Waiting for the Turn
“God knows where I am and He knows what I’m feeling!” That was my reaction of relief when the Lord spoke to me. We were facing an enormously challenging season several years ago. I was pastoring a Baptist church my wife and I were helping transition from chronic defeat into healthy life in the Spirit. By the strength of God’s word to us, we were enabled to stand and to endure opposition while we completed our work.
We saw the Lord move that delightful old historic church out of its gridlock into the liberating flow of gifts of grace and into more of the truth of God’s word. Before the transition was completed, sinners were being dramatically saved, the congregation had become multi-racial, finances became abundant, worshipers were seeing angels in the meetings, and the church voted to choose a New Testament style of government.
It was an amazing outcome, especially for one that had been on the knife-edge of failure. I recall the months of waiting, wondering: Would the church make the turn? After we succeeded, I realized my work there as an agent of change was done. Soon my family and I departed to start a new work elsewhere. The people of the church where we said farewell are still our friends to this day.
In my seasons of learning the patience of Jesus through trials like this, the Lord has often spoken by the Spirit when I needed fresh encouragement. Has this ever happened to you? It is so reassuring! Anxiety is replaced with gladness when God speaks.
This is the premier purpose behind the Holy Spirit’s verbal gifts– to strengthen any person weary in the battle, struggling in their walk of faith, feeling abandoned or exhausted on their journey. All believers need this benefit. But God’s special agents, his prophets and apostles, need it even more as they provoke or direct transitions from old seasons into new ones.
Managing transitions is exhausting work. The pressures are real. It is tempting to trespass the boundary of our ability or stamina. We might push the people instead of lead them. We may be operating beyond our grace and need to call for special reinforcements. Either leaders or church members may become frustrated. The opposition may be human or spiritual or both. We’ve all heard of metal fatigue where a piece of aluminum on a plane cracks from stress. Transition fatigue from mental stress is a real possibility as people exhaust their trust or lose their hope. Peter felt it when he said, “I’m going fishing.” Thankfully, Jesus still loved him, located him, and restored him.
Despite the Lord’s willingness to encourage us, we may find ourselves in seasons of standing on “the last word” we heard. There are times when God is silent. He is watching to see what we will do with what he said. There is no getting around this test of faith! Here, we grow up and grow strong, in the in-between times. Here, we consider our ways and our course. How sure are we of what we heard and where we stand? Is God saying something new? If the season has changed, how do we make the turn?
A few months ago I awoke with a prophetic dream in my mind. In this night vision, I saw runners on an oval track heading for the finish line. They were nearing a corner. In this vision, I was saying to a pastor, “Stay in your lane, but make the turn.” I had been holding discussions with him about a needed change of direction both for his own benefit and for his church’s welfare.
Change is not easy for businesses or for churches. In churches, the people are controlled both by faith and by tradition. In businesses, it is market forces and sales figures. Marketplace metrics like these help businesses monitor success. In churches, the illusion of success may cause complacency. If everyone feels good, if there is no visible discord, if the bills are being paid, we might assume we are being successful. But are we fulfilling the commission our Commander gave to us? Are captives being set free? Are new leaders being raised up? Are enemy strongholds falling? Are cities being transformed? This is the apostolic task of Christ Incorporated.
Church leaders face quite a challenge when attempting to change traditional practices. Let’s be honest- if there is a contest between tradition and God’s word, tradition wins 90% of the time! Don’t believe it? Then you haven’t been in many church wars. The reaction to change is usually, “What will people think?” “Will the income drop off?” “We’ve never done it that way before!” or “I would lose control.” An irrational spirit of fear readily grips religious people when they are facing unfamiliar (but possibly more effective) ideas for advancing God’s kingdom. Even the thought of change is threatening! As Jesus’ parable about the new wine illustrates, people prefer the old over the new. Plus, new wine can damage old wineskins, so the risk is real.
How do you make the turn without damaging what you’ve labored so hard to build? This is a valid question. When I was pastoring the historic church that had asked me to help them transition, I developed a saying for those folks who wanted me to move faster. I said, “If you turn the corner too fast, you sling people off the back of the truck.” By God’s grace, we made the turn without losing anybody.
On the other hand, lacking a clear purpose can cause us to move too slowly if we aren’t sure of our direction. Do you know where you are headed? Not long ago I met with a campus leader who has 1,500 students gathering weekly. I asked, “When all of this is done, what will the end result look like?” He was startled because the question I posed by the Spirit was the same question he had asked his leadership team that morning. What about you? If you succeed, what will success look like? Do you have a clear goal in mind? The Lord may put visionary people in your path to assist you in your turn toward a worthy goal.
