I don’t  “need/want” to go to church?

By Ronald E. George Jr. at the Fayetteville Baptist Church

March 2, 2006

            Many folks don’t believe that going to church should be something they should be concerned about as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Church is optional?  Many church pews are empty while many Christian folks hit the couch, go fishing, golfing, boating, hunting, sleeping, shopping, and many other activities.  Statistics say as much as 80% of the public is not affiliated with a church.  People don’t want to be involved in church today.  No longer do people want to make a commitment to the organization called the church. 

What has happened? 

            We need to ask ourselves why?  I believe there are many reasons that have led to this alarming decline.  There are many things we can do nothing about.  We can blame the decline in church participation on the devil, we can blame the culture, we can say that it is the fulfillment of prophecy, or we can bury our heads in the ground and just ignore it. But, I don’t want to take any of those avenues.  I think we need to look at ourselves in the church and try to evaluate our contribution to this problem. 

            One of the main factors in this cultural trend is the state of the church.  Why would folks want to be a part of an organization that resembles the Priests and Pharisees in the days of the New Testament?  Remember they are the ones responsible for the murder of our Lord.  They killed Jesus in name of their religion.  The people of the church no longer look to Lord and the Scripture for our direction.  We look to ourselves and to our own wants and desires.  We have commercialized the church using the latest gimmicks and fads to try to drag them, but they don’t come.  When we design our services/ministries we don’t ask what does God want?  We usually say what does the people want?  What will make the most people happy?  We organize our churches to please those who pay the bills and sit in those half empty pews. We preach sermons that won’t rock the boat. What is the result?  Well, just look around.  Face the facts.  “I’ve seen the enemy and they is us.”  We are in need of a change. 

            We have to get back to God’s original design for the church.  He is the one who made it.  What did He plan for us to become in the church?  Here is a mission statement for the church by a pastoral friend of mine who has already gone to his reward.  Gerry Hickman was from Summersville and he left behind this statement that says a lot about who we are supposed to be in the church.

“Our business is people and

Our reason is Jesus Christ.

Our purpose is to personally live Jesus Christ. 

Because of His love for us,

We can love Him and one another.

We believe in the absolute necessity of conversion to Jesus,

The absolute reality of eternal life now in Jesus,

And the absolute need of each other in the fellowship of believers.

Our desire is to present Jesus Christ In compassion and understanding

To every individual who does not know Him,

And to encourage and develop every individual who does know Him. “

                                                                        By Gerry Hickman 

            Let’s take a look at Acts 2, which describes the birth of the church.  This should be our model for our church.   Let’s take a look at this mission statement and compare that to our church.  Does there need to be some changes made?  I believe that the statement “Change or Die” applies to us today in the church.  We have to wake up before it is too late.  It is already too late for some, but it is not too late for you if you are reading this article.  What can you do?  With God’s power you can change and you can lead your church to change. 

            Why would people want to become a part of a group of people who have lost their way?  Not only has the modern church lost the people, but also I believe that we have lost the Lord’s power and presence to change lives.   Without him we are nothing.  Let’s find him and get him back in the proper place in the church and in our lives.  God help us to help others see you, because your business is people.  We are your people.  Amen.