- Returning to the culture Jesus taught is the key element for effective churches.
- Programs do not help churches systemically until the cultural environment resembles the Kingdom teaching of Jesus.
- The breakthrough for a mission-minded church begins with the belief that Christians do not grow the church. Jesus said clearly, “I will build My church.”
- What Jesus did tell His disciples is “Go, make (other) disciples.”
- The busyness of many churches (in areas that do not impact the spiritual destiny of people) is one of the greatest deterrents to the health and vitality of churches.
- The church birthed at Pentecost represented a dramatic change from the Old Testament view: “Y’all come.” The temple was the epicenter of a centripetal movement. Jesus, in the New Testament centrifugal view, said, “You are the temple of the Holy Spirit…. Go!” Most churches need to be turned inside out. The worldview change? The church is NOT a destination but a launchpad.
- In Kingdom culture, everyone is a minister. Everyone is a missionary. Church leaders are called to “equip God’s people” for the work of ministry.
- Discipling, in New Testament culture, defines a Kingdom operational distinctive: as people do ministry, they should be discipling others to do that ministry. Ideally, Christians never do ministry alone.
- When Jesus said, “The harvest is large, but the workers are few,” He projected an optimistic worldview: People are more receptive (“ripe for the harvest”) than most Christians think.
- Jesus’ Kingdom command is to “pray for workers for the harvest.” In the Kingdom, there are no volunteers, just ambassadors of the King of the universe!
This is excerpted from the September/October Church Doctor Report – The Power of Kingdom: Spiritual Culture for Renewal and Revival.
Kent R. Hunter has consulted hundreds of churches in North America and taught thousands of church leaders in a dozen countries. His 30 books are widely read with translations in six languages. His latest book is Who Broke My Church? 7 Proven Strategies for Renewal and Revival. Contact him at (800) 626-8515, by email, Twitter, Facebook, or visit www.churchdoctor.org.
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