I heard several years ago about a town in Pennsylvania that had trouble with their fire hydrants freezing over in the winter. The town council came up with a solution: they passed an ordinance that all fire hydrants had to be thawed out three days before a fire.
I doubt if the story is true, but it does illustrate a persistent problem in many churches (and other organizations for that matter): It is far easier to recognize the problems we face than it is to design workable solutions. Many solutions we come up with in the church to solve the problems we face are either unworkable or they solve the wrong problem – often one that does not even exist.
The root cause of this ineffectiveness is normally that we have the focus of the church directed to the wrong things. That is, we fail to focus the church’s efforts on those things that Scripture calls for us to focus on. Normally when we get the church’s focus wrong we have focused on ourselves and make decisions based on how those decisions will impact the members of the church, instead of focusing on reaching out and ministering in the name of Christ within our communities.
I consider this to be a critical problem for the church, because in less than a generation our culture has gone farther away from God. We have changed morally, demographically, and technologically – leaving God behind in the process. Our culture’s “doctrine of salvation” has become if you are good enough and do not do many bad things, you will get to heaven. In order to really be the church in that environment, we should focus like a laser on the matters that Scripture calls for the church to focus on.
I find three areas of focus for the church in Colossians 1. Is your church focusing on these matters as a priority in the way you organize and operate your church program?
(1) Focus on the supremacy of Christ. Colossians sets out the nature of Christ in chapter 1, verses 15-20. Paul says Christ created all things, is before all things, and holds all things together. Then comes verse 18: “And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” When I consult with other churches, I find it important to really get them to think about the implications of the supremacy of Christ for what we do in the church. That is, do we really, in a practical way, understand that Christ is the head, the leader of the church? Do we really seek his wisdom rather than our own when we have decisions to make? Is Christ the heart and soul of every sermon that is preached, every worship service, every program, every event in the church? Our focus should start there, with Christ.
(2) Focus on our reconciliation through Christ. In Colossians 1:21-23, Paul discusses how we were once enemies of God, but now, through Christ’s death, we have been reconciled to God. Can there be any doubt – if we hold to the Scriptures – that our only means of salvation is to trust in the death of Christ? There is no other message for the church to preach. There is no other reason to bring people into the church than for them to experience the saving work of Christ in their lives. Donald Wildmon, founder and recently retired president of the American Family Association once said, “"At the very heart of the Christian gospel is a cross – the symbol of suffering and sacrifice, of hurt and pain and humiliation and rejection. I want no part of a Christian message which does not call me to involvement, requires of me no sacrifice, takes from me no comfort, requires of me less than the best I have to give."
(3) Focus on the commission of Christ. Paul closes Colossians 1 by discussing how he had become the servant of the church by the commission God had given him. He said, “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” I wish I had room to tell you about some of the people I know who have gone into some of the hardest places in the world to preach the Gospel. That is the call of every church, of every believer.
Does the focus of your church need to be re-examined? Try checking your church’s focus against these three areas.
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