We live in an ever changing world. From technology to health-care, things are changing at breakneck speeds. However, it seems that in the church people often confuse man-made tradition with truth. We must be able to carefully distinguish between what is unchangeable from what is temporal. If a church is to effectively reach its community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ then it must learn to see the difference between the message and the methods; that which is sacred versus that which is merely traditional.
Let’s make sure we understand what is sacred, and therefore, unchanging. The Word of God is sacred! Psalm 119:89 reads, “Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens” (ESV). Many things change is this world, but the Word of God remains unchanged because God Himself is unchanging. It is comforting to know that we can rest upon the Word. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:35). As our church presses on to reach the community with the Gospel we will do so with the same message of God’s redemption through Christ that has been declared by believers for over 2000 years.
Methods, traditions, and worship forms are never to be confused with the sacred Word of God. A dynamic church must regularly abandon old methods that are no longer effective. It must embrace new methods that that will not compromise Scripture, but will aid the church in fulfilling its mission. A church can become so attached to its traditions that its members lose sight of why the church exists. When this happens, it is usually the beginning of the congregation’s decline. It has been said that the last words of a dying church are, “We’ve never done it that way before.” In his book, Shepherding the Church into the 21st Century, Joseph M. Stowell wrote, “…we must realize that those of us who are unwilling to wrestle with the issues of a radically changed society and who assume that the old forms are the best and only forms will soon be presiding over ministries that are passing from the scene with the passing of the last generation that understands those forms. In light of our changing society, the reevaluation of and reconfiguration of forms within a proper theological context, without compromising biblical functions, may no longer be a preference but a necessity given the fact that the thought paradigms and cultural languages of the modern American have radically changed. Reaching them and discipling them demands a clear understanding of the appropriate and effective passageways to both their head and their heart” (p. 35).
Changes in church methods is nothing new. For example, the church has not always had the same worship format for the service that we have today. In the year 1690 a controversy was raging in the Baptist Churches of England. It centered on a movement in many churches to allow congregational singing. It was considered by many to be worldly and disrespectful. Today we could not think of a service without congregational singing. Thank God for change! Martin Luther also created a controversy in his day when he put “sacred” songs to “secular” music. Remember that the next time your church sings, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” You are singing a song put to the melody from an old bar tune. William Tyndale also helped initiate a radical change in how churches operate by being the first to translate the New Testament from Greek into the English language. He died a martyr’s death for his work of giving the English people the Holy Scriptures in their own tongue.
Countless other changes have occurred throughout the centuries of Christendom. Architectural styles, musical styles, worship service schedules, the length of sermons, the attire of the ministers and congregation (pastor’s once would not consider preaching without a black suit and black hat!), and many other traditions have changed over time. Some changes have been harmful to the church, but most of them were helpful in helping that group of Christians reach their culture and generation.
There is one point that remains constant; some people do not like change. People like routine because it is less threatening than constant change. People find comfort in what is familiar. Change can be especially true hard on the older generation of believers. They have watched the world change before their very eyes at a pace no other generation has experienced. Their world is becoming less friendly and familiar. So they turn to the church for a source of stability, and lo and behold, the church has changed too!
It is imperative that we make the necessary changes to fulfill our mission of making disciples. The bricks and mortar, the style of music, nor the order of worship are inspired of God in Scripture. The church must change or stagnate and die. However, we must also seek to help the congregation understand the reasons for the changes. The majority of senior adults are not inflexible. They are just fearful that all they have worked hard to achieve in the church may be thrown out for the sake of change. I have discovered that if I help people see from Scripture what God has called us to do, if I show them from Scripture that the changes being proposed are not un-biblical, and if I love people no matter what, the majority of them will be supportive. They may not like all that is done, but they understand the vision God has given us.
The apostle Paul had to remind the Corinthians church of the motives behind his missionary methods. He wanted them to know that he was willing to change his methods depending upon the situation at hand and what was required to best share the Gospel. He found common ground with Jews when he was trying to reach them. He found common ground with the Gentiles when he was with them. Never did he compromise Scripture! He wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:19–23, For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.(ESV)
Pastor John MacArthur gives three keys to helping a church remain flexible in the midst of change. Here they are:
- First, recognize that spiritual life takes precedence over structure.What goes on in a Christian’s life outside the church is more important than what goes on inside its walls. The church building is not God’s house; the believer is (1 Cor. 6:l9). Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest translates 2 Corinthians 6:16 as follows: “As for us, we are an inner sanctuary of the living God” (The New Testament, An Expanded Translation [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, l980], p. 426).
- Second, be open to the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit is the One behind change, believers should be ready and willing to change.
- Finally, make sure that procedure follows needs. To remain spiritually alive, a church must adapt to the needs of people. If society changes, then the church is going to have to be flexible so that it can minister effectively. A church must get rid of the attitude “We’ve never done it that way before.” Citation: MacArthur, John. The Master's Plan for the Church, p 115. Chicago: Moody Press, 1991.
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