Productive change requires a clear vision. It takes courage, insight, and wisdom to implement a plan. Once you start, keep going. Set a timetable and do it. Bring in the core group and gain their trust. Discuss everything. How do you know what to change and what to keep? You may not know at first! Don’t sacrifice eternal things for a quick fix. Even when folks sign on, be sympathetic, since no one ever changes without first experiencing pain. The truth is, for something new to begin, something old has to end.
It is the chaotic process of change, or the apparent lack of desire for change, that leaves many Christians frustrated with church and choosing to bail out. And sometimes a decision to relocate is God’s will for some people. “Strategic repositioning” can occur. How do you know what to do? Jesus said concerning the Pharisees, “Leave them alone.” When you find yourself locked into a situation where the leaders resist change, you have two choices. Do I stay and press my case? Or, Do I leave peacefully and go elsewhere? Always, such decisions must be bathed in prayer and patience. On the other hand, imagine a pastor praying for his people to embrace God’s new ways, weary from the struggle. Does he leave? Does he stay and invest more of his life? We all must steward our gifts, our time, and our strength. We only have one life to live and we will all give an account to the Lord for how we spent it.
George Barna, the professional pollster who is a friend of Christianity and reports the straight facts, says 37 million Americans have dropped out of church. Most of these dropouts love God and follow Jesus but they have given up on structured Christianity. They’ve traded organized religion for disorganized fellowship. Despite this, 44% of Americans attend a house of worship weekly. Barna gave many reasons for the fallout. In the business world, we call it churn when a company loses clients to a competitor. If people totally drop out of church (whether facility-based meetings or informal house churches), it is a net loss to the kingdom of God if people quit living their faith in community. If people just switch churches, it is churn: a re-alignment of people, gifts, and resources. Why does churn happen?
Imagine two churches in the same city, both with a good testimony for the Lord. In one church, the leadership team is entrenched in their traditions, oblivious to the people’s cry for change. They seem inflexible and find it difficult to adapt to the challenges of a new generation. Across town, another wonderful church, but in this one, it is members in the congregation who are resisting the Holy Spirit, frustrating God’s grace, ignoring the appeals of the man of God whom the Lord sent to bring renewal. Both are good churches, but unfortunately, both are at a stalemate. The city suffers as a result. God’s mission is thwarted. Good people may get hurt. In both cases, opposition comes from a dual source: traditions which cause us to think we already know what God wants, and religious spirits who are controlling otherwise good people through fear of change.
From my perspective having been a pastor, I’ve seen many dropouts by formerly loyal members. These were the lost sheep I pursued. When their exit was due to sin, I asked for the action of repentance. Often they were restored. Sometimes departures happened over minor personal issues. In that case, it was a test of maturity as to whether or not the parties involved could work it out. Sometimes, the process failed. Most often the test involved love: can we forgive and be reconciled? Sometimes the test involved truth. Failure in that case meant we had to part and go our separate ways. Sometimes we have to allow God to adjust our relationships.
A key word to describe major parts of the church world today is frustration. If this continues, take action. If you’re not satisfied, if you’re not producing fruit, if you’ve stopped growing, then don’t stay forever in your present situation. Either change it, or change yourself, or change locations. The Lord is re-defining our relationships and re-focusing our purpose. He is ridding us of religious expectations and filling us with kingdom dynamics, especially joy! Salvation brings the freedom to be honest all the time. Religion wants you to wear a mask. Instead, be true to yourself, be true to God, and be true to his word. Truth remains but methods change. Nothing stays stagnant if you’re doing God’s will. God has a plan for your life! Obedience may require that we embrace a shift of relationships (who you’re joined to in the faith) and a shift of location (where you gather as part of Christ’s body).
In the modern church there is a move away from dry orthodoxy or empty liberalism toward fresh structures, vibrant worship, biblical truth, spiritual gifts, and respect for five-fold ministries. This is a day of opportunity! The next movement, I predict, is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. In this dynamic season, can we corral the restless sheep? No, we can’t! No one owns the sheep but Jesus. He can shift them to different folds or assign different shepherds to them. Likewise, no church board should ever try to control a true five-fold minister. God’s leaders are not hirelings. They belong to Jesus and they answer to him for their ministry. Jesus assigns them to a certain people in a certain place while they are received or until their purpose is fulfilled. Christ can re-assign his servants when ignorant people conspire against them, or remain stuck in their stubbornness, or patently disregard God’s word. Then the light dims in that assembly.
