Movement or a Monument?

Intro:

In , the Israelites were at a crossroads. Their leader Moses had died, and the leadership was split. Some wanted to stop where they were, call it quits, and build a monument. With Moses dead, many thought the movement had died as well. And yet God had different plans for them.

Joshua 1:2 NLT

2 “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them.

The command God gave the Israelites was simple: keep moving. That’s perhaps the simplest way to determine whether your church is a movement or a monument: movements move. Here are some questions that can help you apply this to your world:

Is your church genuinely reaching lost people in the community?Transfer growth from other churches doesn’t count.

Is your church effectively reaching the next generation? If young people and young adults are staying away from your church, that’s a dangerous sign of a monument.

How many adults have been baptized in the last few years? Child baptisms are valid, but many times reflect only biological growth.

Does your church accurately reflect the ethnic mix of your surrounding community? Christ called us to reach all peoples, not just those that look like us.

Are you hearing stories of recent life-change? The greatest sign of a movement is forward spiritual progress in the lives of people. Stories of recent life-change are a great indicator of this.

A great amount of churches are movements, but too many have become monuments. God has not called you to be a caretaker of a monument, but to be a part of his movement. Movements move . . . so get moving.