II Chronicles 5

Solomon fills treasury of Templeverse 1

Thus all the work that Solomon made

for the house of the LORD was finished

And Solomon brought in all the things that David his father

had dedicated and the silver – gold – all the instruments

put he among the treasures of the house of God

Ark of the Covenant brought to the Templeverses 2-3

Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel

and the heads of the tribes

the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel

to Jerusalem

to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the

city of David – which is Zion

Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves to the king

in the feast which was in the seventh month

Sacrifices made to the LORD without numberverses 4-6

And all the elders of Israel came – and the Levites took up the ark

and they brought up the ark

and the tabernacle of the congregation

and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle

these did the priests and the Levites bring up

Also king Solomon

and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled to him

before the ark – sacrificed sheep and oxen

which could not be told nor numbered for multitude

Ark of the Covenant taken into the Holy of Holiesverses 7-10

And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD to his place

to the oracle of the house – into the most holy place

even under the wings of the cherubim

for the cherubim spread forth their wings over the

place of the ark

and the cherubim covered the ark

and the staves thereof above

And they drew out the staves of the ark

that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle

BUT they were not seen without

and there it is unto this day

There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put therein

at Horeb – when the LORD made a covenant with the

children of Israel when they came out of Egypt

Praises sung to the LORDverses 11-13

And it came to pass – when the priests were come out of the holy place

(for all the priests that were present were sanctified

and did not then wait by course – also the Levites which

were the singers – all of them of Asaph – Heman

Jeduthun – with their sons and their brethren

being arrayed in white linen having cymbals – psalteries – harps

stood at the east end of the altar

and with them an hundred and twenty

priests sounding with trumpets)

It came even to pass – as the trumpeters and singers were as one

to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD

and when they lifted up their voice with the

trumpets – cymbals – instruments of music

and praised the LORD

saying

For HE is good – For HIS mercy endures for ever

that then the house was filled with a cloud

even the house of the LORD

Presence of the LORD moves priest out of Templeverse 14

So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud

FOR the GLORY of the LORD had filled the house of God

COMMENTARY

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 1 Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God. ([tis-lam] means completed, whole, sound, safe, or made)

DEVOTION: The key word here is “finished.” It is a great word. It took over seven years to build this Temple. In our day it would have taken millions of dollars to build it. It was a magnificent building that has not been matched even to this day. It truly glorified the LORD.

We need to finish what we start in our service to the LORD. Solomon finished this project that his father started but was not able to finish because of the fact that he was a man of war and the LORD wanted it to be built by a man of peace. HE had given the land rest during the time period when the Temple was built.

Now that everything was complete Solomon started off the treasury of the Temple with a large amount of money to keep it going. The treasury was filled.

When we realize that there is a need even after a big project is completed it should make us happy that we can not only be a part of building something great for the LORD but that we can continue to support the ministry, so that, it can reach more generations for the LORD.

This is the true finish of a project. Supporting it on a regular basis is necessary for it to continue to bring glory to the LORD. In the history of Israel we find that there were time periods when they didn’t support the priesthood and they had to find work wherever they could to support their families. This was a time period of sin in the nation.

We as genuine believers need to continue to support the work of the LORD not only during times of major projects but also in times of regular services. Your supports helps the local church reach the neighbors, friends and relatives of those who attend on a regular basis.

CHALLENGE: None of us is finished supporting the church until we meet HIM through death or in the air.

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 6 Also king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled to him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude. (3259 “assembled” [ya‘ad] means to designate, to arrive, to collect in one place, band together, to meet, to meet by appointment or to espouse)

DEVOTION: This was a major celebration. There was every one of the Israel gathered to celebrate the bringing of the ark of the covenant of the LORD from where it was to where it was going to be dedicated to the LORD.

Everything that was made for the temple was carried to the location for the great celebration before the LORD. Also on the way there was animals dedicated to the LORD. It was something to behold.

The work was done and it was time to celebrate what the people had made to honor the LORD. It took time and now it was finished.

We have a work to do today. It is not building an Tabernacle to the LORD but to build the church of Jesus Christ in such a way that we reach our community for the LORD. When we celebrate each Sunday there should be joy as was found at this celebration. We should be happy that we can worship the LORD.

