The Reformation Project: Introduction to the Resolutions

In late October of last year, I began this series of posts pretentiously entitled "The Reformation Project." The study began with 20 posts summarizing and analyzing my experiences in visiting the 10 largest churches in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. I wrote with a view toward the thesis that these churches present important clues as to the future direction of American Christianity. Following that section, I penned a series of posts regarding what my research suggested about the current state of evangelical worship, music, and preaching.

In many ways I found this research and the conclusions I reached to be distressing, but the point of this project has not been to depress Christians committed to historic Christian faith and practice. Just as Martin Luther 500 years ago looked at the church of his day with a sense of personal and ecclessial distress and set a fire that started a historic recovery of biblical Christianity, even so it is hoped now that Christians worldwide recognizing the needs of Christ's church might turn in a way that would be used of him to launch a new Reformation.

With that in mind, and in a feeble imitation of Luther, I will proceed to propose a series of questions for discussion that would seem to me to be worthy of the consideration of church leaders, whether they would share or reject my own perspective on the state of things. Unlike Luther, I will follow my theses with some brief comments for consideration.

What we do know is that current floundering does not mean that the church is in danger. We understand that Christ has promised that he will build his church and the gates of hell will not stand against it. Ultimately, the success of Christ's church does not rest on the efforts of his followers; rather it has been guaranteed by his resurrection and ascension into heaven, where he is seated at the right hand of the Father, in the place of authority. Whereas Adam failed to fulfill Christ's commission, and Israel followed in Adam's steps, Christ has succeeded, and we know that one day his temple will fill the earth.

To God alone be glory.