by Andrew Stroud
Stick with me for just a couple moments; I won’t keep you long!
A person’s way of thinking is crucial. Not that you doubt this, but here’s an example: imagine someone having the mindset that all relationships are manipulative. This mindset would translate into multiple negative behaviors with a plethora of negative consequences, right?
It absolutely would!
As a Christian, our mindset should be formulated by the teachings of God’s Word. We don’t allow peer pressure, societal trends, TikTok influencers, or other cultural influences to guide our beliefs or govern our behaviors. We allow the truth—the infallible, inerrant, inspired Word of God to provide the framework for our way of thinking…
…about everything.
You’ve made it this far… keep reading.
One area in which our mindset matters is in regards to the church. Would it matter if your mindset about the church was pessimistic or fatalistic? Would it matter if it was optimistic?
Sure it does!
Depending on the mindset, if, or more accurately, when the enemy brings discouragement in outreach, one could say, “I thought that would probably happen” (pessimistic mindset) or “this outcome was destined to turn out like this” (fatalistic mindset). But what about this response, “That wasn’t what I hoped for, but let’s keep trying” (optimistic mindset). Our mindset can either help or hinder our response to the enemy’s attempt at bringing defeat.
Now, here’s the caution…
If we’re not careful, in reaction to past and present experiences, we can allow detrimental mindsets to prevail in our minds concerning the church and begin to act, or react, in response to our mindset.
I hope you’re still with me!
You can operate with that fatalistic or pessimistic mindset if you like. (Not without consequence, I might add.)
I, however, refuse to operate with those harmful mindsets; I choose, rather to believe what God says about the church—more about this in a moment.
Several years ago I read an interview conducted by Stan Guthrie with historian Philip Jenkins in Christianity Today.
The title of the article/interview was “The Other Side of Church Growth” and spoke concerning Jenkins’ book The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand-year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia—and How it Died.
In this book Jenkins first observes that Christianity is not rooted in any one culture. That it is not solely a European religion, but also Asian and African. Religion has developed in many different societies all around the world.
In a second observation, however, Jenkins shows how and why churches in entire regions have seemingly died. While I agree with Jenkins in the fact that it appears that God’s work does hopscotch from region to region, what rubbed my mindset the wrong way was Jenkins’ desire for a theology of church extinction. I know what he’s meaning, but perhaps it would be better to call the unfortunate phenomenon by another name.
This brings me back to what God says about the church.
As I read the Scripture, I do not find where God addresses church extinction. Have you not read where Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”? Jesus is saying, the church will be on the offensive! And do you not remember Jesus’ words to the disciples as He’s facing imminent death, “In the world ye shall have tribulation (pressure) but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Oh Church, we must operate with this victorious, conquering mindset! Yes, there is a devil. Yes, there are those who oppose the work of the Kingdom, but “if God be for us, who can be against us?” Or as one person noted, “If God is for us, it doesn’t matter who is against us.”
The church will never be extinct. God has always had a people. Referencing the seven hundred who had not bowed their knees to Baal, Paul says to the church at Rome, “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant…”
The numbers in regions may rise and fall, but the Church of Jesus Christ will continue to march on in aid or adversity, in bliss or battle, in sunshine or storm, in peace or persecution. No king can demolish it, no army can abolish it, and no power can annihilate it.
God has a Church… it is not extinct… it will never become extinct… and it will continue to march on. Don’t let the enemy convince you to operate your bus ministry, your nursing home outreach, your prison Bible study, or your mid-week service with any other mindset.
As Philip Yancey concludes in his book, What Good is God, let me say with authority that God goes where He’s wanted.
· God goes where the heart is open
· God goes where the door is open
· God goes where He’s invited
· God goes where He’s welcomed
Your mindset matters!
The Interchurch Holiness Convention operates with this victorious mindset… taking the message of victory and full salvation wherever the door opens. This International Issue highlights some of the new and old connections of the IHC worldwide. I hope you’ll enjoy this next edition of the IHC’s printed voice, the Convention Herald.