Too often we look at the faces of those entering the church and there doesn’t seem to be a look of anticipation that the LORD was going to be present and great joy was to be expressed.

We need to be excited that we can worship the LORD in spirit and in truth today each Sunday. We should show our joy to our family and friend when we gather. We should invite others to be with us as we celebrate our salvation because of the promise of blessing and eternal life.

There was joy in this gathering and we need to have this each Sunday as we gather. If there is not joy we should be asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to us why we don’t have joy.

CHALLENGE: Is there great joy when you leave your house to go to church on Sunday? If not, as the LORD to give you the joy of the LORD.

: 11 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course (6942 “sanctified” [qadash] means hallow, dedicated, holy, prepared, consecrated, purified, separated, devoted, treated as sacred, or to make oneself clean)

DEVOTION: There were many times that the priests didn’t prepare themselves properly for service to the LORD. Some of the priests even acted on their own regarding what they thought they could do before the LORD. Throughout the history of Israel we find that there were times when the priests and Levites acted out of character and the LORD had to judge them for their actions.

Now we find that ALL of the priests prepared themselves properly for the bringing of the Ark of the Covenant to the Temple that Solomon had built. It was going to take all of them to make sure that the worship of the LORD was done properly.

All of the children of Israel were present at this dedication of the Temple. Sacrifices were offered without number. Singing was done through the leadership of the Levites. Prayer was offered by Solomon.

It was a special time of worship that would never be forgotten and never repeated again in the history of Israel until the King of Kings comes and sets up HIS kingdom during the Millennium. Jesus Christ is going to have a better service than this one in the future.

Those who are believers in this present generation will have a part in this worship service. We will be worshiping the LORD in spirit and truth for eternity.

So we should be practicing this type of worship today. We should enter into our local church prepared to worship the LORD with our whole body, soul and spirit. This takes preparation at home before you enter the church.

We need to come to church with an attitude of worship and that is hard to do if there is a lot of fighting going on between parents and children or just between parents before they leave the house to come to worship the LORD.

Sometimes there are people in the church that we don’t get along with very well and try to avoid when we are there. This should not be happening. We should be able to enter our local church and want to be an encouragement to everyone who attends but that takes preparation.

Are we devoted to serving the LORD with our whole body, soul and spirit when we enter the doors of our local church? Should this be true of each genuine believer who enters the church? If so, then our prayers should not only be for ourselves, but for our fellow members to be prepared to worship the LORD, in a way that would be an encouragement to everyone, who is attending.

CHALLENGE: Make sure you are prepared to be an encouragement when you enter your local church this Sunday.

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for HIS mercy endures forever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD (6963 “sound” [qowl] means voice, noise, message, tidings proclamation, the sound made by the vibration of vocal folds modified by the resonance of the vocal tract, or thunder)

DEVOTION: Music can be the great source of unity in a worship service. If all the people involved enjoy singing together it will be a time of great blessing. Here is an example of a great group of individuals who could play musical instruments that brought glory to the LORD.

With the musical instruments leading the music the people could sing in unison with praise and giving of thanks to the LORD for HIS blessings of helping them complete the Temple.

They were singing thanksgiving psalms because of the promises the LORD had made to them regarding giving them peace and rest in their inheritance if they would worship HIM in spirit and in truth.

This worship service was one that truly worshiped HIM in spirit and in truth and HE graced them with HIS presence at this service. We should want the LORD’S presence in our worship services and it is possible only if we are there to worship HIM in spirit and in truth.

Many times, we can enter and leave a time of worship in our local church and not enjoy the presence of the Holy Spirit in the service. We can go through the motions and not see the results that this group of people saw when the LORD entered the Temple. HE was there. HE can be there in our worship services if we are there to bring glory to HIM alone and not be thinking of ourselves more than HIM.

There should never be an attitude that says “What can I get out of this service.”

CHALLENGE: It should always be what I can give to the LORD of myself in this service that shows HIM that I really love HIM and want HIM to have total control of my life.

