7/2/21 By Larry Barker
On our Healthy Church Podcast, Drew Cline and I recently discussed church culture (see
Episodes 50 & 51 at healthychurchpodcast.com). Every church develops an atmosphere and
environment that is easily distinguished by those who attend and visit. Unfortunately, the
regulars may have become unaware and even numb to the normal tone and rhythm of their
congregation. It can be a very joyful and exciting environment or it may be more somber and
serious. Is your church culture healthy and does it promote worship, spiritual growth, and
maturity? Culture can be determined by attitudes, atmosphere, hope, and faith.
Pete Scazzero says that, “Defining it (culture) can be challenging because culture
consists primarily of unspoken rules about ‘the way we do things around here.’ Culture is that
imprecise something, the invisible presence or personality of a place that can be difficult to
describe without actually experiencing it. It is often more readily felt than articulated.” Your
church culture can be changed through prayer, casting vision, and making sure that the
language spoken is full of hope, expectation, and encouragement (I Thessalonians 3:6-8).
Church culture can improve greatly when you are devoted to the right things. It
requires being passionate about worshiping God in a way that settles for nothing less than
God’s manifold presence. Worship is our ultimate priority and the scriptures tell us, “Let
everything that has breath praise the Lord.” Our number one goal is to honor and glorify God.
The book Vertical Church states, “We have allowed the church to become more about obedience to
truth and less about delighting in His presence.” You must develop a culture that settles for
nothing less than making sure that God is the main attraction.
What has your church devoted itself to? The first century church in Acts 2:42 says,
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of
bread and to prayer.” Culture is determined by what you devote yourself to and what you have
decided to emphasize and focus on. Are you devoted to teaching the whole counsel of God?
Are you equipping your people to feed themselves and to develop a love for the Word of God?
The scriptures are our sole infallible source of authority for Christian faith and practice. Adrian
Rogers said that if you are having truth decay then brush up on your Bible.
Augustine stated that, “Where Scripture speaks, God speaks!” We could add to that
statement, “Where the scriptures speak, we must speak!” What does this mean? It demands
that you develop a culture where what the Bible says is what you say. It requires a conviction
and commitment to handling the scriptures carefully, correctly, and cautiously. The caution is
not afraid of speaking truth but rather that we are true to what the scriptures are actually
saying. You must desire to present biblically faithful, gospel-saturated, truth-filled preaching
and teaching. The Word of God should be inspiring, illuminating and applied.
Quoting Adrian Rogers again he stated, “The Bible addresses one problem, sin. The
Bible has one villain, Satan. The Bible has one hero, Jesus, and the Bible has one purpose, to
glorify God!” The culture of your church is not to attend a service to hear a speech and gain a
little more Bible knowledge. In Jeremiah 37, Zedekiah King of Judah, is uncertain about the
future of his people so he sends for Jeremiah and asks, “Is there a word from the Lord?”
Jeremiah’s response was, “There is!” Are you focusing on building a culture that centers on
glorifying God and feasting upon the truths of His word?
A healthy church culture also requires a devotion to prayer. Acts 1:14 says, “All these
were continually united in prayer.” More can happen in five minutes of God’s manifest
presence than in fifty years of our best human efforts. It is critical to do whatever you can do to
stimulate more and more effectual fervent prayer in your people and in your church. Are you
really praying like you should or do you believe you know what you are doing and can handle it
yourself? It is pretty easy to tell if you are trusting in the Lord or your own pride, plans, and
strategy. How much do you pray?
In Presence Centered Church Bill Elliff challenges us to imagine a church, “Where God is
clearly and consistently present and the evidence is unmistakable not only to you but also to
the world around you. Where every gathering—large or small—is evaluated with one question:
Was God there? Where worship is so accessible, authentic, and powerful that people are
thrilled and overwhelmed with Christ. Where they are not focused on the style of worship, but
the beauty of Christ. Where church members run, not to be entertained or seen, but to
worship God in ‘spirit and truth.”
Bill continues, “Where week after week the truths of God are clearly presented and
quickened to people’s hearts, and they feel they have heard from God Himself. Where the
Word of God is honored through aggressive obedience.” That is a healthy church culture that
has been developed by a devotion to the things that really matter to God. Are you devoted to
worship, teaching what God’s Word says, and to prayer? Consider checking out our Prayer
Trainings 1, 2, & 3. These three pieces of training set the foundation work for changing your church culture towards revival and renewal. Contact me at larry@bmaam.com