Autopsy of a Deceased Church, Part 5

Haggai 1:1-15

First, we covered the problems:

1. Slow Erosion
2. The Past is the Hero
3. The Church Refused to look like the Community
4. The Budget Moved Inwardly
5. The Great Commission Becomes the Great Omission
6. The Preference-Driven Church
7. Pastoral Tenure Decreases
8. The Church Rarely Prayed Together
9. The Church Had No Clear Purpose
10. The Church Obsessed over the Facilities

Now we get to the solutions.

1. Pray

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5.16-18

2. Evaluate (vv. 7-8)

3. Admit we have a problem

From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.  He said:
“In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.” Jonah 2.1-2

4. Plan (cf. Nehemiah)

5. Be willing to change (maybe radically)

• Abram becomes Abraham
• Jacob becomes Israel
• Moses goes from Prince to Shepherd to Deliverer
• David goes from Shepherd to King
• Saul becomes Paul

6. Begin to look outside

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got.”

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."