The Goodspeed American Translation of the New Testament phrases Romans 11:29, “For God does not change his mind about those to whom he gives his blessings or sends his call.” Unfortunately, however, he cannot use someone opposed to His will and purpose! The Church will provide the key players for this revival, but will we as individuals be a part of that great team?
By Theodore D. Grosbach
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“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2).
These words of the Apostle Paul to his son in the gospel, Timothy, are often quoted and taught in the Church today. But are they strictly followed and ultimately practiced? There really are “key players” in the harvest that God has ordained for His Church. They are key in the sense that we need to understand that they play a most important part in that revival, and therefore we must direct our efforts more than ever before to ensure that these key people are empowered and equipped for their respective roles. Chapter Seven is devoted to a discussion about how to effectively equip (and how to know that it is effective.) And in Chapter Eight we will look at what is called “The Nucleus” of the local church, the members with whom we will actually be able to work in the harvest. It also details suggestions on how to identify who is part of this nucleus. But in this chapter, we will explore three areas in which the key players in revival must be considered. Let’s call these three areas: 1) the role of the saints as key players; 2) the role of church leadership as key players; 3) the dedication necessary in the key players.
As we saw in Chapter Two, a healthy church is a growing church. It can also be said that a growing church is a healthy one. The two qualities feed off of each other. When we speak about the “health” of a church, we are, of course, speaking about the spiritual health of the membership. Each saint that is happily growing and fulfilling his or her role in the church’s expansion in ministry is a healthy part of the body. And this is what ultimately produces church growth—healthy saints. Therefore, it becomes clear that what we must really pursue is this spiritual health in every member of the Church. Every sermon, every song, and every program must somehow contribute to that end, or else we find ourselves trying to build on sinking sand, rather than on the solid rock. Creating the climate for real church growth means exhorting, encouraging, and instructing the members in establishing and exercising sound principles of spiritual health.
Paul wrote to the saints at Rome in chapter 12, verse 2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” As we saw in the previous chapter, when we begin to understand our position in Christ, we begin to have a new perspective on what real life is all about. And in turn, this brings us to new priorities for our individual lives and personal ministries. This is what renewing of the mind really means—a new way of thinking, or like the writer to the Hebrews said in Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…” As a result of the renewing of our minds, we will experience the will of
God in our lives and see that it is:
- Good, because it has the right objective for us and for the world around us.
- Acceptable, because it is right for the Lord and it is agreeable to us.
- Perfect, because it is complete and lacking nothing to prevent its accomplishment.
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