Internal, then External
??????????? What makes the difference between a vibrant, growing church and a church that is failing? It's a question we should answer. The answer will help us understand more about how Jesus' solutions provide real help for our deepest needs.
??????????? Consider this example: if I wash my car every week and keep it looking new, shiny, and clean, will that keep it from breaking down? While washing my car will keep it looking good, it will not keep it mechanically healthy. It is also true that if I invest a lot of time, effort, and money in washing my car each week, thinking that it will keep it from breaking down, when it does break down, I will become frustrated because of my false expectation.?
??????????? Now please follow me. Keeping my car clean does have a good purpose. Yet, it is an external issue, not an internal one. Keeping the oil in my car changed is an example of an internal issue that impacts my car's mechanical health. So, a church needs to focus on healthy internal issues. It has been my experience that internal issues drive the health of external issues.
??????????? To help understand this concept better, let's take a look at Matthew 12:25-30. "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters."
??????????? What are the opposites at work in this passage? Jesus clarified that whoever is not with Him is against Him, and whoever does not gather with Him scatters. What is the problem revealed by these opposites? The problem in the passage is that some people claimed that Jesus was casting out demons with the power of Satan. They argued that Jesus had a serious internal problem while they were the ones with the serious internal problem.
??????????? What was the solution to the problem in the passage? If Jesus cast out demons with the power of Satan, as they claimed, then Satan would be working against himself. If Satan worked against himself, his kingdom would not stand. Those who accused Jesus of working with Satan revealed that they were against Jesus. The solution was to reveal how those who brought the accusation against Jesus were the ones working with Satan, they had a serious internal problem.
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??????????? With the solution in mind, who does the strong man in the story represent? This parable highlights that if the kingdom of God has come through Jesus, then the kingdom of Satan is being invaded. Jesus is the one who enters Satan's house. So, Satan is the strong man and Jesus binds the strong man. Satan claims this world as his house, yet Jesus is "robbing" Satan of his victims. This reveals that Jesus was casting out the demons with the power of God to reveal the internal power of God to change lives.
??????????? What does this teach us about the internal and external challenges that churches face? Churches should focus on internal issues first, then the external issues can eventually fall into place. A church can have a wonderful worship service (external issue), yet if the members are not experiencing the love, joy, peace, and kindness Jesus offers (internal issue), the church will not grow.
??????????? People like to address external issues because they are easier. It is easier to paint the outside of a house than to repair the foundation. Now, a church is not a building; a church is made up of the people in the building. So, it is normal for the people in the church to struggle with internal issues, life can be hard. Yet, when the people in the building embrace the solutions and answers Jesus offers for their internal struggles, that means they can help others with compassion and empathy.
??????????? What do you think? Is this confusing? Have you considered how the individual internal decisions the people in a church make drive the external issues in the church? To be healthy with the external issues, like evangelism, we need to have a healthy internal relationship with Jesus. I have never seen anyone's car stay in good repair because they washed it once a week.
??????????? The good news is that focusing on the internal working of the Spirit of God, His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control, forgiveness, hope, discernment, and wisdom, is not only fun and refreshing, but it will also empower a church to embrace the wonderful plan Jesus has for the church!
??????????? Jesus loves us! He wants the church to move forward. That means He wants to lead the people in the church to embrace His solutions to their internal challenges. He will bear with our mistakes, encourage us in our failures, and continue to lead us. He will help us to focus on what is most important: the power of His love to re-create hearts.
??????????? Jesus' compassion for us is filled with His grace. His love for us is total and complete. He has the power to re-create us internally, giving us new desires based on His way of thinking. As individuals experience the power of God with their internal challenges, it will impact the external issues a church faces in a positive way.