As followers of Jesus, we have been called to live worthy of God\u2019s glory (see 1 Cor. 10:32) \u2013 or his value or weightiness, as the term accurately means. It\u2019s an immense calling that God gives the church.<\/p>\n
As the apostle Paul proclaims, \u201cNow to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us \u2013 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.\u201d (Eph. 3:20-21)<\/p>\n
The motivation for replanting is changed by understanding and embracing the fact that replanting a church is an act of worship. We are doing this so the glory of God is made known, so those who don’t know God through the saving power of his Son, Jesus, can know Him and glorify Him. If replanting is an act of worship, then the struggle, the hardship, the pain, and the burden that comes with it \u2013 for both the leader and the flock \u2013 have real and powerful purpose. The purpose of the pain and the struggle is the glory of God. And when we remain focused on that truth, the pain becomes a joy. For God’s glory and our joy, the Lord places us in a dying church.<\/p>\n
God\u2019s glory and our joy go hand in hand when it comes to replanting dying churches. It is a joy to be used by the Lord to reclaim His glory in a dying church.<\/em><\/p>\n You can’t replant a church. For that matter, you can’t plant a church either. Don’t get me wrong. In order for a church to be replanted, you must do a tremendous amount of work, period. But you <\/em>can’t replant a church.<\/p>\n Do you recall Jesus’s first miracle recorded in the Gospel of John? It was the wedding in Cana of Galilee. John records it in the second chapter of his Gospel.<\/p>\n There was a problem at this wedding: The wine had run out. Jesus told the servants to fill six large jars with water. Scripture says the servants filled the water jars to the brim. The problem at the wedding feast wasn’t that they didn’t have any water. The problem was they didn’t have any wine. But the servants did what servants do: They obeyed. And these servants didn’t just throw a little water into the jars. They put in as much water as a jar could possibly hold. They filled them to the brim.<\/p>\n You and I know Jesus didn’t need the servants to put the water in the jars in order to create wine. He certainly could have created wine out of nothing. Jesus chose to use the servant’s work as part of His plan to meet the need at the wedding feast. And that’s the way it is with replanting a church.<\/p>\n Jesus doesn\u2019t need us to replant dying churches, but He gives us a front-row seat to witness what He is doing to bring the church back to life.<\/p>\n Despite the hard work of replanting, we, as obedient servants, count it all joy to be invited into the story of God\u2019s reclaiming work in a dying church. We can focus on the lack of resources, or we can choose to focus our heart on the one who is rich in mercy and desires to save the community in which He has placed our church.<\/p>\n When we set our eyes on God, we see His glory and, in return, we are filled with joy, not only in what He is doing, but for the privilege to play a small part in His work.<\/p>\n Replanting dying churches is for God\u2019s glory and our joy.<\/p>\n