Failure to heed God’s call for change has consequences. Windows of opportunity are brief. Maybe most migrations could have been avoided if leaders had obeyed God’s voice sooner, had listened to their hungry people with more attention, had acknowledged their valid concerns with greater respect, or had acted quickly to meet newly identified needs. In Acts 6, the apostles listened to the people and addressed the needs they expressed. Sadly, church leaders may be the ones left behind while their people keep growing in the Lord. I sense that people are weary of being inspired and are ready to be equipped. They want less talk and more action.
In the ebb and flow of old ways and new truth, people take sides and conflicts erupt. Church graveyards are filled with the bones of the prophets stoned by sincere people protecting their sacred traditions. Many a good pastor has died (figuratively or literally) while fighting religious spirits masquerading as deacons or elders. The battle becomes especially intense when church elders conspire together against the Lord’s anointed. Their judgment will be severe.
The devil won’t have the last word. In the end, God wins! Jesus is building his church and he has a very clear picture of the grand finale. Can we stay in the race while we change our direction? Yes! Even if we’ve been sincerely wrong, it is not too late to adjust our thinking and amend our ways. By the power of God’s grace, we can all do something the devil can’t do: we can humble ourselves! We can begin by admitting that we don’t know what we don’t know. And we’ll never know it if God doesn’t show it to us. From that low posture of listening as a servant, we can hear and heed God’s word. “Stay in your lane, but make the turn.” I think the turn is just ahead. The question is: Will we see what’s coming and change our direction?
We’re in a race and there’s a finish line to cross. If you hear, “He’s going into the turn!” you can imagine a NASCAR event and the drivers slowing down to enter a sharp corner on a banked high-speed track. Everyone watches closely. This is the critical point where accidents happen and people get hurt or killed. But we know we must not stop inside the turn or disaster will occur. Is it dangerous? Yes. Can we quit? No. We need to keep moving ahead. We need to stay in the lane the Lord chose for us. We need to stay on course and not become erratic. We need to make the turn and then accelerate out of it to finish the race and perhaps even win it.
May the Lord help us all to turn the corner while staying true to our individual purpose and thus true to the dream the Father has for his Son to inherit the nations.
“Waiting for the Turn” © 2005 by Ron Wood, President of Touched By Grace, P.O. Box 12749, Wilmington, NC 28405. To contact us send an email to ron@touchedbygrace.org. We are touched by grace to touch the world!
We saw the Lord move that delightful old historic church out of its gridlock into the liberating flow of gifts of grace and into more of the truth of God’s word. Before the transition was completed, sinners were being dramatically saved, the congregation had become multi-racial, finances became abundant, worshipers were seeing angels in the meetings, and the church voted to choose a New Testament style of government.
It was an amazing outcome, especially for one that had been on the knife-edge of failure. I recall the months of waiting, wondering: Would the church make the turn? After we succeeded, I realized my work there as an agent of change was done. Soon my family and I departed to start a new work elsewhere. The people of the church where we said farewell are still our friends to this day.
In my seasons of learning the patience of Jesus through trials like this, the Lord has often spoken by the Spirit when I needed fresh encouragement. Has this ever happened to you? It is so reassuring! Anxiety is replaced with gladness when God speaks.
This is the premier purpose behind the Holy Spirit’s verbal gifts– to strengthen any person weary in the battle, struggling in their walk of faith, feeling abandoned or exhausted on their journey. All believers need this benefit. But God’s special agents, his prophets and apostles, need it even more as they provoke or direct transitions from old seasons into new ones.
Managing transitions is exhausting work. The pressures are real. It is tempting to trespass the boundary of our ability or stamina. We might push the people instead of lead them. We may be operating beyond our grace and need to call for special reinforcements. Either leaders or church members may become frustrated. The opposition may be human or spiritual or both. We’ve all heard of metal fatigue where a piece of aluminum on a plane cracks from stress. Transition fatigue from mental stress is a real possibility as people exhaust their trust or lose their hope. Peter felt it when he said, “I’m going fishing.” Thankfully, Jesus still loved him, located him, and restored him.
Despite the Lord’s willingness to encourage us, we may find ourselves in seasons of standing on “the last word” we heard. There are times when God is silent. He is watching to see what we will do with what he said. There is no getting around this test of faith! Here, we grow up and grow strong, in the in-between times. Here, we consider our ways and our course. How sure are we of what we heard and where we stand? Is God saying something new? If the season has changed, how do we make the turn?
