Preserve the Core - Stimulate Progress

Being part of a church is a tremendous blessing; especially a church with as long and rich a history as Greenville. One of the first things I said when I heard how old the church is was, “I better not let it die on my watch.” I was being facetious, but it revealed a hidden fear. With so much history and tradition, it is tempting as a leader to rest on past glories, or worse, to lead from a place of fear—fear of not messing something up. But, I am convinced that we cannot remain faithful to God if we are afraid to move into the future.

If 276 years of history teaches us anything, it’s that there is only one constant: Jesus Christ. As the writer of Hebrews says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” The past is not an unchanging monolith. Greenville’s history is full of change and adaption, from buildings, to leadership, to denominations, to programs, and to ministries. The reason that Greenville has survived (and thrived for many seasons!) is not because it was tied to a particular model for ministry, but because God has remained faithful to Greenville and Greenville has aimed to stay faithful to him.

Strategies and programs change. God's purposes don't. Cultures and personalities vary. God's message doesn't. As a church we need, in the words of Jim Collins, "to preserve the core and stimulate progress." We have to stay focused on our ultimate goal of seeing lives transformed by God's love, while adapting our programs and strategies as life changes around us to move us toward that goal.

Some will hear this and jump to the conclusion that we want to (or need to) forget or reject the past. That would be a mistake. Our past stands as a tremendous witness to the unchanging purpose of God to transform lives by his love. This is both our heritage and our future. The future we are aiming for is clear. How we move into that future, though, is not yet defined.

As we make this journey into the future, aimed at seeing lives transformed by God’s love, we must hold ministries, programs, strategies and resources with an open hand. We must always be prepared to make the necessary changes to how we do church in order to reach more people with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. Likewise, we must be willing to let go of anything that keeps us from being as effective as we can be. We must preserve the core, the unchanging truth of the gospel and the power of God, while stimulating progress, more lives transformed by God’s love.

This all takes courage and hard work. By God’s strength we will have the faith and perseverance to lead Greenville into the future. If we do, I’m confident that we will see God work in amazing ways.

Devotional Thoughts

14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:14-22

These verses paint a compelling picture of life together in the church. What might appear at first as a hodgepodge of commands actually is united by the theme of relationship. Paul intends for these exhortations to be followed within the context of the church community. They give us a glimpse of what our fellowship is intended to look like. We support the weak, we chase the strays, we look out for one another, we pray for each other, we thank God collectively, and we discern the truth together.

I see three categories of commands in these verses. Verses 14-15 speak to how we relate horizontally to one another. In other words, how we treat each other. Verses 16-18 address how we relate vertically to God. That is, they tell us how to respond, as a church, to God. Verses 19-22 focus on how we relate to God’s truth. These verse encourage us to listen carefully and wisely to God’s word.

These last few verses might be the trickiest of the bunch. What does it mean to quench the Spirit? How do we despise prophecies? How do we test them? Here is my stab at these questions.

To quench the Spirit is to stop listening to God’s voice, including from the Scriptures, from other people, and in our own hearts. We despise prophecies when we dismiss out of hand what is told to us in the name of the Lord. Instead, we are encouraged to test what is said. But how?

Here are a few good steps. First, is the message consistent with the Bible. This is the first and most crucial way to test someone’s words. However, many things are not unbiblical, but may not be from the Lord. Often other steps are necessary. Second, consider the source. Is the person speaking to us someone who is reliable? Is there evidence in their lives of godliness? Third, look at the fruit that comes from what is said. Is the result that someone is built up or moved toward maturity in Christ? Fourth, if it is a message specifically for you, ask other trustworthy friends if the message reflects something they see in you. Finally, any word from God must pass the love test. Is the message, even if challenging, coming from a place of love that desires to see what is best for the other person.

More can be said than this, but this is a good start. I hope you can see how it really takes community for these things to happen. As I read these verses I am thankful that Greenville is the kind of church where life together happens. I am also excited about how we can continue to grow in our relationship to one another so that God’s grace comes to us more and more through other people. This is, indeed, the will of God for us!