: 14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God. (3519 “glory” [kabowd] means splendor, honor, abundance, riches and dignity)

DEVOTION: Finished!!! It sounds great and is great with any project we get involved with in our life. Here is Solomon finishing the Temple. Now he is ready to move all the parts of the Temple to the Temple sight. First, he wants to move the Ark of the Covenant. Remember that it has to be carried by the priests. It cannot ride on a cart or anyone else touch it. The priests have to cleanse themselves before they carry the Ark.

Solomon followed through with David’s plans to build the temple. He had the gifted people do all the work. He had set up the workers. He had commanded the priests to sanctify themselves. They were offering sacrifices without number. They were praising and thanking the LORD.

It was a great worship service. However, when the LORD came it all stopped. The people had built a glorious temple with gold and silver and beauty but when the LORD entered the temple the splendor of the place had to give way to the SPLENDOR of the LORD.

Once the Glory of the LORD entered the Temple the priests could no longer minister to the LORD. They had to stand back and just look at the presence of the LORD.

Sometimes we can look at all that we have done and think we have done something great for the LORD. Sometimes we can look at our church building and think that the LORD must be so pleased with the building we have but we need to remember that it is not the building HE wants but our hearts.

HIS splendor is greater than any building. Whether our building is big or small, what should matter is the presence of the LORD in the place where we worship. We can have a service without the presence of the LORD!!! We can also have worship services that truly honor the LORD. This chapter describes one great worship service.

Our prayers should be that the presence of the LORD is in our worship service each Sunday. We should be praying for revival in our heart before we go to church and pray for revival in the service of our church while we are there.

CHALLENGE: Too often we go and come home from a church service and never know the presence of the LORD in our worship. We need to believe in revival!!!

DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Solomon put money in Temple treasuryverse 1

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

House of the LORDverses 1, 13

Finished

House of Godverses 1, 14

Ark of the Covenant of the LORDverses 2, 6-10

Two tables which Moses put in

Levites took up the arkverses 4, 5, 12

Tabernacle of the congregationverse 5

Holy vesselsverse 5

Priestsverses 5, 7, 11, 14

Sanctified

Sacrificedverse 6

Most holy placeverse 7

under the wings of the cherubims

Levites that were singers:verses 12, 13

Asaph

Heman

Jeduthun

Arrayed in white linen

Cymbals

Psalteries

Harps

Trumpets

Praising and thanking the LORDverse 13

Praised the LORDverse 13

Glory of the LORD filled the house of Godverse 14

DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

Mosesverse 10

Two tablesverse 10

Covenantverse 10

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 1, 7, 10, 13, 14

House of the LORDverses 1, 13

God – Elohim (Creator)verse 1

House of Godverses 1, 14

Ark of the covenant of the LORDverses 2, 7

HE is goodverse 13

HIS mercy endures foreververse 13

HE is goodverse 13

Glory of the LORDverse 14

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Cherubimverses 7, 8

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Horebverse 10

Egyptverse 10

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Dedicatedverse 1

Covenantverse 10

Sanctifiedverse 11

Praising verse 13

Thankingverse 13

Mercyverse 13

Ministerverse 14

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Solomonverses 1, 2, 6

Davidverse 1

Elders of Israelverses 2, 4

Assembled

Chief of the fathers of the children of Israelverse 2

Jerusalemverse 2

City of David

Zion

Men of Israelverse 3

Congregation of Israelverse 6

Mosesverse 10

Children of Israelverse 10

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

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QUOTES regarding passage

12 The Chronicler is the first OT writer to refer to the “fine linen” worn by the Levites (cf. comment on 1 Chronicles 15:27). The “120 priests sounding trumpets” (cf. 15:24 comment) may suggest a figure of five drawn from each of the twenty-four priestly courses (cf. on 1 Chronicles 24:4). (Payne, J. B. (1988). 1, 2 Chronicles. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job (Vol. 4, p. 460). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)

