Jeeps, Tools, and Churches God Can Use

Lessons from Jeeps and Tools

What do jeeps, tools, and churches God can use have in common? They have lessons to teach us about ministries God can use for His glory!

I’m in the process of restoring a 1948 Jeep from the frame up. (Yup, that’s the “before” picture.) It looks pretty good from a distance, but rusted bolts, old welds, and a history of previous repairs have slowed my work. My angle grinder has become my new best friend. It’s the tool I use the most. Periodically, I need a tool that I don’t own. eBay, Amazon, and the local hardware store are my usual sources. But where does God go when He seeks a church to use as a “tool” for His glory?

It seems an absurd question. Certainly, every Bible believing church is such a tool, right? The truth is that some ministries are clean and fitting for the purpose at hand, while others sit on the shelf making only occasional impact.

What makes some churches more usable than others? When we look at the Jerusalem Church in Acts 2:42-47, we get a glimpse into the life of a usable church:

Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

From this snapshot of the Early Church, we see the qualities that went into a church God was using. Some of those qualities were activities the church was engaged in. Other qualities reflected the spirit of the ministry. In the chart below, I’ve tried to separate the activities from the spirit that marked the Jerusalem Church.

Churches God Can Use

What we see today is a plethora of churches in North America that display the activities of the Jerusalem Church. And those activities are essential. The key question is, how many of those churches display the life-giving spirit of the Jerusalem Church?

Sadly, even churches we would consider “dead” display the activities of the Jerusalem church. They may be in their death throes, but their “limbs” flail about, desperately trying to function as a body.

For a church to become one of God’s favorite tools, it must exhibit both the activities and the spirit of the Jerusalem Church. It need not be a big church. It need not be a rich church; the Jerusalem Church was not particularly rich.  Nevertheless, it exuded a spirit of awe, selflessness, joy, sincerity, unity, generosity, praise, favor, and fruitfulness.

Why is North American culture in the condition that it is? Might it be because churches have become content with activity and neglected the life force of Jesus that makes those activities impactful?

In a Quiet Moment

Pastor, church leader, in a quiet moment of reflection does it strike you that your church’s calendar is full, but the ministry lacks a Divine spark? Do you dispel the thought as you rush off to your next meeting?  

Could it be that such a thought is an indication that God desires to empower your ministry to a greater measure? Do you sense that the spirit behind your church’s activities is not what it should be? Perhaps it is time for God to do a new work in the heart of your Church.

He longs for your ministry to become a favored tool in His hands. May he make you like my angle grinder, removing the rust from our culture and from the hearts of the saints. May God bless your ministry with the activities and the spirit of a usable church.

Mark Barnard serves with Blessing Point Ministries. Since 2006 Blessing Point Ministries has worked to heal ministries with painful histories. To learn more about what makes a church usable read Mark’s book, Diagnosing the Heart of Your Church.