Church family,
Last Sunday at the beginning of second service I felt impressed to share something that I now want to say to all of you. For some of you, perhaps 10-20, I have a special request near the end of this longer post.
Whenever our enemy starts to lose ground, he tries to dig in his heels. If you compare our spiritual war to literal warfare, it’s like the ground troops of the King of Kings are advancing, but our enemy is resisting. One way he resists is through temptation on us as individuals. Another way he attacks is by seeking to sow division among the ranks of his opponents.
In my estimation, our enemy is seeking to sow division among us in various ways.
Now I want you to pause for a moment. When we hear that there might be division in a church, our flesh wants to know the details. “Who?” “What happened?” These desires to know the details are why gossip magazines will always sell. So just pause for a moment and resist the desire to seek details.
And let me just relieve you from any significant worry that our church is headed toward disaster. Quite the contrary. I think the Lord is doing some amazing things in our church right now, which is why the enemy is attacking. (He has limited resources, after all. He wouldn’t spend his time sending demons to attack a church that is sitting still.) In my estimation, there is no significant division in our church. My concern about the enemy’s attacks is based on my own need to confess my pride to others that I’ve assumed the worst about, my observation of some small conflicts, and my own temptations.
Consider whether or not the enemy has been seeking to sow division in your own heart toward someone at our church. Have you noticed doubts about the motives of your brother or sister in Christ? Has there been a disagreement about a secondary issue that you’ve allowed your flesh to have a hold in? Have you been slow to listen, quick to speak, quick to become angry? Have you felt a desire to find people who agree with you about a secondary issue in order to feel affirmed instead of seeking to understand and turn the other cheek?
Do not become overly self-analytical by my questions. If your heart is clear and you are doing as much as depends on you to live at peace with everyone, then praise be to God. Keep serving the Lord with joy and loving one another dearly.
But if you need to talk to someone and apologize for a word you spoke out of frustration or anger instead of love, do so. If you need to forgive someone who has confessed their sin to you, do so today without delay, and certainly before you take the Lord’s supper again.
Let’s consider for a moment what’s happening at our church when it comes to the bigger picture. For the past several years we’ve been learning and discussing a significant change in the leadership structure of Lake Hills. If you’re new to this conversation, please watch my five-part sermon series called “Who Leads the Church?” on YouTube.
The Bigger Picture
We are getting close to where the rubber meets the road on this change. The Transition Team is essentially done, and the Deacons will be receiving their proposed changes this Saturday to read, think, pray, and tweak before a church-wide presentation is made to the church on March 29, Sunday evening.
I said this Sunday in second service, but it bears repeating now. The changes the deacons are proposing are in the top five most significant changes in the history of Lake Hills Baptist Church. The changes are biblical. We are seeking to be more faithful to Scripture in what the deacons and myself are proposing to all of you members. Being more faithful as an individual or a church means the enemy is losing ground here. Hence his attacks at potential division (among others).
A Request for 10-20 of You
Now, here’s the part I want to ask 10-20 of you to consider doing. Consider fasting and praying from now until the changes in our constitution are voted on. What I mean is, commit to fasting and praying for one meal every week to pray for our church throughout the rest of this process.
The tentative date the church will vote on the changes is not until the fall. That means you’ll be fasting one day a week for about 5+ months. This task is not for everyone, but it may be for some.
Take one meal each week and replace eating with fasting and praying about our church regarding this process. Pick a Psalm each time you pray and fast. Read a phrase, pray what the Spirit brings to your mind. When your mind goes blank, go to the next phrase and pray again. Do that during that meal time.
Pray we would be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to become angry with one another. Pray the Lord would bring us unity and clear confirmation that He is leading us toward embracing the changes being proposed. Pray for a growing desire to care for one another. Pray for a cross-over to happen from first service to second and vice-versa when it comes to love for one another. Pray for some young adults to adopt some older saints and some older saints to “adopt” some young adults in prayer. Pray for unity among the deacons as they discuss the document. Pray for clarity on March 29 and freedom for people to ask what they need to without fear. Pray for an increase in attendance during this season, an increase in giving, an increase in a sense of the Spirit’s presence in both first and second service. Pray for unity and camaraderie amongst the staff. Pray as the Spirit leads you.
Let’s continue to grow as a church in sharing concerns with one another instead of about one another.
Let’s be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).
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