Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
In a sermon I heard this morning, Pastor Conlon, mentioned about many are just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. In my years as a Christian, I have seen this often but have only fully recognized it in the last ten or so years as it is becoming more and more obvious.
Many churches are near closing and are too stubborn to do it. Reasons vary, but it is obvious that God is not working there. Many try various programs and strategies. They may try to rebrand themselves by renaming the building or changing the music. They go to multiple conferences to hear the latest church growth methods.
There was no minister of outreach or minister of assimilation in the early Church. First time I heard assimilation I thought of Star Trek's Borg. I envisioned a person being greeted with, "We are Baptists. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated." Change the name of the group, but it is still funny.
There was no office of such things because we are all called to be ministers of outreach as we go into all the world or at least our piece of the world which may lead to us going into other parts of the world in some way. We have relegated ministry to the vocational ministers and figure it is their job to do the work of the ministry when in reality they are called to train us to do the work of the ministry.
When deacons were established it was so they could do the day-to-day operations of the Widow Support Ministry so that the Apostles could focus on the Word and prayer, not to be CEOs.
When the Holy Spirit is working there will be fruit and growth. When there is not then men fall back to the machinations of men's minds. If the pews and baptistry are empty, the Spirit is either grieved or Ichabod has been written upon the door and it is useless to try programs. Repentance and seeking the Spirit to move again is the only program that will succeed, but at some point it should be clear that He is not going to answer that prayer.
Again, reasons vary. Some were birthed by man's rebellion against what God was doing somewhere or someone did not get their way. Falling into the deception of some fad theology made them leave where God was working. What God did not build He has no obligation to maintain and they labor in vain that try to rebuild that house.
Sometimes it is sin present or the reasons that caused the seven churches in Revelation to close. God may wish a new direction for the people who are left. Close the doors and find a church where God is working. You may indeed find revival and refreshment for your own soul. I have seen the depressed people hoping you will stay and disheartened when you do not. I have seen buildings that held hundreds now only having a few in attendance struggling to maintain the building.
If 2020 taught us anything, it has taught us that we can no longer continue in our status quo mode. It broke us out of many comfort zones. We did ministries we did not ever conceive.
It should have also shown us that God is not concerned about buildings, but about souls. He is concerned about the unity of His Body. Many have left dying congregations and buildings behind to be a part of vibrant ministries. Sadly, some may have become bitter and determined to not be part of another church because theirs did not survive. That is misplaced loyalty. Your loyalty is to Jesus Christ and His Kingdom not a meeting place.
We have a lot of work towards unity, but if there are four churches in the same town with the same doctrine three are redundant. It is not how the Word shows us to be a Body. We are not to be disjointed and divided. Indeed, the division in the Body is not going to help bring unity in the community or country.
You may say can we not just come together for events and stay in our separate groups? Do you have appendages in every room of your house or do they all work together being joined in one place? We have so divided the Body that it looks like it has been hit with an IED. We have a hand on the eastside and one on the west. One arm is on the northside of town and one on the southside. Bits and pieces everywhere is not conducive to a healthy physical life and neither is it for the spiritual Body.
1 Corinthians 14:26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
This is the root of the problem. Too many want preeminence and if they cannot get it they start another church. We need to fly our flag so we have several food banks or places to get clothes and other resources. Lunch is served all around the town requiring the poor to need a calendar to find it and some have transportation issues when the lunch should be served in the area where the need exists.
One building could be shared and when we serve lunch in it we can have our banner. Or we could just have one location and skip the banner like the one in La Grange where I was a volunteer and board member. Churches donated to it and people were sent to one place for food and utility help, not several.
We need to return to when we sang about being beneath the banner of the Cross and not our preferences. We need to stop maintaining declining buildings and being isolated and segregated into little social clubs that have dry baptistries and empty seats. House churches are often just the beginnings of a church that will not thrive because of wrong motives or lack of true need for one.
Many believe that Jesus is coming soon. If that is true, then we need to join together in truth. We need to be one church regardless of skin shade, cultural backgrounds, music preferences and whatever carnal thing that keeps us apart.
The Spirit was sent to show us truth and to bring us into unity. In an age of false doctrine and disunity it is time to seek what Jesus wants even if it is not how we want things done. All of our stuff will burn and be forgotten in eternity. What He does in and through us will last. Will you put away childish things and become the mature men and women of God He has called us and destined us to be? Recess is over. It is time to work. Amen! Maranatha!!
