The Presbyter's Page
Electronic Edition – December 2001
Original articles published December 1998
Section 12 - LA
District UPCI
Donald Bryan - Presbyter
The electronic editions of The Presbyter's Page
are never sent unsolicited. If you believe you have received this newsletter in
error, or wish to be removed from our mailing list, visit our web site at: http://www.pentecostalsonline.org/articles.html.
Near the top of that page, you will find a box
where you may unsubscribe simply by entering your e-mail address, highlighting
the "unsubscribe" button and clicking on the "Submit"
button.
Brother Donald Bryan may be contacted directly
at DBryanUPC@aol.com. You can
also contact us by writing to webmaster@pentecostalsonline.org.
Sermon Thought: “When
You Follow A Star And Find A Stable"
Communicating
With A Secular Audience
Steps To
Turn A Plateaued Church Around
Five
Things People Look For In A Modern Church
Sermon Thought:
“When
You Follow A Star And Find A Stable”
Matthew 2:1-14
“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea
in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to
Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen
his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
When Herod the king had heard these things, he
was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people
together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of
Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land
of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall
come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise
men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go
and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me
word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star,
which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where
the young child was.
When they saw the star, they rejoiced with
exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young
child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they
had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and
frankincense, and myrrh. And being
warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed
into their own country another way. And
when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a
dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into
Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young
child to destroy him. When he arose, he
took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:”
Our conduct is usually controlled by our expectations. We conduct our daily affairs based upon what we expect from them. But what happens when you’ve been following a star and it leads you to a stable? What happens when all of a sudden, after thinking that something grand and glorious would be at the other end, you end up in the backyard of a barn? And instead of a king on a throne, you find a little baby held by his mother. This is the story of the Wise Men following the star.
Can you imagine the disappointment when the Wise Men finally ended up in Bethlehem? Where was the King? The grandeur? The Wise Men first stopped at the most logical place to find a King - The King’s Palace of Herod. But their journey ended in Bethlehem with a baby that was nothing like what they had anticipated! How do you react when you follow the star and find a stable?
When Wise Men find a Stable, they…
1.
Look for God.
Wise men always say, “God is somewhere in this stable of life.” Whether it is Joseph in prison, Job on an
ash heap, David in the wilderness, or Paul in prison, they see God in the good
and bad. The difference between a weak
Christian and a strong Christian is right here. Weak Christians see God only in the good. But the mature believers see God also in the
stables of their lives.
2.
Offer their very best to God. When we find a stable instead of a palace, we’re often
tempted to hold back from giving our best.
Wise Men don’t withhold anything just because it is a baby in a stable,
instead of a King. They give their very
best.
3.
Change their direction in life. Have you ever had a stable experience
that changed you? When Wise Men came to
a stable they changed. During this
Christmas season, we need to realize what God did. The God of the universe allowed Himself to be born of a virgin. He looked through human eyes so that He
would understand and relate to us. God
was in the stable, not the palace.
Communicating With A Secular Audience
A crucial issue for today’s church is communication. At the heart of the Christian faith is the message of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Yet today this message is one of a multitude of messages people are bombarded with daily. Furthermore, the “audience” has changed drastically. Today, the church faces the increasingly difficult task of communicating sacred meaning to a secular audience.
Here’s a check list of things to consider when it comes to evaluating
what you’re communicating today as the church amid the rising tide of
secularism:
1.
Keep it simple. Simplify everything from the
bulletin to the sermons. You will
communicate better with secular people.
2.
Translate please. Secular people don’t
understand the theological jargon we use.
You can simplify Biblical terms without sacrificing their integrity.
3.
Timing is everything. Time is the
new currency. Communication must be
concise. If people lose focus because
of time, they lose the message.
4.
Take nothing for granted. The average
churchgoer often takes for granted the things new people may not
understand. The answer? Define what terms mean.
5.
Define non-negotiables. Some language and practices simply can’t be
changed. Define the non-negotiables and
then clarify their meaning.
6.
Educate, educate, educate! Secular
people require instruction. If you don’t
educate, you will not fully communicate.
7.
Cut the “preacher talk”. If an
everyday word can be used, use it!
8.
Use secular terms. They can be a vehicle to
convey a sacred meaning as long as they don’t threaten the Biblical or
theological integrity of what you are trying to communicate.
9.
Use a variety of communication forms.
Lyle Shaller says, “Today we are dealing with the Sight, Sound and
Sensation generation.” Diversify your
forms of communicating the same sacred message.
10. Embody the Good News first. Christian communication has always been personalized before it is
verbalized. If you want to share the
message, live it first.
Steps To Turn A Plateaued
Church Around
v Pray! Pray!
Pray! Pray for wisdom specifically
and continually. Pray to the Lord of
the Harvest for ministry helpers.
v Seek a God-given vision for growth and philosophy of
ministry (core values) and continually communicate them to the church.
v Pray that God will help you
identify a core group of people in your church that embrace your vision and core values of
ministry and will begin to make positive change in the church.
v Start mentoring your core group. Continue to share the vision and ministry
core values God has placed on your heart.
Equip them (through one on one mentoring, seminars, video resources,
books, etc.) Help them identify their
spiritual gifts. Cheerlead them. Love them.
Do everything you can to make them a success.
v Praise from the pulpit those who are reaching
out. Be careful not to degrade others
while you’re publicly identifying those who are making a difference.
v Utilize weekly letters in your church as a means
to enhance communication, share your vision, encourage them to bring others to
church, praise those who are making a difference, build excitement for Sunday’s
services, etc.
v Reach out to members who haven’t come to church
in a while. Complacency in the church
may have infiltrated their home. It’s
time to bring them back into the church.
v Seek ways to reach out to
the community with
the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Gradually begin
to use visitation, mail-outs, door to door canvassing, advertising of a variety
of sorts, special events, etc. to spread the name of Christ and the church
throughout your area of ministry.
v Begin to assimilate your visitors. Assimilating visitors into the main stream
life of the church will be a major contributing factor to making positive
change in your church.
v Continue to pray, love and
support those who disagree with what you are doing. Don’t
alienate them. Encourage them in their
walk with Christ, but don’t allow them to sway you from turning the church
around.
v Begin slowly and gradually
to build an outreach emphasis among your core group. Once your core group begins to own the vision – they will begin
to fulfill the vision. They will begin
to share Christ with others, help you organize and bear the load of the
ministry, and invite their friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors to
attend church.
v Use illustrations to enhance
your vision in
your messages. Your messages are a
great time to communicate and reinforce the vision for your church. Weave it into illustrations, into one of the
points of your message, into the alter call, etc.
v Don’t get discouraged! God has placed you in your church to help
resuscitate new life into His body. Don’t
isolate yourself from other pastors or the ample supply of resources
available. You are not in this battle
alone! Thousands of your pastoral
associates stand with you and are ready to help you.
Five Things People Look For
In A Modern Church
1.
Anonymity: They want to visit church
without being singled out.
2.
Clarity & Simplicity: They want
the sermon and service to be easily understood.
3.
Relevance: They want sermons on
practical life issues.
4.
Excellence: They expect a quality
service.
5.
Freedom: They want time to make up
their minds without pressure.
You can find gifts for the
Holidays through our Pentecostals Online Christian Bookstore. Besides books, Amazon.com also stocks music
and movies, electronics, toys, lawn and garden equipment, etc. They also ship fast, so you will have what
you order in time for Christmas!
Spread the Word!
If you enjoyed visiting our site,
Click
here to recommend us to your friends
We
welcome your comments and questions.
You can reach us by e-mail at: webmaster@pentecostalsonline.org