Some Things to
Think About I have read a number of articles recently in Christian publications speculating as to the causes of a significant decline in church attendance in most areas of the U.S. Many think the causes go much deeper than the style of worship and the type of music that have filled so many Christian publications in the last 25 years. I am confident that is correct. Some of the "mega" churches have begun to be aware that, while they have attracted great numbers, the percentage of really committed Christians has not nearly kept pace with their numerical growth. It has been my personal observation over the last 20-30 years that there seems to be a growing dissatisfaction among people who are involved in church regularly over what happens there. Perhaps even more important is what doesn't happen there. This is just a personal observation and not based on any responsible research. However, I think it is true. There are large numbers of pastors leaving the ministry, many who are discouraged or the more common tag – burned out. Some leave simply because they have become involved with sins of the past instead of moving on into holiness and Godliness in their personal lives. Across the church, we desperately need to return to the basics. Matthew 16:24 says, "Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.'" Following Jesus will always require self-denial. This does not mean denying ourselves certain material things or pleasures. It means something much deeper and more comprehensive than that. It means we are to simply forget about ourselves or our desires where they, even in the smallest way, conflict with His calling upon our lives. Following Him will always mean taking up our cross. (Jesus said it!) Whatever our cross is, it will always be an instrument of our own death to self. We are to follow Him, and keep following Him, as long as there is breath in our bodies. To do so will insure that we finish well (regardless of our circumstances). Paul says in Romans 6:6-7, "Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin." We are to allow His sacrifice to do a work in our lives so that our self is crucified with Him and we are empowered by His Spirit so that we are set free from sin to live for Him. Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." It seems very clear from these words of Holy Scripture that we are to die to ourselves and live in utter abandonment and total commitment to our Lord. We cannot do this in our strength, of course. We can do it only by faith as He sets us free and enables us, yes empowers us, by His Spirit living in us to walk as He walked. But the end result, praise God, is that we can do it! One of the basic reasons that some pastors get discouraged and quit when the going becomes tough, is that many of them have not come to the place of dying to self so that complete reliance is upon the Spirit of God within them. One of the reasons so many Christians don't move onto maturity in Jesus Christ is that they have not allowed themselves to really die to self so that Christ has become their all in all. They are still living in the flesh and therefore are not totally free. I am convinced that it is because some of these very basic truths are not being taught adequately in our churches, that has brought us to this situation. Not only are churches not adequately taught and challenged, but many pastors and leaders have not gone through this place of sacrifice of self to God themselves, so that He can free them from the remnants of the old life and enable them to live victoriously. What happens in our church services then is important. I have heard many times such statements as, "The talks I hear at church don't relate much to where I am in my life" or "Everything is geared to just maintaining the status quo." Statements like these need to be taken with a grain of salt, but often there is an element of truth in them. New Christians need to be challenged and challenged, and challenged again. They need the challenge to continue to follow Jesus – to make following Jesus the main thing in their lives. So often in our church services there is little challenge to live committed, righteous lives, or even teaching on the importance or necessity of doing so, or for that matter, even on the truth that it is possible to do so. There is not enough challenge to abandon our lives to Christ and to causes that are in accordance with His will. In our churches there also needs to be time for input by members of the congregation in sharing personal struggles, defeats and victories in following Jesus. This is often how the challenge is best communicated. There need to be numerous opportunities for making personal connections with others in the church. Another important thing that doesn't happen in enough churches, that should, is continuous, serious teaching on current social and moral issues faced in our society. Many pastors are so timid and nervous about dealing with issues that may be labeled as controversial or "political," that they simply avoid those issues altogether. As a result, it is easy to see why more and more, the church is seen as irrelevant since it refuses to deal with the issues of the day, and to teach Christians how we can apply a Biblical view point to current issues in our society. It is in dealing with such issues that the Bible really comes alive and can influence people. Some of the issues that should be dealt with by the church that frequently are not are abortion, homosexuality, courtship, dating, sexuality, marriage, parenting, Christian citizenship and responsibility to government and country, military service, vocations, civil disobedience, and poverty, among others. “I am crucified
with Christ; henceforth it is not I hope you will think about these things. I would be very pleased to have your response if you are so inclined.
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