DOES CHURCH MATTER ANY MORE?

It can be difficult for a pastor to write about certain subjects because of the intimate nature of their ministry. Revival Tabernacle isn’t a mega-church, but we have enough people that regardless of what I write about, someone in our church might be guilty of it and potentially take it personally. Another thing I’ve noticed is when a minister writes, whether it be on a blog or just a Facebook post, people automatically assume they are venting. So instead of having deep, spiritual conversations with the readers, the comment section is filled with well meaning people’s words of encouragement. What is meant to be insightful becomes a mere pity party.

I’m writing today because I’m concerned–and I’m not just concerned about Revival Tabernacle. I’m concerned about the American church that my children are growing up in.

I've been reading statistics on church attendance. Some studies show that a mere 13%-20% of Americans attend a weekly church service now. That’s so scary. We’re about two generations away from being a totally apostate country. This statistic tells us several very important things. First, the church isn’t evangelizing the world; they aren’t telling unconverted sinners about Jesus. Secondly, parents aren’t passing their faith onto their children in a convincing manner. Christianity is a casual thing for them and their children aren’t interested in it. Parents that go to church two or three times a month are raising children that won't go at all.

The bottom-line is the church is not reproducing and anything that doesn’t reproduce will go extinct. God help the good ol’ U.S. of A.

WE’VE HAD A LOT OF SICKNESS LATELY

 

This particular article isn’t directed toward the unconverted sinner. It concerns people that profess to be saved–people that even admit church attendance is important–yet aren’t faithful to their church. Pastors all across the country are telling me their church’s attendance is at an all time low. People that once attended are coming less and less.

We pastors can be such hypocrites. People ask us how many people we have coming and we stretch that number way out there. Pastors will claim five hundred members, but when you visit their church there’s about fifty people actually in attendance.

“Hey, doc. I thought you had five hundred?”

    “Well, we’ve got a lot of people out sick today.”

“Four hundred and fifty?”

We pastors are very inventive when it comes to finding a “valid” reason why our two hundred member churches only have thirty people in the pews.

    In the SUMMER it's due to the Summer Slump.
    In the FALL it's due to people working more.
    In the WINTER it's due to people being sick.
    In the SPRING it's due to people working more.

MANY CHURCHES ARE DEAD!

I hope you know I’m not trying to brow beat anyone. I want to be as fair as I can. There are a lot of people that aren't going to church because the church isn't meeting their spiritual needs. When that’s legitimately the case, the church is at fault. Pastors, this is something we must consider. I know on those days when I walk into the pulpit and see half the church not in attendance, my first thought is toward myself, not the people. I wonder if it's my fault. Is my preaching so powerless and shallow the people have no interest in it? Can they not grow under my leadership? What do I need to do to become better equipped? Should I resign and allow someone else to take my place? That's where my mind goes first. I try to always self-evaluate. I know I need to go deeper. I know I need to continue developing myself so I can effectively feed the flock of God He has set me over. 

So the church may be at fault. The leadership may be at fault. When that’s the case, we must fix it. And if you're attending a church that you don't want to go to, find another church. It's that simple.
 

The thing is–whether I am a novice preacher or not–some of the men that are telling me their church’s attendance is abysmal are phenomenal preachers. I know them and I know their congregations. The people could learn a great deal from their leadership if they’d just show up, but they won’t. And I know what some of you are thinking. “He might be a good preacher, but is he living right?” Yes! The men I’m referring to are godly, God fearing men–not charlatans. These are godly pastors that are great preachers. They aren’t to blame for their congregation not being faithful.  

SHOULD WE CANCEL OUR MID-WEEK SERVICE, TOO?

I used to mock churches that canceled their mid-week and Sunday night services. I DON'T NOW. Whether I agree or not, I understand why they are doing it. The church is there to serve the people, to teach, and to lead them into a deeper walk with Jesus. The mid-week service (Bible study, Small group, etc) is made available to promote discipleship. It is meant to promote spiritual health to the members. But if the people aren’t interested in coming to it, what can the leader do? They want to spend time with their families, too. Many of them work two jobs and are tired, too. Why should a chef spend hours preparing a meal that no one wants to eat? Ministers often feel like they’re wasting their time. (Pastor, if that's you ... refocus. You don't work for people. There will be those that will never reciprocate your sacrifice, but Jesus has already done more for you than you'll ever do for Him. You work for Jesus and that's an honor regardless of how hard it is.)

Christmas Eve will fall on a Sunday this year and we will most likely cancel service. WHAAAT? Tell me about it. I can remember when I thought it was blasphemy to cancel church on Christmas or Christmas Eve. I would say churches that did so were going straight to hell. My thinking was pure and very simple. We don’t cancel church on Easter, so why would we cancel church on Christmas? Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, so why would we not celebrate it at church? That makes sense, right?

