When I was a pastor in Hull, Texas we ran about 45 in Sunday School and a little more than that if it was a good day. I think our high the whole time there was around 70 on a mother's day. That was pretty good considering that there was about 200-300 people in the whole town. I went to a church today that had about 80 in worship. That would be fine except that it is in an area where there may be as many as 100,000 people within an easy driving distance from it. When I see a church like that I wonder to myself what it in the world is the problem? Why is it that either people are not coming or that the church is not attracting that many to its doors. I find that there are several reasons for this.
The first reason is the mentality, "us four and no more". This is similiar to a church that I attended recently that went from two services to one. I seriously doubt the churches commitment to fulfill the great commission. I feel like it is more interested in being comfortable and friendly. Nothing wrong in being friendly, but the church is to be a people who are sent. Jesus talked a lot about being sent. In fact, in the gospel of John he referred to himself as being sent at least 21 times. Then, after his resurrection he commissioned and sent the church. But, many act as though the church is a location rather than who they are. They are saved and satisified.
The "we never did that before" church. Many churches are so scared of change. In fact, when Sunday School was first introduced in the church it was criticized by many saying that only those who had been ordained should be teachers. It took a while for the idea to take off that others could teach and preach. In many churches, they are so comfortable with routine that they refuse to do anything new or out of the routine. Stuck in a rut, nobody gets excited about that church because nothing unexpected happens. I don't see that kind of church in the book of Acts. Something different was always happening in the church in the book of Acts.
The other side of the coin is that people are afraid of change because they don't want to throw out the traditions and the truths of the Bible. And that is true, that the church must remain committed to preaching the gospel and not adding to it. There is a passage in 2 Timothy 4 where Paul warns of a time when people will gather for themselves teachers who will tickle their ears and tell them what they want to hear. They will not put up with sound doctrine. Those false teachers will one day be held accountable for the lies and half truths that they promoted. There are many of these types of preachers today in the church. Many of them probably are not even saved.
Church leaders, deacons and elders may be tempted to or be attracted to calling this kind of preacher to tickle the ears of their people. That is because this type of preacher fills pews. He takes away the hardship of the gospel, the struggle, the picking up your cross and following him and preaches prosperity, pomp and joy without the cross. It appeals to the flesh and fills the heart with joy, but it is not a complete gospel and it isn't real kingdom growth. I see many churches, including many mega churches going this way in this day and time. It is a church that requires of its people no real sacrifice or change or repentance.
Real church growth comes from people who are sanctified. Sanctified means to be separate. The church is called to be the light of the world, the salt of the earth. It is called to be different and like salt to add flavor and substance to the lives of others. If the church loses this sense of being sanctified, they it also loses what it uniquely has to offer. We end up making friends with the world, which the Bible clearly says that we cannot and should not love the world. In Matthew 5:12-14, Jesus warns that if the salt loses its saltiness then it is worthless and is good for nothing except to be cast out and trampled under foot by man. This is why we need a revival in the church today. Because the church is in danger of looking too much like the world and becoming worthless, good for nothing, having lost all its power because it made friends with the world.
The first reason is the mentality, "us four and no more". This is similiar to a church that I attended recently that went from two services to one. I seriously doubt the churches commitment to fulfill the great commission. I feel like it is more interested in being comfortable and friendly. Nothing wrong in being friendly, but the church is to be a people who are sent. Jesus talked a lot about being sent. In fact, in the gospel of John he referred to himself as being sent at least 21 times. Then, after his resurrection he commissioned and sent the church. But, many act as though the church is a location rather than who they are. They are saved and satisified.
The "we never did that before" church. Many churches are so scared of change. In fact, when Sunday School was first introduced in the church it was criticized by many saying that only those who had been ordained should be teachers. It took a while for the idea to take off that others could teach and preach. In many churches, they are so comfortable with routine that they refuse to do anything new or out of the routine. Stuck in a rut, nobody gets excited about that church because nothing unexpected happens. I don't see that kind of church in the book of Acts. Something different was always happening in the church in the book of Acts.
The other side of the coin is that people are afraid of change because they don't want to throw out the traditions and the truths of the Bible. And that is true, that the church must remain committed to preaching the gospel and not adding to it. There is a passage in 2 Timothy 4 where Paul warns of a time when people will gather for themselves teachers who will tickle their ears and tell them what they want to hear. They will not put up with sound doctrine. Those false teachers will one day be held accountable for the lies and half truths that they promoted. There are many of these types of preachers today in the church. Many of them probably are not even saved.
Church leaders, deacons and elders may be tempted to or be attracted to calling this kind of preacher to tickle the ears of their people. That is because this type of preacher fills pews. He takes away the hardship of the gospel, the struggle, the picking up your cross and following him and preaches prosperity, pomp and joy without the cross. It appeals to the flesh and fills the heart with joy, but it is not a complete gospel and it isn't real kingdom growth. I see many churches, including many mega churches going this way in this day and time. It is a church that requires of its people no real sacrifice or change or repentance.
Real church growth comes from people who are sanctified. Sanctified means to be separate. The church is called to be the light of the world, the salt of the earth. It is called to be different and like salt to add flavor and substance to the lives of others. If the church loses this sense of being sanctified, they it also loses what it uniquely has to offer. We end up making friends with the world, which the Bible clearly says that we cannot and should not love the world. In Matthew 5:12-14, Jesus warns that if the salt loses its saltiness then it is worthless and is good for nothing except to be cast out and trampled under foot by man. This is why we need a revival in the church today. Because the church is in danger of looking too much like the world and becoming worthless, good for nothing, having lost all its power because it made friends with the world.
