It’s Daytona 500 season; the Super Bowl of NASCAR. The Daytona 500 is known as a restrictor plate race. The cars are fitted with an air restrictor that reduces the horsepower of the race car. This, in turn, limits the top speed and acceleration of the vehicle.

Imagine a high performance race car designed from the ground up to go very fast. Now add one little piece of extra equipment to the original design that deters the race car from its full potential.

Seeing the restrictor plates on a race car is easy. Spotting them in your church is much more difficult. Yes, churches have restrictor plates–man-made additions to the original design which deter them from their full potential. It would be impossible to list them all in this blog, but you can bank on the fact they exist. In general, they encompass religious systems, non-biblical worldviews, traditional activities (church events), forms of church government, etc.

Funny thing about church restrictor plates: they are what people in churches fight the hardest to keep. While their intention is to do something good for the church, they actually “restrict” the church from functioning at the level of God’s design.

Throughout Scripture, God has made clear His plan for His people. Throughout history, God’s people have added to God’s original plans. In turn, they were limited in their victory.  The day and age in which we live is no different. Christ gave simple and clear instructions for the church. Not long afterward, Christians once again began adding to the original plan. We are still adding to it today.

So the question is this: Are you installing restrictor plates in your church?

I welcome your comments