A few months ago I awoke with a prophetic dream in my mind. In this night vision, I saw runners on an oval track heading for the finish line. They were nearing a corner. In this vision, I was saying to a pastor, “Stay in your lane, but make the turn.” I had been holding discussions with him about a needed change of direction both for his own benefit and for his church’s welfare.
Change is not easy for businesses or for churches. In churches, the people are controlled both by faith and by tradition. In businesses, it is market forces and sales figures. Marketplace metrics like these help businesses monitor success. In churches, the illusion of success may cause complacency. If everyone feels good, if there is no visible discord, if the bills are being paid, we might assume we are being successful. But are we fulfilling the commission our Commander gave to us? Are captives being set free? Are new leaders being raised up? Are enemy strongholds falling? Are cities being transformed? This is the apostolic task of Christ Incorporated.
Church leaders face quite a challenge when attempting to change traditional practices. Let’s be honest- if there is a contest between tradition and God’s word, tradition wins 90% of the time! Don’t believe it? Then you haven’t been in many church wars. The reaction to change is usually, “What will people think?” “Will the income drop off?” “We’ve never done it that way before!” or “I would lose control.” An irrational spirit of fear readily grips religious people when they are facing unfamiliar (but possibly more effective) ideas for advancing God’s kingdom. Even the thought of change is threatening! As Jesus’ parable about the new wine illustrates, people prefer the old over the new. Plus, new wine can damage old wineskins, so the risk is real.
How do you make the turn without damaging what you’ve labored so hard to build? This is a valid question. When I was pastoring the historic church that had asked me to help them transition, I developed a saying for those folks who wanted me to move faster. I said, “If you turn the corner too fast, you sling people off the back of the truck.” By God’s grace, we made the turn without losing anybody.
On the other hand, lacking a clear purpose can cause us to move too slowly if we aren’t sure of our direction. Do you know where you are headed? Not long ago I met with a campus leader who has 1,500 students gathering weekly. I asked, “When all of this is done, what will the end result look like?” He was startled because the question I posed by the Spirit was the same question he had asked his leadership team that morning. What about you? If you succeed, what will success look like? Do you have a clear goal in mind? The Lord may put visionary people in your path to assist you in your turn toward a worthy goal.
Productive change requires a clear vision. It takes courage, insight, and wisdom to implement a plan. Once you start, keep going. Set a timetable and do it. Bring in the core group and gain their trust. Discuss everything. How do you know what to change and what to keep? You may not know at first! Don’t sacrifice eternal things for a quick fix. Even when folks sign on, be sympathetic, since no one ever changes without first experiencing pain. The truth is, for something new to begin, something old has to end.
It is the chaotic process of change, or the apparent lack of desire for change, that leaves many Christians frustrated with church and choosing to bail out. And sometimes a decision to relocate is God’s will for some people. “Strategic repositioning” can occur. How do you know what to do? Jesus said concerning the Pharisees, “Leave them alone.” When you find yourself locked into a situation where the leaders resist change, you have two choices. Do I stay and press my case? Or, Do I leave peacefully and go elsewhere? Always, such decisions must be bathed in prayer and patience. On the other hand, imagine a pastor praying for his people to embrace God’s new ways, weary from the struggle. Does he leave? Does he stay and invest more of his life? We all must steward our gifts, our time, and our strength. We only have one life to live and we will all give an account to the Lord for how we spent it.
George Barna, the professional pollster who is a friend of Christianity and reports the straight facts, says 37 million Americans have dropped out of church. Most of these dropouts love God and follow Jesus but they have given up on structured Christianity. They’ve traded organized religion for disorganized fellowship. Despite this, 44% of Americans attend a house of worship weekly. Barna gave many reasons for the fallout. In the business world, we call it churn when a company loses clients to a competitor. If people totally drop out of church (whether facility-based meetings or informal house churches), it is a net loss to the kingdom of God if people quit living their faith in community. If people just switch churches, it is churn: a re-alignment of people, gifts, and resources. Why does churn happen?
Imagine two churches in the same city, both with a good testimony for the Lord. In one church, the leadership team is entrenched in their traditions, oblivious to the people’s cry for change. They seem inflexible and find it difficult to adapt to the challenges of a new generation. Across town, another wonderful church, but in this one, it is members in the congregation who are resisting the Holy Spirit, frustrating God’s grace, ignoring the appeals of the man of God whom the Lord sent to bring renewal. Both are good churches, but unfortunately, both are at a stalemate. The city suffers as a result. God’s mission is thwarted. Good people may get hurt. In both cases, opposition comes from a dual source: traditions which cause us to think we already know what God wants, and religious spirits who are controlling otherwise good people through fear of change.