I guess I’m getting soft in my old age because canceling one Sunday service a year on Christmas or Christmas Eve doesn’t bother me like it used to. First of all, I highly doubt any truly born again Christian is going to backslide after missing just one service. Secondly, practically speaking, Christmas is a very family oriented holiday. People are traveling, dinners are prepared, gifts are given and received, and people spend time with loved ones they may not see all year long. Just because we cancel a Sunday church service doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate Christmas. Our family always gathers in the living room on Christmas day to read and discuss the Christmas story. We sing carols, we share what we’re thankful for, and then we pray, thanking God for the birth of Jesus. We have church at the house on Christmas day regardless of what day it falls on.

The third reason I don’t have an issue with pastors canceling service on Christmas is there are typically only a handful of people that are going to attend that service anyway. And out of that handful of people, the vast majority of them would like to be sitting around the fire place in their PJ’s, drinking coffee, listening to Christmas music, and enjoying family time like everyone else. Most of the time, they only come because they are super committed or simply don’t have anywhere else to go.

TO CHURCH OR NOT TO CHURCH? THAT’S THE QUESTION.

So, ministerially, I find myself in a complex dilemma. I’m stuck in a straight betwixt two very real issues. On one hand, I feel compelled to tell people that church attendance doesn’t save them–Jesus does. That message is typically reserved for those with legalistic leanings who think going to heaven is nothing more than adhering to a rigid religious regimen–a check list of do(s) and don’t(s). 

On the other hand, I know belonging to a church and serving with the saints in a local assembly is absolutely and indescribably imperative to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Biblically, I know God’s plan for the evangelization of the world and discipleship is attached to the local church (Eph 4:11-13). Therefore when people are unfaithful to God’s house and refuse to participate in the church’s ministries souls go to hell. And when souls go to hell because we failed to do our part, God will hold us responsible (Eze 3:18-19). I also know, practically speaking, people’s attitudes toward church attendance is a direct reflection of their spirituality. Almost without exception, when God’s house isn’t a priority, prayer, the Bible, discipleship, soul winning, and the souls of their children are not important to them either. 

EXCUSES, EXCUSES

Brothers and sisters ... I am concerned. I’m watching more and more people put church and church attendance way down on the priority list. People that used to be on fire in Christ; people that were soul winners; people that were engaged in the church are now pre-occupied with a thousand other things. I’m watching people that one time believed taking their children to church and teaching them to serve the Lord was the greatest thing they could do for them are now taking their children to county fairs and ball games on church nights.

They seem to think their absence is only affecting them, but that's not true. How many ministries are hindered because of people's unfaithfulness? You can't have a successful children's ministry when people won't volunteer and be faithful to it. You can't get any momentum going when there's a hundred in church this Sunday and half the church lays out the next Sunday. It devastates the leaders, discouraging them to the bone. It effects the atmosphere. It hurts the finances. It's effecting eternity whether they admit it or not.

If I had a Benny for every time I heard an excuse for why someone isn’t coming to church on a particular church service, I’d be richer than Richie. These excuses seem to make sense to those rendering them, but they’re really nothing more than admission of their spiritual anemia.

Explain to me why it makes sense for someone to be too tired to go to an hour and half church service (7:00-8:30) one night a week, yet they’re never too tired to get up at 5:00 o’clock in the morning and go to work! Am I to believe they aren’t tired on Monday morning? Are they not tired at 5:00 o’clock on Friday morning? Of course they are. But do you think they call in to work every time they wake up and don’t feel like going in? Absolutely not! Why is this? It’s simple. Their job is a greater priority than God's house. They feel like they need money more than they need preaching, teaching, discipleship, and fellowship. They believe their children need Iphones and Play Stations more than religious training. Church is an option-their job is not. When you aren't too tired to work forty hours a week, but can't muster up the strength to attend an hour and a half church service during the week, there's a deeper problem.

Here’s another thing! It doesn’t take a genius to see America is a crumbling cesspool of moral debauchery. Any sane person can see it, but why aren't people drawing closer to God? I would think when a parent sees how strongly the world is pulling at their children’s souls they would try to put them into a spiritual atmosphere. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

THE REAL REASON

We can pretend and make up a million excuses, but the truth is pretty evident. People aren’t coming because they’re not interested in coming. Church isn't important to them anymore. It isn't a priority. There is nothing there that appeals to them. For many, church is an inconvenience. They only go when they don't have something else more important to do. 

 
The Bible told us this day would come.

2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first ...

Mt 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith ...

Lu 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

There it is. It's a sign of the last days. People are falling out of love with Jesus. They are backsliding. They are getting caught up in the world and cares of life. I may sound legalistic, but I’m not trying to be. Even a blind man can see America is going to hell. And as long as there is no spiritual force countering Satan’s attack, tomorrow will be worse than today. In forty years there will be only a handful of churches left. In forty years, Islam will be the predominant religion in America.

The question is will you make the necessary changes to ensure you perpetuate Christianity in your world? You can start by allowing Jesus to take over your home. Then get up and go to church faithfully, rededicating yourself to Christ and His service. 

CHRIST IN THE LOCAL CHURCH IS THE ONLY HOPE FOR AMERICA! DON'T SEND YOUR CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDREN ON A TRAJECTORY TO HELL. LET'S MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IT MUST START IN OUR HOMES!