I’ve heard the expression hundreds of times, but very rarely is it ever used in a complimentary or favorable way. Most of the time, those who use this adage are intending it to be understood as a sign of derision for whatever is being practiced.
“If you keep on doing what you’ve always done, then you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got.” How often have you heard this? How often has it been directed toward a positive continuation of “what you’re doing”? (Rarely. Maybe never.) And how often has it been used in a negative disparagement of “what you’re doing”? (Almost always.)
Over the years (and especially more recently), those who would like to see certain changes made in the church have gone to quoting this epigram. They point to a decline in attendance or to a perceived lack of church growth or to a waning interest among a certain group of people toward the church, and they will quip, “Well, you know, if you keep on doing what you’ve always done, then you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got.” As if, “what we’ve always done” is a bad thing or outdated or plain silly.
Is “change” in the church a bad thing? It’s impossible to lump all “change” into the same category. Are there certain things that the church could improve or do better? Certainly! Should the church evaluate how it can do certain things more effectively? Certainly! But, should “what the church has always done” be automatically looked at as some sort of out-of-date, unsophisticated, irrelevant plan of action for moving forward? Certainly not!
Suppose you think of this expression being used in a positive, commending way. “If you keep on doing what you’ve always done, then you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got.” For nearly 2,000 years, the church of Christ has been teaching lost souls that they need to hear the gospel (Rom. 10:17), believe it (Rom. 1:16), repent of their sins (Acts 17:30), confess their faith (Rom. 10:10) and be immersed into Christ (Gal. 3:27) for the forgiveness of their sins (Acts 2:38). In following this pattern, Jesus taught that one becomes a disciple (Matt. 28:1-20), i.e., a Christian (Acts 11:26). That’s what the church has “always taught” (i.e., God’s plan of salvation), and that’s what the church has “always got” (i.e., New Testament Christians, saved by the blood of Jesus)!
Brethren, there may be some areas where we can improve our methods and our works, BUT we will NEVER improve HIS doctrine! If we set about to tweak HIS plan, in order to be more appealing or to reach more people, and we stop “teaching what we’ve always taught,” then we will stop “getting what we’ve always got”! Souls will not be saved!