"Church Is Boring!"- True? Series

“Church is boring!”- true? AAW WBC 9 Feb 2003

(PPT= next PowerPoint title)

1) Sometimes yes- it’s the church’s fault

Illustr: me at school. Forced and bored. Doing diary

- Youth group when 9. Changed the clocks & ended up 55 mins early!

Mr Bean is hilarious (roll clip)

- = how some of us have felt! May feel today

- don’t know when to stand/sit

- = like a library! Shhhhh!

o Radio 4 “What’s church?” That’s where we mind our P’s and Q’s

Quote Oscar Wilde:

“The church is viewed as an ageing grandmother, surrounded by memorabilia and odd musty smells. Lovely to visit, but intolerable to live with”-

Need to be v mindful of how it feels to newcomers (PPT)

We mustn’t think: (PPT)

- This is an Anglican, C of E, thing (PPT)

o There’s nothing deader than a dead Baptist church!

- Jesus isn’t there! (PPT)

o Where 2 or three are gathered…”

o When I came to faith I naively used to think it was boring because Jesus probably wasn’t there!

 How arrogant!

 I failed to see Him!

- They’re not Christians (PPT) OR

- They’re not committed! (PPT)

o Takes a HUGE amount of commitment, faith and maturity to stick with it… something like this!

o The may go for the exact opposite reason!

 Deeply committed to Jesus

 Maybe to help… grow it

 Maybe that’s THEIR way of worshipping, corporately

Besides- only God knows their hearts (ppt)

Another truth is this

We mustn’t think (ppt, runs itself, timed)

- drums, bands etc

- is more pleasing to God than

- organs etc

That’s to do with styles and culture… not spirituality

So- (PPT) in one sense- it doesn’t matter to God… … and shouldn’t matter to US whether it’s

- 20, 50, 100 or 250 years behind culturally

- apart from ONE thing:

- “Church is the only society that exists for the benefit of its non-members!”

Jesus spoke of leaving the 99 sheep (PPT) to go and search for the one that went astray

Society is moving SO fast nowadays

- change of one generation, 25 years, takes place in 5 or less

- if we don’t always ask “how can I BETTER communicate this message… change the packaging (not the gift)”

 we’ll fail!

- If we’re still doing it the same in 5 years time

 We have failed

And THIS is an important thing- because it has to do with people’s very salvation!!

So- it’s GOOD to worship God in different ways (PPT, will autoshow Mr Bean)

- but to make Jesus boring to Seekers is a sin!

And so- we need to be honest. The church has failed (ppt)

- (PPT) we’ve failed by playing safe and pandering to Christians (fat sheep!)

o comforting & cuddling them

 -> boring!

 And have made the message and Jesus appear less attractive in doing so

- (PPT) but some of us have fallen off the other side of the log, as well

o particularly evangelical churches where, rightly, we believe people NEED to be saved and make CHOICE to follow Jesus

o we have concentrated on CONVERSION rather than discipleship…. And have sometimes resorted to ‘spin’, ‘hype’ to get folks there

 haven’t prepared folks for a LIFE of walking with Him

And so- we try and be like Paul (PPT)

2 Cor 4:2 “…we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. “

And we try and make the message about Jesus attractive & TRUE (PPT)

Titus 2:10 “…in every way… make the teaching about God our Saviour attractive.”

2) It’s our fault! (PPT)

Truth is- anything’s boring, nowadays, (PPT)

- A)* compared to what TV, films, video games, Lord of the Rings, unreality, hype offers you

o but it IS unreal

o can’t live in it

- and we don’t have to compete… keep people hyped like that

o can’t! It’s not realistic! But I fear churches can try to

 there is LEGITIMATE, unexaggerated excitement

• of God & who He is. Of His touch

• of sharing your faith! But CHURCH won’t/shouldn’t keep you high

- B) * If you’re ‘young’ (in years, faith or maturity) (PPT)

o “boring! I’m bored” (chance would be a fine thing!)

 I remember finding love songs boring

• But then something happened around 13 (?17?!)… suddenly became interesting

o I’d started growing up!

- C)* if you’re heart’s cold (PPT)

Maybe if we find it boring (PPT)… can’t get anything out of it…. Are tripped up by the music etc

- it says more about US (PPT)

- depends more on us… than we imagine