WHAT’S HAMPERING THE CHURCH?
All of us know that the church at best is struggling. Look at your own church! Is it healthy, vibrant and growing or is it anemic and stagnant? Why is the malady of stagnation in the local church more often the problem than not?
I just want to make some general observations.
First, it is probably true that many that have come into the church have never truly been converted. You cannot build a healthy church with members that are not saved. Secondly, among the converted, there seems to be little discipleship going on. Most of our members are shamefully ignorant of the scriptures and our young adults and teenagers seem to be the very worst. Whose fault is this? Could the blame be laid at the feet of those of us who are to be the equippers of the saints?
Perhaps it is time we take a fresh look at what we are doing in our individual churches to help members know how to live a life that pleases Christ. We find that instruction in the Bible and our people need to be led to read it, study it and meditate upon it. Pastors, we need to model our conviction of the importance of the Bible in the pulpit and in our conversations with those we lead. Many of our members will think no more of the Word of God than we do.
July 29th, 2010 at 10:14 am
My wife and I are in our 60’s now and have done personal bible study for over 40 years because there is a famine of serious theology and discipleship in the church. We’ve attended pentacostal and SBC churches over the years. We have been in a SBC church for the last 10 or so years. We now drive 16 miles to a PCA church and the difference is dramatic. It’s well worth the drive. These people are serious about the Bible. I am meeting people who know more about the Bible than I ever thought of knowing.
If I am any indication, SBC is in trouble. If people rise up and get the courage to leave family and church friends and go find a church that is truly fufilling the Great Commission then your numbers will start dwindling.
I know it’s hard to leave a church where you have attended for years and have many good friends. I miss them but don’t worry, I’m not proselytizing. If they ask, which only one friend has, I will tell them why.
No one else including the pastor has bothered to contact us. And this was a SBC church!! I have never had the call to teach or I would have. It is a calling you know. And I have been ask several times to teach because of my comments in Sunday school during our time in an SBC church. I do have a calling to be a serious student of the Word. We now are surrounded by people with that same calling. Every Sunday we hear excellent teaching and expository preaching. And these people are not puffed up with their knowledge. They are very sweet and humble and I will add very friendly people. The Pastor has us in a prospective members class which is something we’ve never experienced anywhere else.
August 27th, 2010 at 7:21 pm
Amen
you men keep up the good work
Love ya dl<