Crisis in the Church

It is 2 am Sunday morning. I've been in bed for the last 3 hours trying
to get some shut-eye, but tried as I did, sleep never came. I spent
these 3 hours tossing and turning, turning from reading the Scriptures
to meditation, to prayer, pouring my heart to ther Savior, and like
David, seeking that the Almighty give ear to the groaning of my heart.

No, my prayer was not about asking the Lord to provide for my daily
needs or about the superficial requests that Christians often find
themselves preoccupied with. My prayer and thoughts, however was about
the state of local bible believing churches that I have had the
privilege of observing and celebrating worship with. It was about the
pastors, deacons, elders, and workers I have had the chance to meet with
over the course of the past six months, how each of those conversations
replayed in my mind as I brought those concerns to the throne of Grace.
It was about the growing indifference most pastors and believers have
developed concerning the church. It is about the sad reality that a
majority of these pastors rise behind the pulpit Sunday after another
ill-prepared to handle the great burden and responsibility that awaits
them there, and the fact that most believers lack the discernment to
know this to be the case, or if they do, they certainly lack the
boldness to confront their ministers.

It was about the power-plays, polarization, and maneuvering that is more
commonly experienced in the corporate world and least to be expected in
a body comprised of spiritual kin. It was about the metrics most
churches employed to measure performance--number in attendance, amount
of offerings, number of invited guests, number this and number that.

Disconcerting is the fact that for most churches, the amount of cash
they have at the beginning of every week becomes the metric of ministry
impact and success. A majority of churches are simply operating in a
rut. Sunday morning, mid-week prayer meetings, visitation, home
fellowships, etc., etc., etc. But despite these routine activities,
what is lacking is the depth and substance of the content of their ministry.

Everyone loves to talk about evangelism, but in terms that sounds more
like an advertising and marketing campaign, repeating buzz words that
have little meaning to those who employ these ideas, save for the
popularity attributed to it by the majority of local attendees; These
churches spend so much time around the mechanics of ministry but spend
so little time and effort in developing the true substance of ministry
and even less in fulfilling the purpose of ministry.

***********

The time is 12:07 pm. I just arrived from attending Sunday worship and
am appalled by the lack of Biblical basis in the music. The praise team
looks more like a chorus of multiple soloists but worse, the praises and
songs communicated a message that was superficial and shallow; these
songs lacked the doctrinal bearing that the Scriptures clearly commanded
church music to distinctly possess.

There was a level of anxiety present among those in attendance. The
message was shallow and routine. It was a deliberation of words and
Scriptural references but it definitely lacked the thrust, passion, and
conviction that must characterize an admonition to worship the
Almighty. Nevertheless, I used the time to search my inward parts and
despite the environment, brought myself to an attitude of worship.

There was a visible demonstration of despair in the demeanor of those
who stood behind the pulpit. From the choice of words used during the
welcome to the selection of songs, everything was designed to condition
everyone in attendance to somehow think about the importance of unity in
the local church. Trouble brewing...

Throughout all this, I kept asking myself, if those attendance had the
chance to be led to worship; if those in attendance learned more and
deepened in their relationship with the Savior; or if they were simply
readying themselves to pounce at the slightest movement or comment. I
looked around, real joy was nowhere to be found. The eyes of people
were gazing into empty space. I felt a piercing pain in my bowels. A
pain brought about by the realization that those who teach have need to
be taught.

Do Christians really think that by framing their concerns to comply with
Robert's Rules of Order will really bring about the change the Savior
demands of believers? Is it really about hearing the opinions of men
and women, or of prominent personalities in the church? Where do
believer's get the notion that they have the right to contend against
the work of the Lord and use the implements of the world to fight the
war for the souls of men? All form but devoid of function...unless
aesthetics will amount to a hill of beans before the Bema seat, I wonder
why believers spend so much time with the mechanics and so little time
in fulfilling the purpose of ministry. Why do believers put more stock
into the organization of a church and less time into the organism that
makes the Church?

Crisis in the Church? You better believe it! For every posture the
organization attempts to make, the Enemy gains more ground by attacking
the organism that makes up the Church.