Tag Archives: Gospel

A Successful Church

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My congregation has begun an ongoing discussion about our Vision and Mission as a Church, and how we can better minister the gospel of Jesus Christ in our community.  In preparation for another meeting tonight, I came across some notes from a message I heard by Kent Hughes, pastor and author of many books, one of which is particularly relevant called, “Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome.”  I found his book to be incredibly encouraging, as was his lecture.
As we prepare to come together tonight for our conversation on how our Church can continue to move toward our vision and mission, I thought I would share the notes from Hughes’ message.  This message was geared more for Pastors, but much of what is said applies to the church as a whole.  I took the notes in outline form, so you may have to fill in some gaps.

How do you evaluate success from a biblical point of view?

  1. There is no calling to success, but a call to faithfulness. In 1 Cor 4:2 we are taught that  stewards are to be faithful.
    1. How does that work?  Look to Moses.  Numbers 20, Moses is told to speak to the rock, but Moses got angry and struck the rock.  He failed, he disregarded Gods command.  He failed to execute God’s word, so he could not enter the promised land.
    2. You can be hugely successful in ministry, and be an abysmal failure.  You can give the people exactly what they need, and be a failure.  It is possible to be a great success as a pastor and be a failure in God’s eyes because you are not faithful to God’s word.
    3. Success is found in knowing God’s Word and doing God’s Word.
    4. We cannot be influenced by that which we do not know.
    5. Success is faithfulness which manifests itself in hard working obedience to God.  There is no success apart from faithfulness.
  2. There can be no success apart from serving with a foot-washing heart
    1. If this is true of the greater (Christ), how much more for the lesser (his disciples).
  3. There is no success apart from loving God.
    1. We must love the Lord with all our heart.  This is from Christ, nothing is of greater importance.  This must be the north-star, the point of reproach and correction.
    2. It is possible to pastor a large church and not love God.
    3. It is possible to preach Christ exalting sermons and not love God.
    4. Love God above all things regardless of what is to come.  “Do you love me?”
  4. Hebrew 11:6 clearly teaches us that without faith you cannot please God.
    1. Believe that God exists.
    2. Believe that God rewards his people because he is equitable to his people.  There is no success apart from the smile of God
  5. You cannot be successful without dependent prayer
    1. You can do more than pray after you pray, but you cannot do more than pray if you haven’t prayed.
    2. Jesus could not carry on his ministry apart from dependent prayer.
  6. No unholy life can be considered a success
    1. God calls his people to be holy.
    2. Sexual purity is essential – When lust takes control, God loses all reality, satan does not fill us with hatefulness of god but forgetfulness.  When a man falls into sexual sin, he doesn’t fall very far, because that’s where he’s been in his soul.
  7. Attitude that cannot be successful
    1. Negativism – Having a positive attitude.  Attitude is more important that circumstances.  We have choices regarding our attitude.
    2. Jealousy – Strive to elevate others.
At our first discussion meeting, the Elders and Deacons composed their own list of what a successful church looks like, and it is very similar to what Hughes says.  They noted,

A Successful Church is one that is committed:

  • To raise spiritual champions
  • To be a people who love the Lord and loves and welcomes one another
  • To be a people who are faithful to the Word of God
  • To be a people of wisdom – applying the knowledge of Scripture to all of life.
  • To be a people who are immersed in the community, active in transforming the community, and speaking the Gospel to the community.

I am blessed to be called to serve a congregation that is committed to God’s Word, and to proclaiming the Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ.  Because of this commitment, I look forward to where these conversations will lead, and pray that God will give His Church success!

Grace and Peace!

Our Common Salvation

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“Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”
(Jude 3)

I was re-reading the letter of Jude yesterday, you know, that little one just before you get to the Revelation according to John.  It’s only 25 verses long, but it is loaded with an incredibly deep and timely message.  It takes little time to read, but a lifetime to exhaust the richness and depth of its teaching.  (If anyone’s interested, I’ve got recordings of Dr. John Gerstner teaching through the letter of Jude, in a mere 12 lessons.)

Jude starts his letter telling us that he was eager to write about our common salvation, but instead found it necessary to write an appeal to contend for the faith which was under attack.  The rest of the letter has Jude revealing the destructive influence of the false teaching of those who had crept into the church, and a call to persevere for the faith that is demonstrated in love, prayer, and holiness.

This reminds me of something I heard a while back about Pastoral Ministry: It is the ministry of interruptions.  A pastor plans his day and works to meet the goals he’s set before himself, but often finds the real ministry comes in answering the unexpected phone call or visit.  Most real ministry happens in the interruptions.  I think Jude’s letter is a good example of this. 

As I was reading, however, my mind wandered, as it often does.  I kept thinking, “I wonder what Jude’s original letter would have been like?”  We’ll never know, but I think it is helpful to stop and consider what is meant by his phrase, “our common salvation?”

The word here for common is “koinos.”  When you study Biblical Greek, you are studying koine Greek, the common Greek that was spoken in the marketplace of all the nations conquered by Alexander the Great.  So “common” suggests the ordinary, everyday stuff of life – things that are shared or common among all people.

So what is our “common salvation”?  There is nothing common or everyday about our salvation.  It is the glorious gospel of God’s redeeming work for His beloved in Jesus Christ (Eph 1:7-10).  Paul talks about the height and breadth and depth of God’s love for us (Eph 3:18), the mystery of the gospel of Salvation – surely no common stuff!

But it is common in that this salvation is shared by all who are in Christ Jesus through faith.  Salvation is the free gift of God’s grace to all who are in Christ (Rom 3:22-24) regardless of race, status, gender… regardless of the depth of sinfulness before Christ, those who are in Christ are saved from their sin and the wrath of God’s judgment upon them.

I read somewhere once, “The harlot, the liar, the murderer, are all short of [the glory of God]; but so are you. Perhaps they stand at the bottom of a mine, and you on the crest of an Alp; but you are as little able to touch the stars as they.” There is a common sinfulness – and there is a salvation that is shared by all who are in Christ.  Everyone falls short, but everyone can be justified freely by His grace.

Matthew Henry once wrote, “The gospel salvation is a common salvation, that is, in a most sincere offer and tender of it to all mankind to whom the notice of it reaches… Whoever will may come and drink of the water of life freely, Rev. 22:17. The application of it is made to all believers, and only to such; it is made to the weak as well as to the strong.”

We share a common salvation for the redeemed have “one body and one spirit – just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph 4:4-7).

Jude could not write at length about this because he had to address a false gospel that had crept into the church, threatening the very heart of that common salvation. It is pure speculation what he might have said, but we can see from other letters what he might have included.

Philippians 4:4–7 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 12:9–13 “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”

Romans 15:7 “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

Hebrews 10:23–25 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

Ephesians 5:1–2, 21 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God… submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Colossians 3:12–17 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

Those are just a few that came to mind.

Jude could not write the letter, but praise the Lord others could, and that God’s Word still speaks to us of our common salvation, and of the uncommon life we are called to share.

SDG