5:11–14. After the priests … withdrew from the temple, they were joined by other priests and Levitical musicians who stood to the east … of the great altar (i.e., in front of it) and lifted up their voices and instruments (120 … trumpets, plus cymbals and other instruments) in loud and joyous praise to God. On this special occasion all 24 priestly and Levitical divisions (v. 11) were represented. They did not follow the prescribed order of ministry (cf. 1 Chron. 24:1–19) because of the unique significance of this celebration. In their praise the musicians sang of the Lord’s goodness and love (ḥeseḏ, “loyal love“; cf. 2 Chron. 6:14; 7:3, 6; 20:21). The Lord showed His approval by filling the temple with the cloud of glory, which represented His presence in the temple (cf. Ex. 40:34–35; Ezek. 10:3–4). (Merrill, E. H. (1985). 2 Chronicles. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 624). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

5:1–14 All come to the temple. The achievement is Solomon’s: only when he has completed the temple are David’s contributions brought in (1). The initiative has been God’s: the central feature of this place of worship is that the ark, the symbol of his grace, presence and covenant, will be there (2–10). The time of the temple’s inauguration is, fittingly, the seventh month (3), i.e. the Feast of Tabernacles, when ‘all is safely gathered in’ and God is praised for his faithful provision. The old tent is now literally taken up into the new temple (5), showing that this is the new embodiment of the original principles. They are still there today (9) probably means only ‘from then on’ (the ark had in fact disappeared by the Chronicler’s time), but it aptly describes these spiritual principles. Heb. 8–9 shows their continuing NT significance.

Nearly all this section comes from 1 Ki. 8:1–11, though vs 11–13 have been added, tying in these ceremonies with David’s when he brought the ark to Jerusalem in 1 Ch. 15–16. The word all appears repeatedly: in the ideal Israel, all will be drawn together around these principles (3), and among them God’s glory will be seen, as when both temple (vs 11–13) and tabernacle (Ex. 40:34–35) were completed. (Wilcock, M. J. (1994). 1 and 2 Chronicles. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., pp. 403–404). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press)

5:11 On this day of inaugurating the temple all the priests participated in the services regardless of their priestly divisions. From then on they would serve in rotation according to their division (1 Chr. 24:1–19). The Most Holy Place was normally restricted to the high priest only (Lev. 16:15; Heb. 9:7); on this occasion the regular priests had entered it to bring in the ark (v. 7).

5:12 Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun were the heads of the divisions of Levitical musicians (1 Chr. 6:33, 39, 44; 15:17; 16:37, 42; 25:1). The east end of the altar was between the east gate of the inner court and the great bronze altar. Altogether there were far more than one hundred and twenty priests; the ones numbered here were probably a select group of instrumentalists.

5:13, 14 As v. 14 suggests, the cloud was a manifestation of God’s glory. In a sense, the cloud both revealed and concealed the glory of God, which is too awesome for human eyes to see (Ex. 19:16, 18; 20:18, 21; 24:16–18; 33:9, 10, 22; 40:34–38). 5:12 Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun were the heads of the divisions of Levitical musicians (1 Chr. 6:33, 39, 44; 15:17; 16:37, 42; 25:1). The east end of the altar was between the east gate of the inner court and the great bronze altar. Altogether there were far more than one hundred and twenty priests; the ones numbered here were probably a select group of instrumentalists.

11–14. What sublimity is there in this account, short as it is. The Lord’s approbation of this temple is the most interesting part; in filling the house with a cloud. The Reader will not, I hope, overlook that the approbation of Jesus was by a voice coming out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. Matt. 17:5. Observe, moreover, that all the manifestations before the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ were

through the medium of clouds and ordinances. But when the Son of God came, the dark dispensation was done away: We all beholding with open face, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord. And do remark yet further, that as the priests could not stand to minister before the Lord, by reason of the glory, though in a cloud, nothing could more decidedly preach, that until Jesus came, there could be no approach, no drawing nigh to the Lord Jehovah. But now we have access and redemption through his blood, we may approach with holy confidence in him and through him to a mercy-seat, and find mercy and grace to help in every time of need. Heb. 4:14, 15, 16. (Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: 1 Kings–Esther (Vol. 3, pp. 444–445). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)

12 Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:) (Poole, M. (1853). Annotations upon the Holy Bible (Vol. 1, pp. 824–825). New York: Robert Carter and Brothers.)

