Sovereign Grace Baptist Church Meets weekly at 907 Hillsboro Boulevard, Manchester, TN, 37355. Currently, our church is without a pastor/elder and the members meet weekly for praise and worship in hymn, prayer, reading of Scripture, study of the word, and fellowship.
Among today’s fads, the average Christian can find many methods or programs designed to enhance their contribution to church life. Even the average pastor is perplexed to discover a plethora of material ready for the picking, which will boost his ministry and grow the church. We live in a culture of do-it-yourself, quick fixes and instant gratification, so it is not surprising to see this mentality spill over into church ministry. Just follow this program made famous by this mega church or apply this method used by that booming ministry and you will be guaranteed success and increase your sales, oops I meant--increase your attendance.
Well, whatever the so-called “experts” are promoting, it is not going to last. The church is a unique organism, the body of Christ. And as a spiritual ministry, the church requires a spiritual foundation and superstructure. E.M. Bounds the famous Methodist pastor, who was used mightily by God during the civil war, penned some very challenging words on this very issue:
“We are constantly on a stretch, if not on a strain, to devise new methods, new plans, new organizations to advance the Church and secure enlargement and efficiency for the gospel. This trend of the day has a tendency to lose sight of the man or sink the man in the plan or organization. God's plan is to make much of the man, far more of him than of anything else. Men are God's method. The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men.”
“What the Church needs to-day is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use -- men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men -- men of prayer.” —Power Through Prayer
In our churches today, if we are going to do things right, it must begin with prayer. We must have a designated time to pray. As we pray and show God we are serious about doing His will, He will bless us and fill us with His Spirit. Blessings will flow as a result of obedience, and obedience will be born by prayer, and borne along by prayer.
What are you relying on? If it is anything other than God’s Spirit, ditch it quickly and get with God’s method. Pray, pray and then pray again. But remember, we appear before God, not to twist His arm into bowing to our wishes, but to offer ourselves wholeheartedly in submission to do His wishes.
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