Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
If every church in Revelation, including the ones He complimented the most, ceased to exist do not think your church is not able to fail and be closed.
There are a few members trying to keep the doors open because the building is a hundred years old or remembering some heyday decades past. They are wasting their time and money.
When the baptistry is dry, the pews mostly empty or it is a revolving door pulpit it is over. The candlestick has been removed. Close the doors, sell the property and find where God is still moving and seek to re-fire there.
Fellowship may be close in a dying church, but it is far sweeter where the church is in fellowship with Christ and see Him doing a work so the people can do the work of what a church is called to be.
Stop deceiving yourself thinking revival will come. How many years have you said that and yet the pews get emptier and the building keeps deteriorating?
Revelation 3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
If there is a name on a building, but there is no fire or impact you have a name, but are dead. Would anyone outside of the members even notice if you closed the doors? If I asked around about you would I get blank stares and shrugged shoulders? Then you are dead to the community and if they drive by your building they take no more notice than they would a cemetery. You are a mausoleum with a few dedicated visitors.
In a hostile culture, a small dying church will be a good target for towns to exercise eminent domain to take the property or condemn it as has been done. Get out from the burden of keeping a building going for sentimental reasons.
Find a larger church. Start a small group or connection group with the few people you have. Enjoy a greater fellowship without financial burdens and the sorrow that grows each time a member leaves or dies or when the building expense is large making you struggle to pay it.
God did not call us to be enslaved to a building, which something pastors must remember when designing a new one before enslaving people to millions of dollars of debt. We are called to be free spiritually to serve Him willing to change tools or locations as needed to complete His mission, not our agenda.
Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
In times like these, we should not help the works of darkness by keeping old, nearly empty buildings open for the unbelievers to mock and feel like the end is near for Christianity. They do not understand that one church dying does not mean the death of the Church anymore than one person dying means the human race is extinct.
2 Samuel 12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.
David conceived the child in sin and adultery and God, in this case, showed mercy on the child allowing him to die. The explanation of that is another sermon.
Many churches are conceived in sin. People split churches for carnal reasons. House churches that are not needed also split the Body. Anything that divides the Body that is not of a biblical nature gives "great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme."
The new church, the child of sin, often dies young because God will not sustain it and though the will of man started it, there is not enough carnal resources to sustain it. When it dies, the unbeliever laughs and feels secure in his unbelief.
Sometimes these churches are started by people with money and abilities so they survive having a name, but are dead. It is like leaving a brain dead person on life support for decades.
Ultimately, another split, a death of or the wealthy member moves on leaving the resources to dwindle leaving a carcass a few cannot part with and finally ends when the building is condemned or enough people die or move to nursing homes. All the while this is taking place, the enemies of God laugh.
It is time for us to seek revival and reconciliation. We need to merge churches of like faith showing the love and unity we were called to practice and Jesus prayed we would do.
There are buildings that could be used for homeless shelters, pregnancy centers, food banks, tutoring centers, day cares, etc. if we were to be true Christians. Those that cannot be used for those things can be sold and the money used for better things than repairs and utilities.
Many do not have pastors, but the few that do those men could retire as some are in their eighties. Others could be given staff positions ministering in the ministries created by the mergers.
Luke 16:8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
I am going to make an application of this passage. Indeed, the children of the world use the phrase, "We are stronger together" while the children of light split at the drop of a hat.
We could have one soup kitchen, not several, if we worked together. We could have one food bank, not several if we did not have to have our banner over it. There are places that could be turned into homeless shelters if we did not live in denial of the need or had cold hearts not wanting those kinds of people showing up. Love has its risks.
2 Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
I am afraid that we have more "churches" with a form of godliness than we would care to admit. Too many are social clubs, business networks, family owned and even places with charitable works, but they never had or have lost the power of God therefore incapable of doing the true work of God.
When real revival comes, there will be repentance, mergers and unity of the Body of Christ. There will be fewer buildings and fewer denominations of many churches and fewer one church denominations they call non-denominations.
As one unbeliever put it, "You say you are going to Heaven together, but you cannot sit on the same pew here." He has a very valid point. Love, truth and grace are type of trinity as they cannot be separated or you do not have the real version of any of them. If we are walking with the Trinity, then this trinity will manifest and it will bring the saints of God together so that among all of the heresies and heretics the approved will be manifested. May that happen soon! Maranatha!!
