Jump Start # 3764
Revelation 12:11 “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”
He was the central figure of a major religious controversy more than one hundred years ago. His name was Robert H. Boll, but commonly known as “R.H. Boll.” Once the front page editor of the influential Gospel Advocate, Boll started publishing articles about the thousand year reign of Christ. His ideas were considered “speculative.” He was encouraged to stop writing on them. He persisted. Soon, the Advocate parted ways with Boll. He quickly became the editor of Word and Work. A debate took place. Legendary Foy E. Wallace, jr. led a campaign denouncing “premillennial views.” By the 1930s, the brotherhood would have nothing to do with Boll or those that supported him.
After Boll died in the 1950s, the premillennial churches struggled. There are still a few here and there but most are small and ineffective. I recently read a dissertation on Boll. The reasons for the current decline in premillennial churches was addressed. One writer in Word and Work penned this lament: “Are we an endangered species? Are we heading for extinction Or can the downward spiral be stopped and reversed by God’s power?”
In response to that post, one writer suggested five factors for the decline. These five factors are something for us to think about.
1. Churches have equated smallness with spirituality, emphasizing that there are few who walk in the narrow way.
2. A spirit of complacency brought on by the feeling that God must be pleased with the group because they are doctrinally correct.
3. People have hesitated to make needed changes. They have not realized that methods can and must be changed from time to time, without changing the essential message.
4. Discipleship of believers has been ineffective, leaving the congregation full of immature members.
5. With an immature congregation, there is a sad lack of qualified leaders.
The conclusion was the church needs to make some changes in methodology and be more effective in training leadership and new believers.
Take a moment and run through that list of “Five Factors.” Get the premill thought out of your mind and think about where you are attending. These “Five Factors” plague many of us. Let’s be honest. We have convinced ourselves that we do a pretty good job of keeping house, but have we? And, is keeping house what we are supposed to do?
Here are some thoughts:
First, we are not to save the brotherhood, improve the brotherhood or do anything more than just love the brotherhood. Our work, our energy must be within the congregation where we are a part of. Some congregations are doing very well these days. Some are maintaining. Some are on life-support.
Sometimes we don’t like that transparent, honest look at how we are doing. We don’t like hearing it from our doctors. We don’t like hearing it from our financial rep. And, we don’t like it when it comes to our congregations. Elon Musk is running through the federal government, using his audit tools and finding waste, inefficiency, and fraud. Maybe it’s time we did that to our congregations. Financially, physically and spiritually. The truth may be painful. But, it’s that true picture that may lead us to better changes.
Second, as a congregation, we have gotten this way because we have allowed it to happen. No outside influences caused this. Mostly, we’ve been so busy with life that we have fallen asleep at the helm. As long as there is no major uprising among the members, things go on very quietly. But without movement, that pond water stagnates and so does the spirit of a congregation and the heart of the members.
A wonderful exercise for all of us, especially shepherds, would be to take those Five Factor points and work through some positive adjustments and changes that would turn things around. Before the flood waters of a crisis happens, be prepared. Have a Bible study among the shepherds and begin with this. Talk it out. Think of ideas. Float suggestions. And, in that exercise, the direction turns from those Five Factors to what are we doing where we are.
Third, R. H. Boll lived in Louisville. I have connections to some of those premill congregations. I have a lot of Boll’s material, even one of his sermons framed on my wall. I don’t see any of those congregations actively looking at those Five Factors. The premill churches are closing their doors. In another generation, if God allows, they will become a footnote in restoration history. But, what a reminder for us. No one is going to come and turn our congregations around. Stop looking for the hired gun from the ole’ West to save us. It’s up to us. We make the congregation the way it is. The reason why Laodicea was lukewarm, was because the members were lukewarm. The congregation is a reflection of us. If we want a warm, friendly, strong congregation, then that’s what we must be personally. Too many want someone else to do all the work and they will just ride the bus.
Just how are we doing? Better to ask, just how am I doing?
Roger