The God of ReNEWal

GCA is committed to the strategic work of church ReNEWal – in fact, it’s one of our top four strategic priorities! As a result, I often get asked by pastor friends, church leaders and others, “Why should we spend all this effort, time and money on revitalizing or replanting a stagnant, declining or dying church?” The implicit idea behind the question is often one of efficiency – isn’t it just cheaper and easier to let a declining church just die and plant a new church? The truthful response is often “Yes – it would be much easier and efficient and almost certainly less expensive.” 

But God does not always, or even usually, call us to do that which is easiest and most efficient. The topsy-turvy reality of the kingdom of God is shaped by the very nature of God. And the God of the Bible delights to bring dead things to life – even at great cost, effort and inefficiency. 

Consider, wouldn’t it have been easier for God to just start humanity over again and wipe out even Noah and his family? Or why not start over with a different, more obedient and faithful people than the children of Abraham? Why is God persistently revealed in scripture as being so long-suffering, kind and transformative to the most hard-hearted of sinners? Is there something about God’s character and heart that delights to bring renewal and re-creation to those individuals and peoples that have so often wandered far from Him? And what if that inefficient, expensive, time-consuming work of renewal brings God even more glory than just starting over afresh?

In Ezekiel 36, God reveals Himself to be the God who re-populates desolated lands (vs. 4, 8-12); brings back the spiritual exiles (vs. 24); cleanses the spiritually impure (vs. 25); transforms hearts (vs. 26); implants His Spirit within His followers (vs. 26-27); empowers obedience (vs. 27); blesses (vs 29-30) and reconciles His people to Himself (vs. 28.) He does all this, so that people will see a renewed creation (vs. 35.) And then He says, “Then the nations that remain around you will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt what was demolished and have replanted what was desolate. I, the LORD, have spoken and I will do it.” (Ezekiel 36:36 CSB) And then He gives Ezekiel the ultimate sermon illustration by bringing an army of the dead back to life! (Ezekiel 37)

The God of the Bible persistently reveals Himself as the one who rebuilds, replants, and renews His people and He does it for His greater glory! That’s why He consistently calls His churches to repentance and renewed relationship with Him (Revelation 2-3.) That’s why we can celebrate with confident hope that God’s mercies to us as individuals and churches are “new every morning”! (Lamentations 3:21-23.)

And God reveals Himself most powerfully in the ultimate act of renewal when His Son not only died for our sins but was raised so that we might have life! (Romans 6:4; Ephesians 2:1-10)

Together, as a family of churches on shared mission, we do the hard work of praying for, investing in, serving, and encouraging our ReNEW churches because we’re re-enacting and displaying the resurrection power of God! We replant churches because doing this work uniquely reveals God’s glory and beauty!

Years ago, I would regularly walk by a historic Victorian era mansion that had been deemed unfit for habitation due to decades long extensive decay and critical earthquake damage. The valuable lot it was on would certainly have been most easily and profitably utilized by the judicious use of a bulldozer and new construction.  It always made me sad as I would walk by and think of the diminished glory of this once beautiful and historic home. Then one day, something marvelous happened. A fence appeared around the property. Next, something strange occurred – giant excavators appeared and began to dig under the house. Gradually, I could see massive lifts had been installed under the home and before long this historic home was lifted whole more than twenty feet into the air! And a new foundation, basement and garage was laid before the home was carefully lowered back. More than a year of additional interior remodeling and landscaping occurred as the home was fitted with modern plumbing, electrical, HVAC, windows, flooring, and more. Then the fence was removed and the new/old home was unveiled – its historic Victorian era features intact but refitted for habitation and the flourishing of a modern family. And the whole home was significantly more beautiful and more glorious than if it had been merely replaced by a modern, cookie cutter McMansion.

I believe God delights in restoring, renewing, renovating, rebuilding, and replanting His bride – the church. He invites us into the messy, inconvenient, time-consuming, expensive work of restoring her former glory and re-engaging her on a new generation of mission. And when we do this work, we get the joy of watching God do that which He alone can do by His grace and for His glory! Brothers and sisters, we ultimately ReNEW churches because we serve a ReNEWing God.