As many if not all of you know, I’m a slight nerd (it’s ok to laugh here). I love most things academic (other than math), especially US history. I was recently re-reading the Declaration of Independence, the founding document of our nation (the US Constitution simply outlines how the republic would work). In re-reading this document, the writers listed 25 grievances they had against Great Britain. It was for these 25 reasons these 13 colonies broke from Britain establishing their independence and thus the founding of a new nation. I highly doubt the majority of you really care much about this (and that’s ok). But I bring it up for a reason. The writers of the Declaration of Independence chose unique language in their writing. One such example is this “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.” I am not suggesting we overthrow the US government. But notice in there it says that if something isn’t working, you should alter it or abolish it. It does go on to say “Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes.” In other words, don’t just change things for the sake of changing things. However, change is not always a bad thing. After all the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again, the same way, and expecting different results.” How does this play out in the church? It becomes necessary from time to time to make changes, never to the message but to the methods. Let me say that again, never to the message but rather to the methods. This is where the Christian liberty that Paul and James spoke of. The major restriction on change as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 8:9, “But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.” Paul later adds in Galatians 5:13, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” So any change that is made must not keep people from coming to Christ and it must be done so that we are able to serve one another. We are rapidly coming up on nominating committee time in which you the members of Westlake Baptist will be asked to lend your spiritual gift(s) for the furthering of the Gospel and the building up of the Kingdom of God. May I ask you to prayerfully consider something? Are you using the spiritual gift(s) that God has given you? Do we currently have a ministry that you could employ your gift(s)? If you are not using your gift, I encourage you to find out how you can and begin doing it, because we are commanded to use what God has given us for His glory. If there isn’t currently a place where you feel you can serve using your gift(s), please come see me. Maybe God has brought you here for the purpose of using a new method to reach our community. A period of stagnant growth can be good if we allow it to be a catalyst for change, and you just may be part of that catalyst.
By His grace and through His strength may we live for Him