Jump Start # 1073

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

  This week we have been looking at some serious thoughts about congregational life. We have examined some of the internal reasons why small churches remain small. We’ve looked at the “Small church mentality.” We’ve looked at leadership problems. We’ve given thought to staleness and a lack of vision in a congregation. One final lesson. One more thing needs to be said. Of all the things we mentioned, one of the greatest things that keeps a church from being what they could be is when the spirit of Christ is missing. Christ is what it is all about. You can have the coolest looking church building, the greatest programs, tons of money, the busiest place, but if Jesus is missing, you will fail. Ephesus was there. They were busy as a church. They were dealing with false apostles. They were working, enduring and toiling. They definitely weren’t standing still. They were not hopelessly stuck in idle. Yet, with all that was going on, they had left their first love. Something was missing. It was Jesus. A church that has left it’s first love will not please the Lord. It doesn’t matter what they are doing, that must come first. A person can tell when Jesus is not the center of things. It is noticeable.

This is an issue that all churches must deal with—small and large. This is something that can happen so gradually that it’s not noticed until it’s too late. Christ was not the center any more. Attitudes shift when that happens. The spirit changes. Compassion runs thin as does patience. We tend to forgive less and remember more when Christ is no longer the center of things. We get irritated with each other. We bother each other. The joy of worship becomes the drudgery of duty. Christ has been moved off center. We settle for substandard service. We find ourselves going through the motions.

This will especially haunt and hurt small churches. Judgmental attitudes are known to prevail when Christ is no longer the center of things. Opinions rise, tempers flair, motives are questioned when Christ is moved off of center.

A young preacher recently encountered someone who was very vocal and demanding where he preached. In a Bible class, a woman answered a question. This brother when ballistic. He demanded a meeting with the young preacher. He was all over him about women not being allowed to speak in church. This brother never gave any thought to what his abrasive tone was doing to the spirit of the young preacher. He never gave any thought to how would Jesus handle that. He came with guns blazing. The young preacher called me. “What do I say?” I encouraged him to ask this guy if his wife and daughters sang any hymns during worship? They did. Now, how could he go along with that if he believes that women cannot speak in church? Further, was this man’s wife a Christian? She was. How did she confess Christ before men if she couldn’t speak in church? Very odd. It shows, the man hadn’t really studied things out. He was repeating old arguments that were not right. But worse, he was causing a stink because of his wrong opinions and was hurting someone who was willing to devote his life to preaching. Where was Christ? It certainly wasn’t at the center of the discussion. We can get so upset and so mad that it justifies us being rude, offensive and mean for the sake of truth. Really? What page from the life of Jesus gives us that impression?

Those kind of horror stories can be told all day long. They are numerous. I have dozens myself, from being accused of being sinful because I had a beard, of being loose because I did not use the King James Version, of being radical because I wear loud ties, of being told I was wrong because I use stories in my lessons, and accused of being soft because I preach in a large congregation that has a steeple on the top of the building. Yes, I’ve been there. I’ve heard it so many times. Loud, forceful, dominating the conversation, unwilling to listen, demanding, threating, opinionated and ugly. It hurts. It leaves scars. But worse, that spirit slows down momentum and keeps a church from growing. And too often, that spirit is permitted and tolerated.

When Christ is the center of our lives, we think about things before we say them. We try to be helpful We want to leave the person better and closer to Christ. Destroying someone isn’t even on our radar. That doesn’t interest us. We want to save them. We want to encourage them. We want them to be healthy and spiritual. A brother once wrote an article in a magazine entitled, “Drive out, destroy and Defeat.” His application was to those that he deemed wrong in the church. That bothered me. I wrote the editor. I told him I thought we were supposed to “seek, save and restore.” How can we forget Christ in any discussion or moment in our lives?

Unhealthy Christians is a plague today. We’ve fooled ourselves into thinking as long as we are doctrinally right with God, nothing else matters. Some can be so mean toward others. Some can be so hard on others. Is it any wonder some congregations do not grow? Some will quickly turn to Matthew 23 and say that Jesus called the Pharisees “hypocrites.” That is true. He didn’t do that on the first day, though. This came after three years of miracles, sermons, parables and examples. Three long years with them. He was patient with them. This came after everything else. It seems that some fail to realize that. They want to start with name calling.

My daughter has a baby growing in her. Yes, I am going to be a grandfather once more. She calls and tells us that the baby kept her up or the baby is kicking or the baby didn’t like what she ate. The baby in her is affecting her. Paul had Christ in him. It was affecting him. It would soften the rough edges. It would make him think before he spoke. It would make him choose grace and forgiveness. It would lead him to being kind and tender hearted. Stuff the macho attitude. We need to be like Christ. Kind and tender hearted are the very words Paul used in Ephesians. That’s what we are to be. Christ in you will affect you.

Unhealthy churches will not grow much. They are destined to drive people away in tears. They are always fighting about something. They are miserable. They make everyone else miserable. If they won’t put Christ back at the center of their hearts, they might as well put a for sale sign out front. They are not doing any good. They are not acting like Jesus. They are not showing the world Christ. They are hurting. They are distorting things. Get it together, or get out of the way, is how I see it. There’s no excuse for Christ not being the center of all things. That decision should have been made a long time ago when one became a Christian. Gossipy churches…judgmental churches…unfriendly churches…dead churches…stale churches…they are everywhere. There’s nothing impressive about them. They are small and staying small because they are sick. Their only hope is what the Ephesians were told, repent and return. Get Christ back to the center of things. Spend volumes of time reading the Gospels. Look at Jesus. Watch what He does. Learn from Him. Imitate Him. Be like Him. That is the hope. That opens the windows of a place. Christ brings fresh air. Christ is the refreshing spirit. That brings change. That starts the movement of growth and life and joy. The Gospel is good news. Have we forgotten that?

Thank you for sticking with me in this series. This hasn’t been easy to write because it brought up many painful reminders from my past. I hope that this series will be a bridge for serious dialogue. Ecclesiastes tells us that a live dog is better than a dead lion. There is hope as long as we are alive. Unhealthy churches can become healthy. Small churches can start growing. Leadership can change. Attitudes can change. Things can happen. Pray for it. Work towards it. Doing nothing is defeat. Doing nothing is wrong. Use these articles as a starting point. Take a serious look at what is going on. Begin with self. Make adjustments. Don’t deny reality. Don’t make excuses. Become what God wants, as a person and as a congregation.

This series will be printed in a booklet that will be entitled, “Essays on Small Churches.” It will be free. If you want a copy, or several, email me at: Rogshouse@aol.com

May the Lord help us to be pleasing to Him. May we invite Christ to live in us and be the center of all things.

Roger