FROM MY READING:

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

A DEEPER KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

…that I may know thee. Exodus 33:13
Moses was not content with a mere knowledge of the fact that he was accepted by God and that he was in God’s care. He knew that, but he was not content with it; he wanted more. “That I may know thee,” said Moses. He wanted a personal knowledge of God. He wanted a direct knowledge of God.
And here is something that you will find in the lives of all the great saints of God in the church throughout the ages. The first thing that happens to them is that they themselves feel this desire for a deeper knowledge of God. They begin to feel a hunger and thirst for something bigger and something deeper. They are no longer content with what I may call the ordinary condition of the church. They want something extraordinary, something unusual.
Let me give you some lines from a hymn that seem to me to put it very well indeed.

Speak, I pray thee, gentle Jesus;
Oh, how passing sweet, thy words,
Breathing o’er my troubled spirit,
Peace, which never earth affords.
And then it goes on to say:
Tell me thou art mine, O Savior;
Grant me an assurance clear….
William Williams
That is the thing. He knows that the Savior loves him. But you see what he wants:
Tell me thou art mine, O Savior.
Only the man who knows the Savior’s love asks Him for that. Here is a man asking for something special, something unusual, something additional.
A Thought to Ponder: They feel a desire for a deeper knowledge of God.
(From Revival, pp. 177-178, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

The Peace of Thy Children
“And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” (Isaiah 54:13)
This prophetic verse has its primary fulfillment still in the future. Nevertheless, it states a basic principle that is always valid and that is especially relevant on Father’s Day. The greatest honor that children can bestow on a father is a solid Christian character of their own, but that must first be his own gift to them. Before sons and daughters can experience real peace of soul, they must first be taught of the Lord themselves, and the heavenly Father has delegated this responsibility first of all to human fathers.
The classic example is Abraham, “the father of all them that believe” (Romans 4:11). God’s testimony concerning Abraham was this: “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment” (Genesis 18:19). This is the first reference in Scripture to the training of children, and it is significant that it stresses paternal instruction in the things of God. Furthermore, the instruction should be diligent and continual: “When thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deuteronomy 6:7).
The classic New Testament teaching on child training has the same message: “Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).
Not wrath, but peace, as our text suggests. Great shall be the peace of our children when they know the Lord and keep His ways. Great, also, is the joy of a godly father when he can see the blessing of the Lord on his children and then on his grandchildren. “Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers” (Proverbs 17:6). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)

Spending Time with God

Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16

A River Runs Through It is Norman Maclean’s masterful story of two boys growing up in western Montana with their father, a Presbyterian minister. On Sunday mornings, Norman and his brother, Paul, went to church where they heard their father preach. Once Sunday evening rolled around, there was another service and their father would preach again. But between those two services, they were free to walk the hills and streams with him “while he unwound between services.” It was an intentional withdrawing on their father’s part to “restore his soul and be filled again to overflowing for the evening sermon.”

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus is seen teaching multitudes on hillsides and cities, and healing the sick and diseased who were brought to Him. All this interaction was in line with the Son of Man’s mission “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). But it’s also noted that He “often withdrew to lonely places” (5:16). His time there was spent communing with the Father, being renewed and restored to step back once more into His mission.

In our faithful efforts to serve, it’s good for us to remember that Jesus often withdrew. If this practice was important for Jesus, how much more so for us? May we regularly spend time with our Father, who can fill us again to overflowing.

(By John Blasé, Our Daily Bread)

The Secret Small Churches Know Best

Article by Stephen Witmer

Pastor, Pepperell, Massachusetts

Most Christian churches in America are small. In 2012, the National Congregations Study found that the median Sunday morning attendance for churches in the United States was 75 people. The study also found that 43% of American churches had fewer than 50 regular participants, 67% had fewer than 100 regular participants, and 87% had fewer than 250.

Many of these small churches are located in small places. Sociologist Robert Wuthnow notes in his book Small-Town America that “there are more churches per capita in less populated areas than there are in more heavily populated places.” A recent Barna study found that in my own region of New England, 40% of churchgoing Christians live in small towns or rural areas (though, of course, some may commute to urban or suburban churches).

