Our Purpose Revisited
Robert Dawson
Acts 2:41-47
Hans Finzel, from Wheaton, Illinois, was jogging through an upscale neighborhood when he noticed a stone monument with a brass marker planted in the front yard of an expensive looking home. Curios, he jogged up to the monument expecting to read something of historical importance. Instead, he was shocked to read, ‘‘On this spot in 1897...nothing significant happened.’’ He couldn’t help but grin and then quickly look to see if anyone was laughing at this man standing in front of this useless monument.
‘‘On this spot in 1897...nothing happened.’’ A monument of unimportance.
One of my fears is that this place will one day become an insignificant landmark, one that people look at with curiosity, wondering what it represents, about its history, and come to the conclusion that it’s a monument of unimportance signifying nothing because nothing significant happened in our day.
If we forget who we are, why we are here, and fail to act accordingly, that is what will happen. I believe every church, including ours, is always less than a generation away from extinction and that it is incumbent on those who are here today to ensure its existence and viability for tomorrow.
If that ever happens here, I don’t want to be part of the reason it happens. I don’t want to be part of that chapter of First Baptist’s history where nothing important or significant happened. I don’t want to be part of the generation that lost sight of who they were or why they were here.
There are signs that we are approaching a path that leads to decline and death.
Our baptistry has been too quiet. Our evangelism and mission efforts have waned. Our small group participation is a fraction of what it was and what it should be. The inconsistency in attendance and participation make planning, implementing, and dreaming difficult. It used to be dangerous to drink the water around here, there were always babies ...
Robert Dawson
Acts 2:41-47
Hans Finzel, from Wheaton, Illinois, was jogging through an upscale neighborhood when he noticed a stone monument with a brass marker planted in the front yard of an expensive looking home. Curios, he jogged up to the monument expecting to read something of historical importance. Instead, he was shocked to read, ‘‘On this spot in 1897...nothing significant happened.’’ He couldn’t help but grin and then quickly look to see if anyone was laughing at this man standing in front of this useless monument.
‘‘On this spot in 1897...nothing happened.’’ A monument of unimportance.
One of my fears is that this place will one day become an insignificant landmark, one that people look at with curiosity, wondering what it represents, about its history, and come to the conclusion that it’s a monument of unimportance signifying nothing because nothing significant happened in our day.
If we forget who we are, why we are here, and fail to act accordingly, that is what will happen. I believe every church, including ours, is always less than a generation away from extinction and that it is incumbent on those who are here today to ensure its existence and viability for tomorrow.
If that ever happens here, I don’t want to be part of the reason it happens. I don’t want to be part of that chapter of First Baptist’s history where nothing important or significant happened. I don’t want to be part of the generation that lost sight of who they were or why they were here.
There are signs that we are approaching a path that leads to decline and death.
Our baptistry has been too quiet. Our evangelism and mission efforts have waned. Our small group participation is a fraction of what it was and what it should be. The inconsistency in attendance and participation make planning, implementing, and dreaming difficult. It used to be dangerous to drink the water around here, there were always babies ...
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