God Sightings: the Disciples

How to Revive a Dying Church

John 20:19-23

 

Opening Words: A “God Sighting” is anytime you experience God in the normal routine of life. Sometimes it happens in random acts of kindness. Sometimes it happens in the spectacular or the miraculous. Sometimes it happens with a new insight or perspective. God Sightings are important because they remind us that God is alive and well in our world. When was the last time you experienced God?

 

Near the end of the Gospel of John there are three God Sightings. They are both famous and well loved. They have been teaching the church for centuries and I hope they will teach us in the next three sermons. Next week we will looking at Thomas’ God Sighting. On May 19 we will look at the God Sighting we call the miraculous caught of fish.

 

This morning we look at the disciples’ God Sighting. You know the story. The resurrected Jesus came to them as they stood behind locked doors. This story has taught us many things through the centuries but today it teaches us how to revive a dying church. That is the title of this message, How to Revive a Dying Church. We find ourselves today in the twentieth chapter of John, verses nineteen through twenty-three. May God give you ears to hear.

 

John 20:19-23 19On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." 22And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

 

She sat on the corner of Third Street and Lexington Avenue in Danville, Kentucky. I drove by it everyday on my way to seminary. I had never seen a church structure so impressive. She sat on the busiest intersection in town and could not be ignored. The red brick and the long white columns grabbed your attention. The sun brought her stained glass windows to life. Her steeple seemed to reach into heaven. At the top of that steeple was a large gold cross. If you have been with me for a period of time, you remember the story.

 

I was brand new to the community and I wanted to get inside of that magnificent church. I got out of my car and walked up to the door. I just had to see the inside of the sanctuary. I had to stand behind that magnificent pulpit. I parked my car in the street and walked to the side door. It was at that moment something happened that changed my life. For when I got to the door I saw something that took me back. It was a sticker with the business hours and the notice that they accepted MasterCard and VISA. The once mighty church had closed and the building was now owned by a furniture store. (I found out later it had merged with the community’s other Presbyterian Church. They chose that sight because it was more economical.) As I stood inside that furniture store it hit me like a ton of bricks. If this church could close, any church could close. If it could happen there then it could happen anywhere. I wasn’t wrong. How many examples do you need?

 

On the front page of Tuesday’s edition of The Vindicator we were introduced to a man by the name of Richard Scarella. He is the president of the Williams Holmes McGuffey Historical Society. He has a passion for history and a concern for former houses of worship that have closed in our area. He says, “A closed church leaves a leaves a vacuum in the heart and soul.” I could not agree more. I find it painful to look at a closed church. Scarella is trying to help different denominational leaders decide what to do with church buildings once the congregation has left. I hope he is a high energy guy because he is going to be busy. How many church buildings in the Mahoning Valley are going to be vacant in the next ten years?

 

On October 25, 2009 the congregation of the First United Methodist Church of Mineral Ridge held their last worship service. They celebrated that event with a casserole dinner. Did you know there had been a Methodist presence in Mineral Ridge sense 1867? They had endured fifty-eight pastors. (That means the average pastor stayed less then 2.5 years!) The congregation merged with another United Methodist congregation in the area because the Mineral Ridge congregation could afford to repair their aging building. That merger was hailed as a great success but it was really a closing. The old church building is being used as storage units. If this church were to close how many storage units would fit in here?

 

On Tuesday evening of this week I met with the pipe organ steering committee. I hope you know the goal. We want to combine three historic pipe organs in the city of Youngstown and bring them to Western Reserve. The heart of the organ will come from the former First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). It was located next to the Butler Museum of American Art. The console will come from former Pilgrim Collegiate congregation on Wick Avenue. Part of the chimes will come from the former Epworth Methodist Church. I have been working hard on this project and we are making some progress. People have many questions. Some people what to know what we are doing? Others what want to know why we are doing it. However, there is one question no one has asked. This is the question. Why are these pipe organs available? You don’t have to ask that question because you know the answer. Each one of those pipe organs is available because each one of those churches has closed. They are not alone. When we the last time you drove by a closed church building?

 

It is painfully clear. The church is dying. The church has been in decline for over fifty years. The percentage of people in our society who belong to a church or worship in a church is smaller each year. The pressure is building on denominational leaders. There is a lot of finger pointing in our time. Everyone is blaming someone else for the problem. The whole situation has reached a fever pitch. Everyone is trying to answer the question: How do you revive a dying church? This is the truth. I have never known of a denomination who has been able to revive itself. It is difficult to revive a local church. It seems impossible to revive an entire denomination.

 

So today I want to try to answer the question: How do you revive a dying church? I believe we need to return to our origin as a church to rediscover what the disciples did two thousand years ago. The Gospel lesson is really a model for how to grow (or in our case re-grow) a church. This morning I am going to ask you three significant questions based on this passage. Each one is very personal in nature. The church grew one soul at a time. That is how we must revive our church, one soul at a time. So don’t worry about anyone else’s answers. Only worry about your answers. I never thought I would say this but become preoccupied with yourself. So if you are ready to experience renewal and revival in our church say, “Amen!”