From my perspective having been a pastor, I’ve seen many dropouts by formerly loyal members. These were the lost sheep I pursued. When their exit was due to sin, I asked for the action of repentance. Often they were restored. Sometimes departures happened over minor personal issues. In that case, it was a test of maturity as to whether or not the parties involved could work it out. Sometimes, the process failed. Most often the test involved love: can we forgive and be reconciled? Sometimes the test involved truth. Failure in that case meant we had to part and go our separate ways. Sometimes we have to allow God to adjust our relationships.
A key word to describe major parts of the church world today is frustration. If this continues, take action. If you’re not satisfied, if you’re not producing fruit, if you’ve stopped growing, then don’t stay forever in your present situation. Either change it, or change yourself, or change locations. The Lord is re-defining our relationships and re-focusing our purpose. He is ridding us of religious expectations and filling us with kingdom dynamics, especially joy! Salvation brings the freedom to be honest all the time. Religion wants you to wear a mask. Instead, be true to yourself, be true to God, and be true to his word. Truth remains but methods change. Nothing stays stagnant if you’re doing God’s will. God has a plan for your life! Obedience may require that we embrace a shift of relationships (who you’re joined to in the faith) and a shift of location (where you gather as part of Christ’s body).
In the modern church there is a move away from dry orthodoxy or empty liberalism toward fresh structures, vibrant worship, biblical truth, spiritual gifts, and respect for five-fold ministries. This is a day of opportunity! The next movement, I predict, is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. In this dynamic season, can we corral the restless sheep? No, we can’t! No one owns the sheep but Jesus. He can shift them to different folds or assign different shepherds to them. Likewise, no church board should ever try to control a true five-fold minister. God’s leaders are not hirelings. They belong to Jesus and they answer to him for their ministry. Jesus assigns them to a certain people in a certain place while they are received or until their purpose is fulfilled. Christ can re-assign his servants when ignorant people conspire against them, or remain stuck in their stubbornness, or patently disregard God’s word. Then the light dims in that assembly.
Failure to heed God’s call for change has consequences. Windows of opportunity are brief. Maybe most migrations could have been avoided if leaders had obeyed God’s voice sooner, had listened to their hungry people with more attention, had acknowledged their valid concerns with greater respect, or had acted quickly to meet newly identified needs. In Acts 6, the apostles listened to the people and addressed the needs they expressed. Sadly, church leaders may be the ones left behind while their people keep growing in the Lord. I sense that people are weary of being inspired and are ready to be equipped. They want less talk and more action.
In the ebb and flow of old ways and new truth, people take sides and conflicts erupt. Church graveyards are filled with the bones of the prophets stoned by sincere people protecting their sacred traditions. Many a good pastor has died (figuratively or literally) while fighting religious spirits masquerading as deacons or elders. The battle becomes especially intense when church elders conspire together against the Lord’s anointed. Their judgment will be severe.
The devil won’t have the last word. In the end, God wins! Jesus is building his church and he has a very clear picture of the grand finale. Can we stay in the race while we change our direction? Yes! Even if we’ve been sincerely wrong, it is not too late to adjust our thinking and amend our ways. By the power of God’s grace, we can all do something the devil can’t do: we can humble ourselves! We can begin by admitting that we don’t know what we don’t know. And we’ll never know it if God doesn’t show it to us. From that low posture of listening as a servant, we can hear and heed God’s word. “Stay in your lane, but make the turn.” I think the turn is just ahead. The question is: Will we see what’s coming and change our direction?
We’re in a race and there’s a finish line to cross. If you hear, “He’s going into the turn!” you can imagine a NASCAR event and the drivers slowing down to enter a sharp corner on a banked high-speed track. Everyone watches closely. This is the critical point where accidents happen and people get hurt or killed. But we know we must not stop inside the turn or disaster will occur. Is it dangerous? Yes. Can we quit? No. We need to keep moving ahead. We need to stay in the lane the Lord chose for us. We need to stay on course and not become erratic. We need to make the turn and then accelerate out of it to finish the race and perhaps even win it.
May the Lord help us all to turn the corner while staying true to our individual purpose and thus true to the dream the Father has for his Son to inherit the nations.
“Waiting for the Turn” © 2005 by Ron Wood, President of Touched By Grace, P.O. Box 12749, Wilmington, NC 28405. To contact us send an email to ron@touchedbygrace.org. We are touched by grace to touch the world!
