EXPERIENCING THE PRESENCE OF GOD - 2

At the age of thirty, I was appointed to lead the Oakland Free Methodist Church in East Liverpool, Ohio.  This church had a beautiful, relatively new building just off a main boulevard in the east end of town.  They owned nearly an entire block.  It included a pleasant foyer, lovely worship center, educational wing and a fellowship hall where you could feed one hundred people at a sit-down meal!  

Unfortunately, we arrived in East Liverpool simultaneous to the shutting down of the Crucible Steel Mill in nearby Midland, Pennsylvania.  As a result, sixteen hundred families had lost their main source of income!  

In addition, the community was significantly torn over opinions regarding the projected building of a Waste Technologies Industry facility within 1,500 feet of the church!  

These factors combined to make our arrival in East Liverpool a challenge!  Every church and business felt the stress of a community that was struggling for its very existence!  

But, remarkably, this was not the major cause of concern in the Oakland Church!  

The church had experienced a blessing of growth and new converts under the ministry of Harold Estel.  It was under his leadership that the new property was purchased and the new building erected.  

However, the growth of this period was devastated by several years of conflict and a mass departure of congregants, resulting in an older generation with a congregation of around seventy people.  

Upon my arrival, the leadership of the church was constituted by people from my parents' generation.  Some younger families and people remained, but they were not leaders or shapers of the future.  My leadership began in the summer of 1982.  

For a few years, I struggled to create changes.  Most of my ideas and suggestions were rejected.  

There is a general observation that a pastor will tend to reach those who are within a range of ten years younger or older.  This is, of course, not a hard-and-fast rule, but is a commonly accepted phenomenon.  Consequently, the growth we did see in those early years began to populate the church with couples and people closer to our age group.

One of the key teachers in the evangelical Christian community at this time was John Maxwell.  He was leading a seminar at this time called 'Breaking The 200 Barrier'.  I attended it alone.  Then, I attended it a second time and took two Oakland leaders with me.  Then, we went a third time with about eight leaders.  Finally, we went a fourth time with nearly a dozen leaders.

We began to see a wave of new converts.  As the worshiping congregation grew, there was some transfer growth [which is inevitable].  Within several years, we were a worshiping community of nearly one hundred fifty.  

However, the tension between generations continued.  Every gain came through opposition and conflict.  My role became one of being a moderator between the two groups: one that had led the church for decades and a newer, younger group with charismatic leanings that were eager to work, innovate and see Kingdom growth!  

The 1980's saw an explosion of new worship innovations as a result of the 'Praise & Worship Movement'.  Integrity Music, Hosanna and other creators contributed to this period.  The concept of leading worship with a team was beginning to become popular.  Oakland had enjoyed a rich tradition of music led by a song leader with an accompanist at the organ and piano.  We began experimenting with  new approaches in our Sunday evening worship.  It was well-received!  Gradually, we transitioned our morning worship as well.  The church continued to grow and we occasionally saw our attendance exceed two hundred!  It was a blessed time!  Too many stories to tell!  

Key lay leaders emerged who became significant influencers!  Gifted musicians partnered to create a free-flowing worship environment that energized our people and cultivated a deep love for God!  

The use of simple choruses and new musical forms catalyzed our worship experience.  All of this took place without abandoning the much-loved hymns of the church!  

As a result of the growth, the opposition became somewhat less intense - although it never ended!  The victories were gained by a simple, overwhelming growth - especially in the area of new converts!  

Many of my most noteworthy times of worship took place in the sanctuary of the Oakland Church!  I have purposely avoided mentioning names for fear of omitting someone who was key to this time of spiritual renewal!     

KEY FACTORS:

• MUSIC  -  Fresh, new, exhilarating music was a key factor in this renewal.  Capable, dedicated and willing musicians made it all possible!
• FAITH  -  The teaching propagated as a result of this renewal was faith-based!  Healings and expecting great things from God became a hallmark of this church's worship!  

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A Monday evening prayer group formed in a parishoner's home.  It's focus was worship and faith-based teaching.  It was characterized by healings and focused prayer!  This group had a dynamic impact on the church and the community!  It carried on its ministry for most of my thirteen years at the church!

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• TOLERANCE  -  We were bound together by our love for Christ!  There were many who held differences of opinion about theological matters and certain biblical perspectives.  However, these were not allowed to become divisive!  We maintained a passion for God and a desire to see His Kingdom grow!  

I am grateful to the many who contributed to this season of my life!  It was a corporate experience!  The fingerprints of so many allowed it to become a movement of God!  Most of my richest experiences of the presence of God came during those years!  I am forever grateful!  

THE MESSAGE DOESN'T DIMINISH OR WEAKEN OVER TIME!