Small Churches in Small Places

Small churches in small places face certain realities. With 45 regular Sunday morning attenders (or 85, or 145), there will be few things outwardly impressive about your gathering. Your meeting place will likely be humble — perhaps not always well-heated or air-conditioned. You probably won’t enjoy the sound of professional-level musicians, see visually appealing graphic design, or hear preaching that generates thousands of views online the following week. The natural pleasure and encouragement of welcoming new visitors on Sunday morning may not be an experience you enjoy very often. With many in your congregation aging, your church will have lots of accumulated wisdom, but may struggle with health, energy, and a willingness to venture into new things.

Beyond these realities, there will be an ever-present awareness of fragility. You will know that if even a few of the regular attenders move out of town, tire of coming, become offended, opt for a more exciting church, get sick, or die, your church could suffer. Even if a few people stop giving, or if a few get laid off, your church likely won’t meet its budget and your pastor will need to find a part-time job. It will always feel possible that the church doors could close for good sooner or later.

Minnows in a Small Pond

Faced with these realities, you will find there are some things you can work to improve. As a church, you may patiently, prayerfully grow toward God-glorifying excellence in your facilities, your music, your pulpit ministry, your small groups, and much else. But you will eventually reach a point where you recognize that, no matter what you do, you will always be a small church in a small place. Even if God brings revival, and you double from 45 to 90 people, you will still be a small church in a small place. At the point of this realization, you will have a very important choice to make.

Some small churches and their pastors will become dissatisfied with who they are. This may manifest itself in a restless striving to implement the latest program from some big church in some big place. It may result in a pastor applying the latest terminology he has heard (in the city) to his own small context, in manifestly absurd ways (like a small-town pastor exhorting his church to “love their city”).

Or it may settle into a long, slow simmer of discontentment and restlessness and endless tinkering and yearning for something more and better. I once participated in a gathering of fellow small-town and rural pastors. We were a bunch of no-names, but passionate lovers of Jesus and of people. We met in a wealthy suburban mega-church that had a worship band good enough to sell out concerts, a sound board as big as a dining room table, and huge hi-tech projection screens. I’ve wondered since then whether this was a parable of the contemporary American church: a group of small-place, small-church pastors, lifted out of our own contexts and set down, wide-eyed, in an enormously impressive facility that bore little resemblance to what most of us knew, quietly yearning for the resources, personnel, and excellence of a bigger place.

God Tends Bruised Reeds

We have another, better way to respond to our small church’s manifest weakness and fragility. Yes, prayerfully improve what we can. Yes, plead with God for conversions. And then receive — as a gift from God — the manifest weakness of our small church in our small place.

Every church, big or little, urban or rural, is utterly dependent upon its Head. Without Christ’s sustaining grace, no church will last, or have any lasting impact. Every church must receive and reckon with this knowledge. But the particular gift God gives to small churches in small places is that their weakness is so very evident.

Your weakness cannot hide behind an excellent band, or a beautiful new building, or the excitement generated by packing 1,000+ people into a big room. It can’t hide behind a large budget surplus, or big cash reserves. And if your small, unimpressive church is plopped down in the middle of an equally small, unimpressive town, you will also be denied the pleasures of what E.B. White once called (in his 1949 essay “Here Is New York”) “the excitement of participation” — the sense of belonging to something “unique, cosmopolitan, mighty, and unparalleled.” As a small church in a small place, you won’t have access to the illusion of greatness through proximity. Your church’s weakness will be evident to you and to all – and this is God’s gift.

In his book The Bruised Reed, the Puritan pastor Richard Sibbes reflects at length on the nature of weakness. He writes,

As a mother is tenderest to the . . . weakest child, so does Christ most mercifully incline to the weakest. Likewise, he puts an instinct into the weakest things to rely upon something stronger than themselves for support. The vine stays itself upon the elm, and the weakest creatures often have the strongest shelters. The consciousness of the church’s weakness makes her willing to lean on her beloved, and to hide herself under his wing.

Will you receive the manifest weakness and fragility of your church as a gift from God? Will it make your little congregation willing to lean on Christ, and hide yourself “under his wing?” Your church (and every church, everywhere) will eternally impact people, not by showing them how big and impressive you are, but by showing them the greatness of the God who says, “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god” (Isaiah 44:6).

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