Revelation 3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
To all outward appearances, the body was dead. It lay there, unmoving, day and night. On closer examination, though, there was still a faint pulse, and just the slightest movement of air from the mouth. Perhaps it wasn’t too late; with proper care, this part of the body of Christ, the local church body, might still live.
It is a sad fact that many hundreds of churches close their doors in this country every year, for the last time. The immediate reasons vary; sometimes the people that made up the church move away from the area, because of rural or urban decay. Sometimes the older generation dies out, with no new blood to carry on the church. Whatever the immediate cause, though, the ultimate cause is the same: the church was removed from its source of nourishment, and died.
Once the church is gone, there is little chance of reviving it, though another congregation may take over the building. This book is dedicated particularly to small churches in decline, but the principles would apply to any churches, anywhere. There has been much talk about a "purpose driven church". The only purpose of any church is to nurture its members, and reach the lost of Christ. No amount of flashy programs and catchy slogans will help if the Spirit of God is no longer in the house.
This is not, and does not claim to be, a manual or a detailed blueprint. It is based, rather, on a lifetime of observation and experience in a variety of churches, both living and dead The principles are not an exhaustive list, either, but seven is the divine number of completeness. Every idea presented here is based in Scripture, or it’s worthless.
Now – all together – let’s count to seven. J