03.21.06
THE DELIBERATE CHURCH
This is the title of a great book and also a description of our Church and our approach to ministry. The book is written by Mark Dever and Paul Alexander. It addresses the shortcomings of the various ‘models’ of ministry, including the purpose driven, postmodern, emergent, and house-church fads. The premise of the book is that God will build His church His way, on His Word, the gospel. Our focus in ministry must be God-ward, not man-ward. If our focus is truly God-ward, we will of couse be involved in ministry to men and women, but we will not allow their opinions or ‘felt-needs’ to determine our approach to ministry. Only God knows the ‘true-needs’ of mankind, and He addresses all of them in His word, and by His Spirit, often using believers to share in those needs. We must treat people with compassion and respect, while giving God His rightful place as Master and King.
The measure of our success as a church is not our size, our finances, our programs or our acceptance by the community, but our success is gauged by our faithfulness to preaching and living God’s word.
What is the focus of your church? How do you measure success? Where does your power come from?
Romans 1:16… “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation, for everyone who believes”.
For more information or books by Mark Dever, check out www.9marks.org
charles said,
March 22, 2006 at 11:56 am
I haven’t read The Deliberate Church, but it sounds good, I should check it out. I took Mark Dever’s class “Doctrine of the Church” when I was in seminary and it was really great–his ideas about what the church is and how the church should accomplish its mission are against the grain of the way most churches operate today. But, Jesus was against the grain and living a faithful life to the Lord is quite against the grain as well.