Renewal: What Is It? Why Do We Need It? Eph 4:11-16 (ESV)

* - We live in a time of accelerated change. The changes taking place in the world all around us in technology and information alone are simply mind blowing to say the least.

- The amount of information (and misinformation) is doubling about every 18 mos. Compared to the 20th century information doubled around every decade after 1950.

- Change is the one constant in the world and in our lives.  Truly, because we live in this world, our lives are always changing.

- Believe it or not, change is necessary for the church, but change seems to be the one thing that the church is slowest to embrace.

- If change is constant, then why is the church so slow to change?

- If I may be so bold, change is something many of us in the church simply refuse. We dig in our heels and we cling to our preconceived notions about what the church is supposed to be like.

- Change makes us uncomfortable and in times of accelerated change we want the church to be our security blanket: warm, fuzzy, and familiar.

- Making changes in the church is like taking away our warm fuzzy security blanket.

- Like little children we throw a tantrum, we want what we want when we want it, and we want our 'blankie' now.

- But God wants us to grow up in every way into maturity, into Christ's likeness, to be like him.

* - In order for the church to continue growing up, we need to continually ask what needs to change and why.

- When we don't ask these things, then the church of today is coasting on the work of the church of yesterday instead of doing the work that she has been called by God to do today.

* - In the title of this morning's message, I asked two questions and the first question is what is renewal? Church renewal is the continual transformation of God's people into the people he has called them to be, doing the things he has called them to do.

- As God's people, we are called to grow, develop, and mature and this kind of personal and interpersonal spiritual growth requires constant change.

- Not only does it require changes in our behavior, but it requires changes in the very depths of our souls.

- It is for this reason that Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 that we are not to conform to this world but be transformed by the renewal of our minds. We need to allow God to change the way we think.

- The way we see the world, the way we understand ourselves, the way we relate to our families, the way we do our jobs, the way we relate to everyone else needs to undergo regular evaluation.

- Like a computer that's not functioning the way it supposed to function, we need to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in reprogramming the way our minds think

- This change in our thinking needs to happen more than in our personal lives, it also needs to happen in our thinking with regards to the church.

* - So church renewal involves personal change at the level of our being, who we are and whose we are.

- Let's go back for a few moments to the image of a child's security blanket.

- The longer the child has a security blanket and clings to it, then the harder it is for that child to let go of that blanket.

- So also, the longer things stay the same in the church, then the harder they are to change.

- And you know, the older a security blanket gets the more shabby and worn-out it becomes and before long it outlives its usefulness.

- As adults we can understand a child's need for security blanket in their early years. A security blanket can function as a source of real comfort, we get that.

- But there is a time to say goodbye to security blankets. The level of a child's attachment to their security blanket needs to begin falling by a certain age to the point where the child will naturally phase it out or with the help of their parents be finished with it.

- Some children need more help than others with that phasing out process because they feel insecure for whatever reason and insist on dragging that thing everywhere.

* - Now the trouble with the security blanket metaphor is that is difficult for us to identify what they are in the church. So we need to ask, what do our security blankets look like?

* - Let me suggest a few possibilities: our security blankets may look like a ministry or program, a tradition or a style of worship, or it may be something connected to the church building or certain spaces within it.

- Remember I said we need to continually ask ourselves what needs to change and why.

- Once we identify what our security blankets are we need to ask ourselves what purpose they serve, have we outgrown them, or are they worn-out and no longer useful.

- The thing is, we need to feel secure, but we need to get those feelings of security from the right place, rather the right person.

* - Friends, our security can only be found in Jesus Christ. Ministries, programs, traditions, worship styles, buildings and so on, these things are temporal, that is, they are temporary and not eternal. What is eternal, what lasts forever can only be found in Jesus.

* - Speaking of Jesus, when answering the question does this need to change, we first need to ask if Jesus died for it.

- Allow me to suggest that Jesus did not die for ministries, programs, traditions, worship styles, or buildings. Jesus died to set people free from these things. He died for people. It's people that matter. Only people have eternal destinies.

- Please, don't hear what I'm not saying. I am not saying we don't need ministries, programs, traditions, worship styles, or buildings and so on because we do need them.

- What we need to understand is that we need them to the extent that they serve a purpose for Christ's purposes and that we need to evaluate and question their effectiveness and their function in the church rather than allowing them to usurp their roles as tools of the church.

- When we become so attached to these things that we serve them instead of them serving us that is where problems arise.

* - Now for the second question in the title of this morning sermon: why do we need it (renewal)?

- We need renewal in the church because we do need to change. We need to change because our sin nature is constantly striving for us to find our security in something or someone other than Jesus Christ.

- Let's look again at our definition for church renewal.

* - Church renewal is the continual transformation of God's people into the people he has called them to be, doing the things he has called them to do.

- Over the next three weeks, we are going to look at what I believe are three key ingredients for church renewal.

- On May 27 will look at Renewal's First Ingredient which is Renewed Worship. In that message will take an in-depth look at John 4: 23 – 24.

- On June 3 will take a look at Renewal's Second Ingredient, the Great Commission which is found in Matthew 28:19 – 20.

- Finally, on June 10 will look at Renewal's Third Ingredients which are the Greatest Commandments, as found in Mark 12:28 – 34.

- Oftentimes publicly we say we want revival, but I wonder if inwardly we fear the revival that real renewal can bring because it means giving up our security blankets, trusting Christ more, and becoming risk-takers.

- The renewal brought about by the Spirit of God at work among us is something that we cannot control. Therefore, we need to be prepared to surrender more control of the church and of our lives to God's Spirit.

* - That brings me to today's take home truth: Become like Jesus; release those security blankets; be secure in him.

- Our memory verse for the week is, "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ" Eph. 4:15 (ESV).

- Become like Jesus; release those security blankets; be secure in him.