Leading Reformation in Your Church (3 Minutes in Theology)

The Pulpit Must Be Central to Reformation

On this week of Three Minutes in Theology, I want to talk about ecclesiology. Specifically, I want to talk about how to lead in Reformation in the local church. Certainly, the pulpit must be central to Reformation.

What you preach, what you teach, you can't compromise, you can't budge an inch, you can't move one iota. You must preach and teach the truth. The pulpit is certainly central. You must meet with the men of your church and go through the scriptures and teach the books of the Bible and show them the truth of God's Word.

But here's my encouragement. Reformation really hasn't began in your church until you begin to implement the truths that you're preaching and teaching. In other words, you could preach all day long about the truths of the then your people are believing what they see more than what they hear.

Implementing Reform Beyond the Pulpit

Again, the pulpit is central, but beyond the pulpit, you must begin to implement changes in order for your church to undergo Reformation. This is where a lot of people mess up. You've all heard the stories of the new guy that comes in and within a year or two, he's tried to change everything and then he winds up getting fired or something bad happens in the church.

Okay, we need to have patience here. You need to go into the church thinking not a one-year, two-year plan, but a five, ten, fifteen-year plan, thirty-year plan. You need to think about these changes over a course of time.

But then there's the opposite effect too. And so when you hear me say thirty-year plan, you can't preach the truths of scripture for thirty years and not make a change. That's not going to work. You must implement the truths that you're preaching.

So for example, you can't just preach about evangelism and encourage evangelism from the pulpit. You need to go out and evangelize. You need to create tangible ways for your people to get to the streets and share God's Word.

You need to reform worship and leave things the same. You have to implement changes. You can't just preach about plurality of elders and not make changes. Again, go slow here. Be patient. Be wise. Seek the Lord's wisdom.

Wisdom, Patience, and Pushback in Church Reform

Seek the wisdom of other trusted brothers. But you have to begin to make changes if you ever want to hope to see reformation. Now, let me also offer this caution, warning, and that is no matter how long you wait.

No, I don't recommend making changes in the first year, perhaps two years. But when you begin to implement changes, no matter how long it's been, if you've waited five years, you're inevitably most likely going to have pushback.

But let it be so. You must preach the truth. You must make sure your people understand. And then you must begin to implement changes. And when you do, if you wind up losing some, so be it, as long as you're being wise and patient and godly.

But you're never going to have reformation in the church unless your people see the truths, not just from the pulpit, but they must be implemented in action.