 

Experience Jesus

If you want to revive the church then you must experience the resurrected Jesus for yourself. Look at the text with me. It is important that you look at the timeline. It is not Easter morning, it is Easter evening. The disciples have had all day to wrestle with the Mary Magdalene’s accounted of experiencing the resurrected Jesus. Do you hear what I said? They had heard about the resurrected Jesus but they had not experienced the resurrected Jesus. Once Jesus appears he shows them his hands and his feet to prove he was genuine. When they are finally convinced it is Jesus they are overjoyed. There is a world of difference between hearing about the resurrected Jesus and experiencing the resurrected Jesus. The scene started in fear. They disciples were behind locked doors. But the scene ends in joy. Everything changes once you experience the resurrected Jesus!

 

This is question number one. Have you experienced the resurrected Jesus? Or have you just heard about the resurrected Jesus? Ask yourself a simple question. If you knew you were going to die this evening do you know for sure you are going to heaven? I hope your answer is YES! Those who have experienced the resurrected Jesus know they are going to heaven. If you are not sure that you are going to heaven then pray for your own salvation. The first thing the disciples did to win the world for Jesus was to experience the resurrected Jesus for themselves. If we want to revive the church then we must experience the resurrected Jesus. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

 

Receive the Holy Spirit

If you want to revive the church then you must receive the Holy Spirit. Look at the text with me. When the disciples finally confess it is the resurrected Jesus they are overjoyed. Verse 22 says Jesus breathed on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Why is that line important? Receiving the Holy Spirit means you don’t have to do the work of the church alone. The Holy Spirit goes before us and helps us do the work of the church. It is like cutting a tree down in your yard. You have a choice. You can cut it down with a hand saw or you can cut it down with a chain saw. Which one are you going to use? If we are going to revive a dying church then we must receive the Holy Spirit. Have you received the Holy Spirit?

 

This is my second question. Have you received the Holy Spirit? On May 28, 1738 John Wesley recorded in his diary that he felt his heart strangely warmed. If you have ever studied John Wesley you know that experience was pivotal in his life. Before that experience he was filled with questions and failure. After that experience he only knew success. What happened to John Wesley on that date? His heart was warmed once he experienced the Holy Spirit. If the church in our time lacks one thing it is the Holy Spirit. Have you received the Holy Spirit? Do you understand the Holy Spirit? If your answer is no then prayer for your own spiritual maturity. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!” If you experience the resurrected Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit then the last one will follow automatically. If you don’t have the first two then you have a little problem.

 

Embrace the Mission

If you want to revive the church then you must embrace the mission. Look at the text with me. Once the disciples have experienced the resurrected Jesus and accepted the Holy Spirit, Jesus gave them a job. Verse 23 says, “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." God is trying to reconcile with the world. He wants a relationship with the world and He expects the church to proclaim that message. We are in the disciple making business.

 

This is my third question. Have you embraced the mission of the church? Are you more concerned about your dog or cat going to heaven or your neighbor? If your answer is the family pet then pray that God will straighten out your mix up priorities. Have you embraced the mission of the church? And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

 

Last Sunday afternoon I found myself in East Liverpool. I attended the 2010 Spring District Conference of the Mahoning Valley District. There are sixty-nine churches in our district. The conference was lead by our District Superintendent Dan Bryant. He led us in worship and invited us to the communion table. We passed next year’s budget for the district and we were updated on individuals who were entering the ministry from our area. He told us about changes that are coming. The changes are not just limited to the Mahoning Valley District. The changes are coming to the entire East Ohio Annual Conference. Our entire denomination is “Rethinking” how we do ministry. We are not “Rethinking” how we do ministry because we like change. We are “Rethinking” how we do ministry because we are dying. We are can no longer economically continue doing ministry in the same old way. Dan said, “Our church is dying at a rate that no one would have believed twenty years ago.” With all due respect, he was wrong. I am not surprised. I knew it could happen years ago. I discovered that fact as I stood in closed church turned furniture store in Danville, Kentucky years ago.

 

How do you revive a dying church? You don’t do it was a program initiated from the top. You don’t do it by having more dinners. You don’t do it by buying a bus to pick up the kids. You don’t do it by getting more involved in the community. You don’t pray for a massive inheritance or a lottery winning. How do you revive a dying church? You do it one soul at a time. That is how the church started. If you don’t believe me, then look at this morning God Sighting.

What does the story tell us? The scripture tells us the church was hiding behind locked doors. The disciples were afraid. The same group that was to win the world for Jesus was afraid behind locked doors. What changed? What made them unlock the door? First, they experienced the resurrected Jesus for themselves. It is one thing to know Jesus is resurrected in your mind and something completely different to know he is resurrected in your heart. Second, they received the Holy Spirit. You don’t have to do it alone. Third, they embraced the mission. Where are we putting most of our energy? The Christian influence is fading in our society. The only way to reverse that trend is by changing one soul at a time. Why don’t you begin with yourself? And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”