Does it seem that the number of people attending church has dwindled in recent years? Most pollsters seem to think so.

It is my impression that (at least in the smaller congregations), there is a trend toward lower numbers each week. At such a point, the devil tries to plant feelings of despair & hopelessness in both the leadership and the congregation. And, that despair tends toward even greater losses.

The Psalmist (in Ps. 80) uses a vine (or a tree) as a metaphor for the church. It seems to be an appropriate analogy since Jesus used a similar thought in John 15:1-8. Jesus said that we are the branches of the True vine. But Satan tries to tell us that if the church is going through a period of decline, then our branch is dead and we might as well quit.

We must REJECT the lies of Satan (that we the church is dead)!

It seems to me from reading these and other Scriptures that we are God’s vineyard… a vine that He picked out, purchased, & personally planted… And when His vine gets  trampled, He will step in and lift it up & restore His vine!

Here is a short outline of a message that I preached recently…

Restore the Vine

Introduction:

• When the numbers are declining in church, the devil tries to plant a feeling of despair
• In such a state, God’s true church does not run away – instead it seeks restoration
• The Psalmist used a vine to describe God’s church & asked God to restore the vine to health

I. The vine (church) was planted by God (Ps 80:8-11)

1. God purchased the vine
2. God nurtured the vine
3. God adopted the vine (v.15; Ro 8:17)

II. The vine (church) goes through suffering

1. They were operating with a bad reputation (Ps 80:6; Eze 36:23)
2. They even felt that GOD was responsible (Ps 80:4-6,12,16)
3. In truth, the devil is responsible for destruction (Jn 10:10)
4. The vine (church) will be saved

A. Three times (vv.3,7,19) the Psalmist asked for God’s restoration

1. In v.17, the Psalmist asked God to put His hand on Jesus – rather than us
2. The New Testament parallel is John 15
3. The Father encourages the weak branches (Jn 15:2; Mt 4:6)
4. When the Father “prunes,” He is encouraging growth
5. It is encouraging when God works inside us (Ezek 36:26,27)
6. Psalm 80:18,19 “Revive us… Restore us… that we may be saved” (Is 26:12)

Conclusion: Our heavenly Father will revive & restore His trampled vine!

• He will make His face shine upon us (shekinah glory upon His church)
• He will lift up the withered vine & inject new life in it – revive us & restore us
• He will turn us & establish peace for us – all our accomplishments He has done for us!

You are welcome to download a complete copy of my sermon notes on this subject here. There is also an audio recording here (45min)….[podcast]http://chiefshepherd.com/serm/08/081005_restorethevine.mp3[/podcast]

Someone mentioned to me recently in their assessment of another person — “the man is a born leader!”  As I reflected later on the thought, I’m not sure I totally accept the concept that leadership is a genetic marker for an individual.

Leadership giftings are bestowed to us by God.  When we recognize that God has given us a gift, then the development of that gift is upon us.  As we grow in Christ, our development as a leader can potentially grow if we apply ourselves.  Sadly, some have never taken time to enhance their skills, learn from their mistakes and are still stuck in the rut of their present leadership style.

• I’m not the preacher/speaker I once was.
• I’m not the leader I started out to be.

Some of my gifts are better utilized than they used to be.  In other cases, I’ve recognized that what I thought was a gift was, in fact, a secret wish which will never come true!  Recognizing that frees me to pursue my genuine calling/gifts and become a better leader and servant for God.

I’m passionate about the development of leaders.  Each of us can improve, even the PERFECT ones!

What steps are you personally taking to improve your leadership potential?

Link to Forward Leadership Blog

Along with millions of others this weekend I watched the US Open Golf Tournament. I spent some time Monday watching live coverage of the playoff online (I love technology).

Saturday I watched Tiger Woods “gut it out” as his recently surgically repaired knee attempted to derail a stellar round of golf. Sunday he again had to hit shots and wince in pain because of his knee. I’ve talked to several people about these rounds and Tiger’s ability to play through the pain. The response has been mixed.

Some agree with me, that it was a great round by someone in pain, and incredible to watch. Others have said, “it’s a good thing he had the knee thing to cover up the fact that he hit bad shots.” They accused him of wincing only after hitting bad shots…FAKING IT.

It really is all about perspective and personal opinion, and everyone has their own. As a leader I realize that there are people who view me in this same duplicit way. Some will view an action or decision as honest and forthright, while others may question my motives and integrity.

In my development as a leader this further drives home the point that you can’t please everyone…and wouldn’t you know it…that’s one of my biggest struggles. I’m a people pleaser, and it’s hard for me to make decisions that I know others won’t like. Early on I felt the need to justify every decision, and try and explain my motives for every move. It was exhausting.

Is this a struggle for you? How do you combat it?

Link to the original site

According to Ed Stetzler, in this post,”Thirty-two percent of Americans – almost one in three – said their decision to visit or join a church would be negatively affected if that congregation taught homosexual behavior is sinful.” This means that about a third of the people we are seeking to share the gospel may be unwilling to give our message a chance based on our theological convictions.  THAT’S DRAMATIC!

He goes on to add–”The cultural trajectory is toward greater acceptance of homosexuality. Recent books like unChristian, They Like Jesus but not the Church, and my own forthcoming  Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and Churches that Reach Them have all pointed to this challenge among younger generations. Simply put, the younger you are, the more accepting you are of homosexuality.”

As leaders, we must embrace that this is not our forefather’s America.  This is a pagan mission land which requires new thinking, strategic ministry logic and prayer at levels not previously employed.

What do you think?

Link to the original site