Colossians 1:6-8

As Paul continues his opening lines to the Colossian people, he reminds them of how they initially heard the gospel.  It was through the efforts of a friend of Paul’s named Epaphras.  He is simply described as being a faithful servant of Christ and a close associate of the Apostle Paul. 

Let’s take note of this!  Epaphras had seen Paul at work and apparently caught his enthusiasm for spreading the gospel.  Being especially drawn to the people of Colosse, he went there to share what he had learned from Paul.  It caught on and a church was established for the glory of God! 

Paul writes this to the Colossians and uses it as an example of what is always going on regarding the gospel:

“The Message is as true among you today as when you first heard it. It doesn’t diminish or weaken over time. It’s the same all over the world. The Message bears fruit and gets larger and stronger, just as it has in you. From the very first day you heard and recognized the truth of what God is doing, you’ve been hungry for more. It’s as vigorous in you now as when you learned it…” [v.6 TM]

 In case you don’t trust The Message for accuracy, here it is from the New American Standard Bible:

 

“…the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth…” [v.6]

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Let’s observe some truths from this passage:

·         The Message doesn’t diminish or weaken over time!

·         The gospel is constantly bearing fruit and increasing.

·         After the Colossians heard and recognized the truth of what God is doing, they were hungry for more!

QUESTIONS

1.      Is the gospel constantly bearing fruit and increasing in your life?  In your church?

2.      Since recognizing the truth of what God is doing, are you hungry for more?

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Obviously, I believe these scriptures are true!  I believe the gospel is bearing fruit and getting stronger all over the world today – just not in the United States!  Here, we see almost universal decline in the church.  Here, we seem to have been seriously distracted and divided.  Perhaps like the church at Ephesus [Revelation 2:4], we’ve left our first love? 

Early in every year – as a pastor – I had to fill out a detailed ‘annual report.  It was one of my least favorite things to do!  Especially when it came to the line recording new converts!  There were more years than I care to acknowledge that I had to put a goose-egg on that line. 

We’d functioned fully as a church. Held worship services fifty-two Sundays of the year.  Sponsored revival meetings.  Prayed. Talked about evangelism. All with no results!  It was discouraging as a leader.  Then I realized that if we kept doing the same thing in the same way, we would continue to get the same results! 

I began to change the way I led the churches that I served.  I realized that that zero also meant that I had not led anyone to Christ!  I knew things had to change!  I began to let go of non-essentials.  I started questioning why we did certain things and why we did them the way we did.  I gathered up courage and began leading in new directions.  If others wanted to continue to support dead branches, I let them.  But I did not! 

Guess what.  Things began to change.  Convert growth began to take place.  One new convert can create a lot of enthusiasm.  When I was leading the McClellandtown FMC, I was able to lead the girlfriend of one of my parishoners to Christ.  Not knowing any better, she began attending the Wednesday night ‘prayer meeting’.  This was a group of my older members (less than twenty) who were propping up a formality that had been going on for decades.  Not being bashful, she began asking questions about how she should handle situations she was facing as a new believer.  She started praying out in the simplicity of someone who had just found something revolutionary and life-changing!  This one new believer transformed the dead prayer meeting into something exciting and life-forming!

However, many churches today [in America] haven’t seen a new convert in years!  There may have been a growth in numbers, but it’s because of transfer growth – not conversion growth!  Sad!

When I was leading the Oakland FMC (East Liverpool), we began to see very significant growth through new converts!  It was exciting!  WRITE THIS DOWN: New converts signal that something unique is going on here.  Transfer growth always follows convert growth! 

When – as a fairly young pastor – I first saw this happening, I didn’t like it.  I didn’t want transfer growth!  Consequently, I ignored people who visited when I knew they were members of another church.  I didn’t follow up on them.  I was deliberately rude to them [I know – hard to believe, huh?].  Ultimately, one of the families saw what was happening and asked to see me in my office.  They confronted me about my rudeness.  They explained that they heard about the growth at Oakland and wanted to be a part of it.  They wanted their kids to experience a church with vibrant faith and dramatic worship!  And I immediately realized that I had to rethink my position! 

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LESSONS FOR US TO LEARN

A.      Pray for the American Church to rediscover its purpose and cut away all the unnecessary distractions and activities.

B.      Pray for your church to cease the rituals and routines that have become a replacement for genuine faith!  I Chronicles 28:9 reads:  “If you seek Him, He will let you find Him” [NASB].

C.      “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” [Matthew 6:33 NASB].

Having experienced this kind of spiritual awakening in several churches, I can tell you that it is exciting and life-changing! 

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Father God,

Help the American Church to rediscover a hunger for You that will drive them to seek You, serve You, love You and spread Your Word to all who will listen!

Amen.