Sermon Tone Analysis

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-13Pray
Pray
The question that just comes screaming from the passage I read a moment ago is simple.
Why did the old men weep with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of the new temple?
There are 2 possible answers to that question.
They were weeping with joy or they were weeping with sadness.
And since Ezra tells us that others were shouting with joy, we can surmise that the old men were weeping with sadness.
Again, the question is why?
Many scholars believe it is because the new temple foundation was so much smaller than Solomon’s temple.
These men had seen the beauty, the majesty of the first temple that Solomon had built.
And this new temple was not going to compare in size.
And because it would not compare in size, it is safe to assume that it would not compare in furnishings either.
In other words, this new temple was going to be a disappointment compared to Solomon’s temple.
Smaller, less ornate, it might remind them of the once magnificent temple, but it would just not be the same.
For the last month or so, I have been telling you that I want the church to enter into a 40-day time of prayer specifically for church revitalization.
And while we may all agree that church revitalization is a good thing, I want to lay out for you why Immanuel Baptist Church needs to be revitalized.
To be extra clear, I don’t believe a church can be revitalized by man any more than I believe men can be eternally saved by other men.
However, I also know that a church is the gathering of those who have been saved by God.
And, as such, the church cannot be revitalized if the people that make up that church are not revitalized.
In other words, the process for revitalization at Immanuel Baptist Church begins with you and me.
Each and every one of us that is a member of this church.
Now, you may be sitting there thinking you are very happy with your life and you don’t really need, or want, anything to change.
I am asking you to bear with me through this sermon today and then start tomorrow with the 40 days of prayer.
God may begin the revitalization of Immanuel through you.
But you will never know if you just sit and doubt without prayer.
The word I am using today, revitalize, means to give new life and vitality to.
And that definition implies that new life and vitality are needed.
So let me give you a picture of Immanuel Baptist Church as I see it today.
The Need for Revitalization
1. I’ll start with the numbers
1.1.
I looked at statistical data on this church all the way back to 1981 which is all that is available online.
In 1981, Immanuel Baptist Church reported 357 members, average Sunday School attendance of 94, and 29 baptisms.
At the largest point, in 1985, Immanuel reported 618 members, average Sunday School attendance of 143, and 13 baptisms.
Looking at every year since 1981, Immanuel’s greatest membership year was 1985, with 618 reported members.
Our greatest Sunday School year was 1983, with an average of 221 people attending.
Our greatest baptism year was 1986 with 41.
There was a time when this church was reaching more people.
Worship attendance was not reported until 1991 where we averaged 105, then grew to 140 in 1992 before falling off.
Now some of you are probably aware that those years when the numbers were looking good were during Pastor Jim Philips tenure.
And you might even be thinking that is ancient history for this church.
1.2.
So let’s fast forward a little bit to the reset that happened in 2001.
Membership numbers were adjusted to more accurately reflect the reality of Immanuel and only 34 members were listed.
Worship attendance that year averaged 68.
Sunday School Attendance averaged 46.
And Immanuel reported 8 baptisms that year.
From that time until 2015, membership numbers have grown slightly to 135.
Sunday School attendance was 31.
Worship attendance was 43.
But we only reported 1 baptism in 2015.
In fact, in this century, we have averaged less than 3 baptisms per year.
1.3.
Now, I know that was a lot of numbers, but I wanted you to see what I see here at Immanuel.
And here is the take home point from the numbers.
The church will not, indeed cannot, survive seeing less than 3 baptisms per year.
Our membership growth, worship growth, and Sunday School growth have come more from transfers than salvations.
What we need is some new births!
And, as nice as it would be, I’m not talking about babies.
I’m talking about kind of births.
(ESV)...
And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
It is only that kind of growth that can give new life and vitality to Immanuel Baptist Church.
I’ll admit that I have not been as active as I need to be in sharing the Gospel outside these walls, but even if I were to be a gifted evangelist, and God was using me to save many, I don’t think I alone could see people being saved every day.
But if the church, the whole church, were active, what could God do with a church like that?
That’s the numbers.
We, as a church, are not in fine health.
We are not ok.
We are not on a sustainable path.
You can argue with me if you would like, but the numbers are just cold, hard facts.
We are in trouble.
The Need For Revitalization: Vital Signs
1.4.
I have visited many people in hospitals over the years of my ministry.
I have learned what good numbers are and what bad numbers are in terms of the human body.
When certain numbers drop in the hospital, the medical staff get very concerned and start to act.
If the numbers continue to drop, their actions get more urgent.
They know that the patient is in decline and they have to intervene or death is imminent.
If we, as a church, pretend that the decline in our numbers is just a blip.
Or we live in denial saying it will turn around some day.
If we fail to act with increasing urgency, we can be sure the church will die.
Yes, we need revitalization.
We need new life.
We need new vitality, new energy, new fervor.
The numbers are dropping.
Is our urgency increasing?
2. Having seen the vital signs and they are not good, can we diagnose what is behind the decline?
I think so.
I think it begins with listening to Jesus’ words to the church in Ephesus from
Revelation 2:1-7
2.1.
Now, I know you.
And someone just said to themselves, “How dare he say I don’t love Jesus.”
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