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!

MOST OF IT WAS IN MY HEAD

MOST OF IT WAS IN MY HEAD: Years ago, I'd go to camp meetings and sit at the farthest table in the fellowship hall, isolated, trying to not talk to anyone. I felt so out of place. I just knew they didn't like me. I knew they were judging me. I did that for a couple of years. It was kind of sad. I will spare you all the details, but I finally understood it wasn't the people around me ... it was me. THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ME! Here's the funny thing ... The people around me thought I didn't like them. The victim mentality I was carrying around with me could be felt and seen by every one else. LET ME REPEAT: I thought they didn't like me and they thought I didn't like them. I decided to shake hands and show myself friendly like the Bible says (Pr 18:24). I sat down at their tables and introduced myself. I found out most of the scandalous, secret conversations I thought people were having about me were in my head. I had been programmed to expect them to not like me, so that's what I heard in my mind.

This has happened to me many times. I remember one time, 22 years ago, I was in the pulpit playing the electric guitar. All of the sudden, my guitar lost power. I looked over and saw that it was unplugged from the wall. I absolutely knew the man on the front row had unplugged it and that his grandmother, five pews back, told him to do it. I was furious. I decided I'd never play the guitar again. I sat there for a long time, very angry. Thankfully, I had a moment of sanity and asked the guy point blank if he did it. Of course he hadn't which meant his poor old grandmother didn't tell him too either. LOL. I was the victim of cheap outlets and gravity.

I will throw this out there as a disclaimer ... there have always been some people that didn't like me. There have always been people that talked about me. I actually had a guy turn the volume down on my guitar amp right in the middle of a church service. There have been churches that didn't want me. There have been people that couldn't stand me. Those experiences were the exceptions, not the rule.

But ...

I've learned that bitter people have a tendency to wear bitter shaded glasses. Angry people wear angry shaded glasses. Depressed people wear depressed shaded glasses. And people with victim mentalities often wear victim shaded glasses that cause them to think everyone is against them, trying to kill them. They run deep into a cave of despair and then accuse every one of forsaking them. If you're running from me (or a church), don't look over your shoulder and blame me for the distance that's between us.

Maybe we need to change our attitudes. Maybe we need to show ourselves friendly. Maybe it's true ... our ATTITUDE determines our ALTITUDE. Maybe it's true ... our IN-LOOK determines our OUT-LOOK.

Anyways ... this is me just trying to share a life changing lesson I learned the hard way.

Peace. Love. Hope.

A BURNT OUT MINISTER IS IRRELEVANT

  A BURNT OUT MINISTER IS IRRELEVANT

 

I've been reading staggering statistics about clergy burnout. Statistics revealing how depression, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are incredibly high among ministers. Did you know the life expectancy of a minister is much lower than the average person? 1,500 preachers leave the ministry every month. Why? I know what some will say, "They're hirelings. They don't pray. They don't love God. Etc." I'm sure that's true way too often, but that's not always the case. And those that readily say such things usually aren't pastors.

We are living in a different world than the men of old. Did you ever consider the fact that John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, Charles Finney, Jonathan Edwards, General Booth, A. B. Simpson, etc, didn't have access to phones, planes, cars, internet, Facebook, email or text messaging? If the congregation got a hold of them it was on Sunday or via horse and buggy. And if your preacher was a circuit rider ... you DIDN'T get a hold of him.

 

They didn't have to compete with cell phones, ipads, ipods, television, radio, internet or Hollywood. People weren't gospel hardened and entertained to death. People didn't expect the preacher to cater to their every whim because they knew they COULDN'T cater to their every whim. Now, compare that with the hundred phone calls, text messages, emails, and literally thousands of Facebook messages I receive per week! I'm not unique, any pastor worth their salt has a similar story. Today's pastor is on call 24/7! The expectation level is insane. People want them to be at all places at all times having the answers to every dilemma. The minister (and whole family) never fully meet the requirements demanded of them because they haven't yet figured out how to be God! John Wesley attributed his long life to taking naps as often as he needed. If today's minister takes a nap someone rings the door bell and accuses them of being lazy and sleeping all day. (Been there and done that!)

But concerning the men and women of old ... they had revival and we (for the most part) do not. They spent most of their time praying, reading, and preaching. Their greatest stress came from wrestling with God, not men. 

 

They understood that the church belonged to God, not them. They understood that counseling can never take the place of the unadulterated preached Word. They understood that the hard-hearted and stubborn laity sitting in the pews were lost and in need of conversion and not to be reckoned as church bosses.

The answer? You need to remember that you're a Christian before you're a pastor! Let's spend more time in prayer and the Word, talking to God about men; and less time on Facebook, answering text messages and counseling people to do what we've told them a hundred times from the pulpit.

If you're tired, sleep. If you're on the verge of burning out, shut your phone off, take a few days off, spend time with God and your family. Learn how to say "NO"! If you're overweight and your health is breaking down ... man up! Get some discipline. Eat right and exercise! It'll pay off in the long run.

Don't let your wife suffer because you're ministering to another man's wife and don't have time for her. Don't lose your kids trying to save other people's kids. If you burn out you will wreck yourself and then be irrelevant anyway. You have no business overseeing spiritual business if you can't overseer your own personal business! (1Ti 3:5)

Don't allow anyone to push you beyond your capacity. And ... remember it all belongs to God. He's the husbandman. Let the divine stay up all night. Let the omnipresent be every where at all times. Let Him be responsible for HIS church. You? Just do what you can. You ask what the people will think? The true Christians will understand and be merciful. The hypocrites? Who cares? 

Let go and let God!
Peace, love, hope!

