Dr. Andy Davis is the Pastor of FBC, Durham, NC, who came to a theologically divided church which is typical of many FBC situations in the old south.  He led the church back to a theologically Biblical standard and shared with us ten “Dangers of Reforming a Church.”  (Or… 10 things to not do when reforming a church – Art)

I have to say that this was a powerful message and hit me right where I needed it and I heard that from many people in the conference as well.

While reforming FBC, Durham, Dr. Davis said he saw the greatest glimpse of the glory of God at work.  He also saw the most bitter conflict and pain in ministry.  In the middle of teaching expositionally through Scripture, he said he felt led to preach, out of sequence, through Revelation 1:10-20.  Jesus is speaking to John and asking for John to write to the Pastors (angels – angelos or messengers) at the seven churches nearby the Island of Patmos, where John was imprisoned.  Jesus is walking among the lampstands (churches) made of gold (value/purity) and holding the stars representing the pastors in His right hand – a very comforting image.  The church belongs to Christ and the undershepherds are in His hand.

Facing the reformation of the church was a very daunting task.  As he read Revelation 1-3, he was confronted with the “immense danger of NOT reforming the church”:  that the lampstand would be taken from its place – judgement would come from God Himself.

10 Dangers of Reforming the Church

1. Forgetting the Centrality of God.  The church is God’s and He is the central figure in it.  Trusting Him is crucial to success.  Acts 20:28 – the church was bought by His blood.  1 Cor. 3:17 – God will judge who tears down His temple.
2. Self Reliance.  We always turn to ourselves to see if we can handle the situation.  2 Cor. 1:9 – Rely on God who raises the dead.  Deut. 1:41 – Israel has refused to take the promised land and God declare they must wander for 40 years.  Their response is to go up to the hill country and fight after God says He will no longer go with them.  They chose to go as if it were easy. Self reliance kills in two ways.  1.  You look into yourself and don’t find what you need to accomplish the task, so you blaspheme God and refuse the call.  2.  You look inside and think you do find what you need to answer the task, so you trust yourself and ignore God.
3. Failure to Rely on God’s Word alone – or the Sufficiency of Scripture.  Do you believe that God’s Word has all that is needed and is powerful enough?  Is. 55:10-11, God’s Word will not return void.  2 Cor. 4:2 – Renouncing secret ways avoiding worldly political maneuvering and being completely honest, places trust in God and His Word.
4. Deficiency in Prayer.  This is from a title of one of Jonathan Edward’s sermons.  1 Sam. 12:23 – Far be it from me to sin against God by failing to pray for you.  Eph. 1:15-23 – Praying that they may know God, know God, and know God – “17 [I pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, ^[a] would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18 [I pray] that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength.” -HCSB
5. Pride toward you opponents.  That you are somehow better that they are.  Luke 18:9-14 – The tax collector and the pharisee.  2 Tim 2 – Pray for them to repent and come to the Truth.  What do you have that you did not receive?  If you received it, why do you boast as if it were from you?
6. Fear of what man thinks.  It causes a pastor not to preach the full counsel of God’s Word.  Gal.1:10 – Now trying to please man or God?  Is. 51:12-13 – God is the one who comforts.  Who are we to fear man who dies and withers like the grass?  Ps 37 – all of it, but especially v.35-36 – I saw a wicked man flourishing and then I passed by and he was gone.
7. Making Non-Essential into Essentials.  Not everything is worth dividing over.  Most arguments in the church are over control of non-doctrinal, non-essential issues.  “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity” – Unsourced, mistakenly attributed to Augustine on occasion.  (Also, he listed Scripture here, but I missed it. – Art)
8. Impatience.  1 Tim 4:3 – …with great patience…  You didn’t come to your convictions overnight, how can you expect others to do so?
9. Discouragement.  Satan sells it to the Pastor, because if we were to don the full armor of God in Eph. 6, he could not stand.  Therefore, he sells us on the belief that all is lost.
10. Failure to develop men around you.  Paul/Timothy, etc.

Inversion:

1. Keep glorifying God first and foremost.  It’s His church.
2. Rely only on God.
3. Unleash God’s Word.
4. Saturate with prayer.
5. Humble yourself.
6. have a strong fear of God and no one else.
7. Put the Essentials first.
8. Be Patient.
9. Fight discouragement with God’s Word.
10. Surround yourself with Godly men who will fight on God’s behalf (not stand aside while you fight).

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• October 7, 2009 -- Ed Stetzer and the Future of Denominations (0)
• August 27, 2009 -- GCR Task Force Listening Luncheon (2)
• December 18, 2008 -- David Fitch on Missional Orders as Church Planting (3)
• December 16, 2008 -- Missional Non-Conference with David Fitch (1)

Tags: Conferences