"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out." (Luke 14:34-35)
I once heard somone say that Christians can be a lot like manure. Spread manure out and it is good to fertilize the soil, but pile it up and it does nothing but stink. There may be some truth in that analogy. Over the weekend we generated some discussion about what may have happened to the church over the years and whether or not we have radically departed from Jesus' original plan.
Last year at a church planting conference, I heard Vince Antonucci (I Became a Christian and All I got was this lousy T shirt) say, 'Only 2.2% of the churches in the United States are growing by converting non-believers into followers of Jesus Christ." That is a staggering statistic. Since Jesus Christ says, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men", if we are not fishers of men, then who are we following?
So here is the question I want to raise today and see if anyone is interested enough to discuss or debate. What is missing in the 21st century American church that keeps us from impacting the world with multiplication speed like the church in Acts 2 and Acts 4 and through the first century?
I am going to suggest my perspective is that at least two ingredients seem to be typically missing in the average American church, accountability and reproduction.
The average Sunday School class, small group, or Bible Study is often built around dumping a load of information on the students. Typically there is little dynamic that produces life change. Maybe we have made it comfortable for ourselves so that we do not have to deal honestly with God's Word impacting our lives. Maybe we have grown numb to the current situation and do not even notice. What do you think?
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We live in an instant gratification society. When people think that their prayer for a winning lottery ticket or for their father's cancer to go away are not answered... then they lose faith.
ReplyDeleteIf they don't have that instant gratification like they get from coffee or a cigarette... they don't seem to think the effort is worth the results.
They've also taken God out of the schools and are trying to take it out of the entire country. What are kids supposed to think when they read everyday about the 10 Commandments being taken down from this courthouse... or taking "In God We Trust" off of our currency.
A lot of people go to church because somehow they think they will be saved just by attending. A lot of people don't go to church at all because they don't see the benefit.
We see a lot of non-denominational churches growing because people hear stories about this group or that group... and hey... now there's a way to go to "Church" without actually belonging.
All in all, I think it has to do with the "instant gratification" aspect.
And finally, children have an innate desire for God... that desire is taken away from learned behavior. The fault lies in the parents and in the TV... which has increasingly become the family babysitter.
When the desire is taken away... then where is the need.
Just my 2 cents....
Hey, Doc, that was probably more than 2 cents, but definitely some good thoughts and food for our thought. We are doing a series in our church now called "Survivor" and yesterday's message was on church being a place to belong. Next week we are flipping that over to "Connect" and talking about individual responsibility in connecting. We will then move to talk about Becoming what God desires and the last week on how to contribute.
ReplyDeleteFor me it may come down to the difference in our concept of committing versus surrendering. We want to make some commitment to God so that we can control it. God desires that we surrender to Him.
Isn't it interesting though... that young people desire God.... and as we age we increasingly desire God. But the middle road (18-45yr olds) don't really see the need for God. (Lots of distractions out there... bars, sex, personal desires, etc..)
ReplyDeleteSure, there are exceptions to that rule...
I have noticed that it really does all have to start at home. And if God is not #1 in the house, then what are the chances he'll be #1 outside the house.
I think most people are more interested in SELF help then helping others.They believe that following Jesus means being the best ME I can be which is great but then the ball gets dropped there.
ReplyDelete~Angela
I think the church has lost its ability to connect. I visited many churches that never, ever spoke to me, responded to their own visitor card, called, emailed are even cared if I was at their church. Those same churches had no problem putting me on the building program stewardship mailing list and the church directory mailing list. ????
ReplyDeleteI want to connect with something and someone when I attend. I LOVE Sunday School, but not for the boring material, but for the ability to know and grow with people. That was the original purpose of Sunday School, but it lost that idea years ago. Church is stale, not because of style or music, but because of the people have lost touch with a real living God. I have no problem duplicating myself, but where do I plug them in???? Not at most churches. That is sad.
No doubt churches have problems. Largely because they are comprised of flawed and sinful people. Someone once said, "If you ever find a perfect church, don't join it, you will mess it up." Someone has to become a part of the catalyst for change. It starts with one. Can we be the one? Isaiah heard God say, "Whom will we send?" And he responded, "What about me, Send me?" We have to start somewhere. For me it is beginning a small cell group where Sunday School answers are not acceptible. Genuine honesty. Accountability and then reproduction are the essential ingredients. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteFrancis Schaeffer in his book "The Great Evangelical Disaster" points out that the Church
ReplyDeleteis in a spiritual battle in our culture today.
So I would say the first thing missing in the Church is the recognition of this battle raging around us today. I don't mean a mental assent that say's "yeah I know", but yet does nothing to
fight. Schaeffer goes on to say "... if we are to win the battle on the stage of human history,
it will take a prior commitment to fighting the spiritual battle with the only weapons that will
be effective. It will take a life committed to
Christ, founded on truth, lived in righteousness
and grounded in the gospel." So secondly we must evaluate our lives in light of the above by the aid of the Holy Spirit to and be brutally honest with ourselves as to each point made.
2Tim2:4 "No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he
may please him who enlisted him as a soldier."
2Tim 4:2 "Preach the word! Be ready instant in season and out of season." Sunday I went to the mall to pick up something. As I stopped to hold the door for a family of four, the man's daughter was commenting on the Dad's tie. He said it was patterned on the 1924 Olympics. I looked at the man and said "that was the Olympics that Eric Liddle was in". He said he'd never heard of him and presto! a door was open to share the gospel briefly. I could have continued on my way without saying anything but it was an opportunity to be "instant".
Last be willing to be a life long learner, be a sponge wanting to soak up every drop of Jesus
you can. "We really know as much of the gospel of Christ, and of the Christ of the gospel, as by the power of the Holy Ghost we have the experience of it in our souls." Octavius Winslow
Thanks for listening. Anon
Someone once said we actually believe as much of the Bible as we do. Many of us practice a scissors and paste theology. We don't literally cut pages from our Bible, but in practical experience we leave out the parts that we don't like.
ReplyDelete