7.29.2009
It's running rampant in our culture and it's breaking God's heart. People are leaving the family because of trivial things like carpet color, song selection, screen colors, and the list goes on. Check out a bit of Brian's article...
"We've become a nation of church shoppers. If the preaching gets boring at our church, we pull out the yellow pages. If the worship style changes, we go to First Church's early service. If our Sunday school class starts to get too impersonal, we don't sweat it, we try the hot new church in town.
We Christians change churches like we change favorite restaurants.
I'm sure that makes God sad.
In the New Testament there are dozens and dozens of things Christians are told to do. Leaving one another is not one of them.
In fact, we're told to do the exact opposite.
Is there someone at your church you can't stand? 1 John 3:11 tells us to "Love one another."
Did the pastor at your fellowship hurt your feelings? Colossians 3:13 says, "Forgive one another."
Do the attitudes of the people in your body need to change? James 5:16 says, "Pray for one another."
In other words, roll up your sleeves and do the hard work of building community where you are. Don't go AWOL spiritually. Stick it out, through exciting times and boring times. Pray, serve, love, forgive, sacrifice, and resolve like authentic followers of Jesus."
Want to view the entire article? Click Here. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. I have more coming later this week on the same topic, but from a different angle.
it's also sad that there are so many divided individual churches in a given area, that we CAN go to a different church every week. Christ is not divided.
Back in the day it was THE church in Ephesus, or the church in Philippi. I know it won't happen because we are to self focused, but what would it look like if we could gather as The Church in Virginia Beach.
it would be amazing if every Christ focused church in VA Beach, closed there doors and met as one church in one location and glorified Christ as ONE church. Logistical nightmare, but it would be sweet at the same time.
I think having 1,500 churches in such a small area REALLY breaks Gods heart, after all, he did pray that we would be ONE.
I can't help but think that those who really get their "hearts broken" in these situations are - insecure pastors. Guys who simply are too immature to take the fact they can't please everyone or that their little kingdom may not be all that. So what ends up happening is that articles get published basically shaming people into staying in a place where they're being abused and malnourished all for the sake of keeping one guys, so called "God ordained", dream alive.
May I also say that comparing the American church to the 1st century church is apples and oranges. OF COURSE there was THE church of Ephesus. At that point Christianity was brand new. As it grew so did the church population in various geographical areas.
Unfortunately, in America we see the church down the street as competition and it eats us up when we lose one to the team down the road doesn't it?
Sorry, but I've seen enough of pastors and been in the church world too long. I sense a smokescreen here of holy piety and may need to call this for what it may be - insecurity and ego.
Pastor, why not just do what you're called to do and don't worry the numbers?
As far as insecurity and ego- I'm sorry to let you down, but I'm secure in who God made me, how He called me, and what my purpose is here in His kingdom (not my little one, which I assure you is not the way I view it).
God leads all of us to a place of obedience and service. My heart break in all this is two fold. 1. That the church universal is so fragmented, when God's desire is for us to be one body as close to the early church example as possible. & 2. That sometimes (definitely not all the time) people do leave churches simply for preferance or trivial things without sharing it with their leaders and checking their heart with how it matches up to the example of Jesus.
But, the good news is I search after God daily, and answer to Him only (and the elders of our church of course). So, when people leave for good or bad reasons, I know the local body that God has graced me with the honor of leading can do just as well with 2,000 or 20 when they are completely devoted followers of Jesus.
The numbers game is too lame for me to get into, I just focus on sharing Jesus.