What the Church Needs
1. The church needs LEADERSHIP
a. Many problems in the church today can be directly attributed to failure in the leadership.
b. Ephesus
i. Acts 20:28-31
ii. Revelation 2
c. Titus 1:9-11
d. Leadership training – 2 Timothy 2:2 commit = deposit in trust for protection (Strong’s 3908).
e. Leadership among the AGED – Titus 2:2
f. Leadership among the WOMEN – Titus 2:3-5
g. Leadership among the young MEN – Titus 2:6-8
h. Leadership among YOUTH – 1 Timothy 4:12
2. The church needs PREACHING
a. There is an ongoing effort to minimize the role of preaching in public religious life.
b. “Experts” say people are no longer capable of absorbing information through the spoken word.
c. (Illus: man writes editor and says he can’t remember a single sermon heard in 30 years vs. man who replies he can’t remember a single meal his wife prepared in 30 years of marriage.)
d. 1 Corinthians 1:21
e. 2 Timothy 1:13; 3:15-4:5
f. “Sermonettes by preacherettes will produce Christianettes.”
g. Some preachers get in the pulpit and have to say something as opposed to having something to say (Jeremiah 20:9).
3. The church needs GENUINE UNITY
a. Not man-made pseudo-unity or ecumenicalism
b. Amos 3:3
c. Psalm 133:1
d. John 17:21-23 – unity based upon TRUTH (John 17:17)
e. 1 Corinthians 1:10 – be of one MIND without DIVISION
f. Eph 4:1-6 – Unity is given by GOD and maintained by MEN
4. The church needs WORKERS
a. Matthew 9:37-38
b. Matthew 25:14-30 – the church needs members who live up to their capabilities.
c. Matthew 5:16
d. Nehemiah 4:6 – the people had a MIND to WORK
e. Ephesians 2:10 – we are CREATED in Christ unto good works
f. Titus 2:14 – we should be ZEALOUS of good works
g. Luke 2:49 – the 1st recorded words of Jesus concerned His Father’s work.
h. Galatians 6:9; 1 Corinthians 15:58
5. The church needs to get ready to DIE
a. Isaiah 38:1
b. Philippians 1:20-21
c. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
d. Revelation 14:13