I. SERMON OUTLINE:
We all face discouragement. One of the best passages that instructs us on how to bear discouragement is Nehemiah chapter 4.
A. WHAT CAUSES DISCOURAGEMENT?
There are more causes but the passage points to 5 causes:
External: 1. ridicule and criticism (verse1-3)
2. schemes and opposition from all directions(verse 7-9)
Internal:Â 1. fatigue and tiredness (verse 10)
2. draining problems - “rubble”(verse 10)
3. fear and intimidation (verse 11)
B. HOW TO BEAT DISCOURAGEMENT
1. Pray honestly and ask for help (verse 4,5 and 9)
2. Look to God’s greatness and grace in faith (ver 14)
3. Take sensible and practical action -do what you can (verse 13-13)
4. Deal with your fears - Nehemiah took steps to lessen their fear and raise their morale and courage.
The devil uses the tool of discouragement. A discouraged Christian is a defeated Christian. Take action against discouragement in your life. God wants us to be encouraged and to be agents of encouragement to others too.
II. DISCUSSION QUESTIONSÂ
Firstly remind everyone that whatever is shared is to be kept in confidence. This trust must not be broken without permission.
1. What are some of the very practical things that Nehemiah did to beat
discouragement among the people? Share what he did and what would be
the effects of that action?
2. What are the ill effects of discouragement in a Christian? a cell?
3. If you list the things that discourage you, would you see a repetitive
pattern. Are there things that usually get you down? Share with the
group one of these things that you are comfortable sharing about .
4. What do you do when you are discouraged? What do you find most helpful?
5. Â How can encouragement be a cultivated in the cell group?
November 26th, 2007
I read a well researched article by Dr. Scott Thurman, who studied megachurches and detailed their general characteristics, and found that it can give us a glimpse of their unique culture and their parallels to Singapore’s megachurches.
Firstly, its their size. Obvious. And the magic number is 2,000 and above in weekly attendance. By this definition, 54% of megachurches in the US are 2,000 to 3,000, and only 4% are more than 10,000. Typically, though not in all cases, the megachurch went through a period of rapid growth over a short period of time in its history. And the critical mass and excitement of growth adds to the appeal of the megachurch, which someone aptly describe as a “vortex” of growth. “You hit a certain size and you can become self-generating….” Does size matter? Yes, in terms of generating further growth. Just looking at size, which are the Protestant megachurches in Singapore? Church of our Saviour, City Harvest Church, Trinity Christian Center, New Creation Church, Lighthouse Evangelism, St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Faith Community Baptist Church, Wesley Methodist Church(?), Barker Road Methodist Church(?) …….. please help me add to this list.
Secondly, Scott found that most of the megachurches have suburban sunbelt homes: they are based in sunny California, Texas, Florida, Georgia in fast growing metropolitan areas attracting consumer-oriented, highly-mobile, well-educated middle class urban dwellers. Megachurches are located mainly in suburban belts where land is aplenty and accessibility is good. Over here available land for church use is not aplenty, not even in suburban areas, and megachurches are hardpressed into creating innovative solutions. However the parallel with the US finding is that the consumer-oriented and well-educated middle-class keeps growing in Singapore and thats one of the reasons why megachurches here are thriving. (More on this factor in a later post).
Thirdly, they are functionally non-denominational. What attracts is not the denominational distinctives but the size, the pastor, the programs and reputation. If you look at the list above, most of the newer churches are not part of a denomination.
Fourthly, there are three basic expressions to the one message of the megachurch. The one message of the megachurch is basically conservative and calls its attenders to a better than “ordinary” Christianity, to a “serious Christianity”. The three expressions are non-traditional which seeks to remake the traditions, to do church differently than the forefathers. Prime example is Willow Creek Community Church. The second expression of the megachurch is conventional, referring to the traditional Protestants like Southern Baptist, and mainline denominations like the Anglicans, Methodists, Presbyterians and Lutherans. The third expression is composite which is a blending of the above two in their architecture, worship style, polity, etc. Now if you are attending a megachurch in which of these three expression would you place your church?
A different way of categorizing megachurches is by their distictive appeal. Eddie Gibbs from Fuller Theological Seminary identifies four types: focus on teaching God’s Word; seeker-sensitive churches aimed at unchurched; prosperity gospel- health and wealth with minimal challenges of lifestyle; youth-oriented churches with leaders that relate well to popular culture. Can we identify some megachurches with these distinctives?
Fifthly, megachurches have a distinctive visionary identity. They are clear about their purpose, that “calling” or God-given “mission”. For example, Pastor Rony Tan of Lighthouse Evangelism’s calling is to shake the nations with God’s healing power. And the church fulfills its calling diligently and faithfully in its structures and emphasis. But not all megachurches are like that, particularly the conventional expressions.
I’m tired and will leave the other chracteristics to future posts. The small(100 and less), midsized(301 to 999) and large(1000 and more) churches can all learn from the megachurches(2000 and more) though what we learn has to be properly contextualized to our unique congregational resources, gifts-mix and situations. Unthinking imitation will only result in failure and disappointment and frustration.
Does size matter? In a way it does, doesn’t it?
To study Scott Thurman’s findings go HERE.
November 26th, 2007
