuesday night visitation was effective in 1975, it should be effective in 2016.
  6. They have significant conflict due to frustration. A number of the leaders and members of these churches can’t understand why and how things have changed so much. They want their old church back, but it’s not coming back. Their frustration can lead to conflict that exacerbates their other problems.
  7. They are very slow to respond. Their internal culture moves at a much slower pace than the community around them. If they do respond to an opportunity, they might be five years late. Or ten. Or twenty.
  8. They have significant facility challenges. Many of these churches were built for one big crowd one day a week one hour a week. They might have old and dated education and recreation facilities as well.
  • Churches that stop being in tune with God’s Word. Sigh. Where to begin? Jen Hatmaker is just the latest Christian to exemplify a theology that takes its marching orders from society and not scripture. I was frankly never a fan of hers, bothered by the lack of biblical balance in her books. Even when calling for simplicity, she appeared to me more driven by a social movement than called by scripture. And that is exactly what can happen to us! We are just as prone as our dear sister to compromise truth. When we do so, our long-term impact is eliminated.
 
Theological background: As we enter this series in our annual vision of reformation, we should recollect the take-aways God impressed on us recently:
  1. What we learned from Exodus. Though we don’t know all the details, we must trust God and go after His leadership.
  2. What we learned from Reformed. The Lord will take His church beyond our understanding and past our current cultural battles. Though the results may be far different from what we perceive starting out, all will be well if we are aligned with the foundational biblical truths: sola scriptura; sola gratia; sola fide; solus Christus; soli Deo gloria; and sola ecclesia.
  3. What we learned from Galatians. Everything
    is achieved by God’s grace. We labor not to earn God’s love, but because we have His love permanently in Christ.
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