8 LEADERSHIP LESSONS LEARNED FROM GIDEON

 

8 LEADERSHIP LESSONS LEARNED FROM GIDEON

 Yesterday, I read the eighth chapter of Judges during my daily devotions. I was inspired with how strong of a leader Gideon was. I want to quickly share the major points that stuck out to me.
           
1. GREAT LEADERS KEEP LEADING (JUDGES 8:4-8)

Gideon and his men were weary from pursuing their enemies, yet the Scripture states they continued their pursuit. He would not give up just because leading wasn’t convenient.

Leading can be a grind; it can snatch the life right out of you. We often find ourselves weary, but we cannot stop pursuing. This doesn’t mean there aren’t times we need a vacation, but strong leaders keep pursuing long after they feel fatigued. They don’t quit when the going gets tough. Great leaders keep leading.

2. GREAT LEADERS ADDRESS OPPOSITION DECISIVELY (JUDGES 8:16)

Gideon wasn’t afraid of or ignore opposition. He dealt with internal (his son) and external (his enemies) problems quickly and decisively.

If I’ve learned anything over the past 20 years it’s that most problems don’t go away just because you ignore them. Sidestepping contentions only allows them to pile up, creating a synergistic effect that makes conflict resolution exponentially more difficult. Deal with stuff right, but deal with it immediately. Great leaders deal with opposition decisively.

3. GREAT LEADERS INVEST IN THEIR FAMILY (JUDGES 8:19-20)

Gideon was invested in his family. He took time to teach his sons. He took the treatment of his family seriously. Great pastoral leaders are invested in their families.

I don’t want to sound cold or accusatory, but most people are fickle. Church members will cut you off in a second. You can be the big kahuna today and the scum of the earth tomorrow. You’ll spend weeks, months, even years, pouring into some people who tell you they love you, only to find them walking out, turning on you, and that without warning. Invest in your spouse and children. They love you unconditionally and will be there long after the people have left. Not to mention your family is your first ministerial priority anyways. The Bible teaches us if we can’t lead our own houses we have no business leading others (1Ti 3:5). 

4. GREAT LEADERS EQUIP OTHERS (JUDGES 8:20)

Gideon delegated and trained those that fought with him. He gave his fellow laborers an opportunity to win. He gave them the opportunity to participate in their victories.

Delegation is one of the hardest things to do, but it must be done. And ... it must be done right. Trust me, I’ve learned this the hard way. I’ve spent much time asking people to do things that they did not know how to do. When people don’t have the necessary knowledge to fulfill the task you’ve asked them to do, they become frustrated and quit. After several experiences of delegating jobs to people, only to watch them quit or do them half-heartedly, the knee-jerk reaction is to just do it yourself. This invariably leads to burnout. Do yourself a favor and train the people you’re delegating responsibilities to. It may take weeks, even months, but it will be worth your time. You will be able to cover far more ground with TEAMS working together as opposed to you working alone. And don’t forget to allow everyone to share in the victories and successes. No man is an island. You didn’t get where you are by yourself, unless of course you’ve swam out to an island.

5. LEADERS ARE CONCERNED WITH THE KINGDOM OF GOD, NOT THEIR EMPIRE (JUDGES 8:23)

Gideon was successful. He led his men to many great victories. God’s favor was with him mightily, therefore, the people responded by asking him to rule over them; to be their king. Gideon said, “No. God will lead us.” Gideon was humble. Gideon knew who had truly given them the victory. Gideon was a man of God. This point is what prompted me to write this article. My heart was filled with the utmost admiration for Gideon. He didn’t even hesitate to point his men toward God. 

There are far too many dictatorial pastors in our churches. They pastor “their” church; “their” people; and operate “their” ministries. They want glory. Everything they do must be seen of men or they feel like they’re a failure. Listen, we work for God. We use His provisions. We breathe His air. His life keeps our heart pumping blood through our veins. Give God the glory for everything. Stop trying to lord over God’s heritage (1Pe 5:3). I see this over and over with pastors who think everyone has to come to "their" church. Real pastoral leadership isn’t about building your own kingdom, it’s about building the kingdom of God. If your labors cause someone to yield to Christ, yet that person attends another church, so what!? God rules. The Church is His and it's much larger than our littler congregations.

6. GREAT LEADERS MESS UP (JUDGES 8:24-27)
Gideon messed up big time! Even after all of the great things he did-even after pointing to people to God-he caused them to err in their faith. He asked them to give him their golden earrings which ended up yielding about 71 pounds worth. By today’s prices, that’s approximately $1.2 million dollars worth. He took the 71 pounds of gold and made it into an ephod (a sleeveless garment worn by Jewish priests) and a breastplate. You talk about bling bling–a 71 pound golden garment! The ephod was so amazing the people of God started worshiping it. Wow!

Don’t get me wrong, Gideon didn’t mean for this to happen. He would have never made it had he known what they would do, but he didn’t discern the heart of the people and made a terrible judgment call.

You and me are going to have lapses in judgment resulting in mistakes. You might as well get ready, it’s just part of leadership. But be humble. You have to learn to repent, apologize, and then move on! Do better the next time. Don’t allow your failures to paralyze you.

8. LEADERS ARE A BLESSING TO THOSE AROUND THEM (JUDGES 8:28)

God’s favor on Gideon was a blessing to the Israelites. Despite Gideon’s lack of discernment and Israel’s idolatry, God honored Gideon’s faith and humility. He gave Israel 40 years of peace.

Stay holy. Stay humble. You may stumble here and there, but God isn’t fickle. He knows your intents and motives. If you’ll stay faithful to God and His kingdom, the blessings of the Lord will overtake you and those blessings will overflow, saturating everyone around you.

I hope these 8 lessons help you!

God bless,
Pastor Lamb