A Plan For An Aging Congregation
Surviving the Pandemic as a Congregation • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction:
1. A plan for an Aging Congregation is something every congregation must have.
A. There are two things we joke about that are certain in this life—Death and Taxes.
1. Both are discussed in the Scriptures.
A. Death
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
B. Taxes
17 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at Him.
B. Knowing the inevitability of the aging process, should we not be ready and have a plan for evangelism?
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
A. Retirement is not an option for a Christian.
1. With age comes more responsibility, not fewer.
1 But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: 2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; 3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things—4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.
A. It is the aged men who are to be elders in the Lord’s Church.
5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—
B. It is the aged women who are to instruct the young women.
1 But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: 2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; 3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things—4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.
C. It is time we stop complaining about being an aging congregation and use it to our advantage.
1. With age should come the wisdom that is from above.
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
A. If an aged Christian has spent the proper amount of time in God’s Word, this wisdom is the natural progression.
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
2. With age comes experience that needs to be shared with the young.
A. There are things that are learned from the aged that only come through mentoring.
1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
1. The example of enduing hardship.
3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
2. The example of not entangling themselves in the affairs of the world.
4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
3. The example of fighting hard (competing) to obtain the crown of righteousness.
5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.
4. The example of hard work.
6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops.
2. With everything we’ve talked about comes planning it into our congregation.
A. If we are going to take advantage of our aging congregation, we must have a plan.
Body:
1. The first step to taking advantage of our aging congregation is to have a plan for evangelism.
A. So the question needs to be asked—how do we plan for evangelism?
1. The first step is having leaders in the congregation whom the congregation will follow.
A. Jesus understood this and it is why He chose twelve men, trained them, and sent them to teach.
1. The apostles, when they were first chosen, did not fully understand.
A. They did not understand that Jesus was going to suffer and die.
31 Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. 33 They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.” 34 But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.
B. They did not always understand the parables.
6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.
2. Jesus understood the 12 needed leading, so He led them and taught them to be leaders.
A. By training the 12, He understood that the world was still going to need spiritual leadership, even after His death.
36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
B. Ultimately these leaders are to be the elders but right now, we just need leaders to step up and lead.
2. The second step is the leaders actually stepping up and starting an evangelism committee to plan evangelism.
A. Paul charged Timothy to be this leader.
18 This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, 20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
B. Paul charged Timothy to be a teacher.
1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
C. Paul charged Timothy to teach others to be leaders.
3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.
1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
3. The Third step is not growing weary in doing good.
A. Don’t stop if at first you don’t succeed.
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
B. If we don’t grow wary and lose heart we shall reap in due season.
1. This means when God sees fit we will reap.
26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord.
4. The fourth step is to expect the harvest.
A. I was told in preaching school by one of my instructors that if you pray for rain expect it to rain.
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
1. We need to consider that if our prayers are not being answered they might not be the right prayers.
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
2. We need to consider that if our prayers are not being answered we might not be keeping His commandments.
22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
B. If the harvest is not coming and we are praying for the harvest maybe we are not doing our part.
1. God said that the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
C. Maybe we don’t expect the harvest because we know there was no seed planted.
1. A farmer that plants seed expects the harvest.
3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
D. The only way that we can expect the harvest is to plan for the harvest.
1. If we have planned evangelism together, worked that plan by planting seed then we need to expect and be ready for the harvest.
A. If we have taught people then we need to have classes ready for new converts to attend during worship.
1. This means we need teachers who have planned ahead with a class ready at all times.
2. This also means we need to have classes planned and ready for kid of all ages who are the children of new converts.
Conclusion:
1. Evangelism is the work of an entire congregation planning for the future.
A. There is allot of work involved thus it takes allot of planning.
1. I know we have the men and women with the wisdom and experience to be leaders here in Allen.
2. So the question remains will any of them step up and be bold enough to take that responsibility.
3. Without leaders people cannot follow.
4. Now followers once the leaders step up the follow must follow.