A distressed wife once said that every time her family began to “see success” it was destroyed. She said, “life was good and then it was blown up.” Her description is the definition of implosion; meaning damage from the inside out. I’ve lived long enough to see the same thing happen in churches. Struggle, followed by growth, followed by division, and then implosion. This happens when members whittle away at the core fabric of leadership and doctrine. It happens when small gossiping groups tear away at the good being done.
Paul addressed this issue: 1 Cor 12:25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. He said, If you bite one another, you will devour one another.
Paul’s admonition has been experienced by a thousand congregations over. Divisions crippled even the healthiest of church bodies. Thriving revivals have been cut short; growth thwarted by the selfish ambition of a few. Remember, it only took one man, Achan, to cause Israel to be defeated. It doesn’t take much to implode the whole.
My concern is that those who need to read this will not and those to whom this applies will disregard it as a message meant for someone else. “After all, it’s just another bulletin with some words meshed together to fill a page.”
I pray you will heed this writing: We are standing on the brink of an Endtime revival. However, this is also a crossroad of decision. I’ve seen it before both here and beyond. If we miss this moment, it could take us years to recover. Some churches never make it back.
It begins with too many opinions about trivial things; too much flesh and not enough submission; and too little honor for pastoral leadership. The result is damage from within. For those who might wonder, “Yes, the world is fighting against the church,” and “Yes, there are demonic spirits which resist us.” But the real battle is from within.
The question becomes, Can the church love the church? Can we stay humble enough for God to use us for His glory? Can we stay obedient enough to follow spiritual authority? Is it possible for us to crucify our flesh and keep our attitudes pure? These are questions our lives will answer. These are the decisions which will lead us in or out of Spiritual endeavors and numerical growth. I can only hope that each person will comprehend this critical juncture and make whatever adjustments needed to see the revival God has prepared.
Pastor Jeffrey Harpole