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THE STATE OF THE CHURCH

    The steeple of a church building was undergoing extensive renovations.  The entrance to the sanctuary was blocked for several weeks, and the congregation had to use another door as a safety measure.  The workers put a fence around the scaffolding and placed a sign on the fence with large red letters saying, “DANGER, KEEP OUT.”

    In contrast, the universal sign of the church should be “WELCOME, COME IN.”  We are invited to enter the sanctuary to find help with the cares of the world.  Through worship and faith, our lives are renewed.

    Now this is the crucial question for us on this first Sunday of 2011: Does our church say, “KEEP OUT,” or, “COME IN?”

    In one of Jesus’ last meetings with his disciples he gave them an important commandment.  He said, “Simon . . . do you love me . . .?”  In fact, he repeated this question three times.  At last Peter was grieved and said, “Lord, you know everything. You know I love you.”

    Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep” (John 21:15-17).

    That’s still our job.  That’s still the definition of the purpose of the church. 

    In order for anything to live and grow, you must feed it.  But unfortunately, on a world wide basis, the church doesn’t seem to be growing.  Instead it seems to be dying.  For example in the early 20th century, 94% of people in England attended church regularly.  Now, just 100 years later, it’s a mere 4%.

    This is a serious indictment.  That’s why every year we try to evaluate our progress in a sermon entitled, “The State Of the Church.”  So, who are we as a church?  What do we look like from the outside?  How do non-members feel about us?  How would people in our area describe us?  In short, are we fulfilling our role as a church?  Remember, Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”  What does that mean?

I.  FIRST, WE MUST FEED PEOPLE MENTALLY.

    This includes informing, teaching and training.  Jesus made this a specific responsibility of the church when he said, “Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you . . .” (Matt.  28:20).

    We must remember that God created our minds along with our souls.  Christianity is for our thoughts as well as for our feelings.  Knowledge, understanding and wisdom are important in the Scriptures.  Solomon said, “A wise man will hear and increase in learning . . .” (Prov.  1:5, nas);

    “Listen carefully to wisdom; set your mind on understanding” (Prov.  2:2, edb);

    “Always remember what you have been taught, and don’t let go of it.  Keep all that you have learned; it is the most important thing in life” (Prov.  4:13, edb).

    Your brain comes to church with you.  Don’t check it at the door.  One minister said, “I preach to about 100 people each Sunday.  If my sermon is 30 minutes long, that consumes 50 man hours of time.  That’s long enough for an airplane to fly around the world.  The church must not neglect teaching opportunities.

    Here, in the Tom Baptist Church we emphasize critical thinking and avoid superstition.  We plan ahead and organize carefully so we never waste time on trivia.  We have no empty meetings.  We allow diverse opinions.  We encourage education.  We honor graduates and give scholarships.  Our Sunday School classes discuss both Scripture and every day behavior.  Our sermons cover relevant issues that can be applied in daily life.

    Paul said, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God . . .” (2 Tim.  2:15, kjv).

    So we must feed people mentally.

II.  NEXT, WE MUST FEED PEOPLE EMOTIONALLY.

    This includes caring, supporting and encouraging.  A church must be a place that accepts, loves and values all people–not just the righteous and moral people.  It’s significant that the Pharisees only accepted sinners after they repented; while Jesus accepted sinners before they repented.  He said, “It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick. I did not come to invite good people but to invite sinners” (Mark 2:17, edb).

    The gospel is for everyone.  Paul said, “In Christ, there is no difference between Jew and Greek, slave and free person, male and female. You are all the same in Christ Jesus” (Gal.  3:28, edb).

    Isaiah said, “My house shall be called an house of prayer for all people” (Isa.  56:7, kjv).

    Peter said, “Finally, all of you should be in agreement, understanding each other, loving each other as family, being kind and humble” (1 Pet. 3:8, edb)

    The world will not respond to an unkind and divided church.  We must not be like the old man who rushed in late to a business meeting.  He yelled, “Hold it.  Just a minute folks.  I don’t know what you were discussing, and voting on, but I’m against it!”

    A church must have unity.  We must be here for each other.  The Blue Angels are a Navy precision flying team.  If one member breaks formation, all of the other pilots are endangered.  That’s also true of church congregations. 

    Here, in the Tom Baptist Church we are open and non-judgmental.  We are never pushy.  We make no demands for conformity.  In fact, we welcome different opinions.  Also, we are available to our community in times of trouble, with calls, visits, and meals.  We have socials and fellowships.  We celebrate people’s birthdays and honor dads, mothers and the elderly.  We often hear visitors saying, “This congregation is so warm and inviting.

    Such an atmosphere is not accomplished by artificial greetings and obligatory handshakes.  Instead, it is accomplished by honest individuals with caring hearts.  Paul said, “Encourage each other with these words” (1 Thess.  4:18, edb).

    So, we must feed people emotionally.

III.  FINALLY, WE MUST FEED PEOPLE SPIRITUALLY.

    That includes providing worship experiences that fill our deep human needs for beauty, joy and peace.  Jesus said, “God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24);

    The Psalmist said, “My soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation” (Psa.  35:9, niv).

    The church is one of the few organizations that nourishes the inner man.  Jesus said, “Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” (Matt.  6:25b, niv);

    “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36, nas).

    Things will never satisfy.  St.  Augustine said, “Thou has made us for Thyself, and the heart of man is restless until it finds its rest in Thee.”

    Here, in the Tom Baptist Church our ministry stresses special occasions such as Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  We have patriotic services.  We help people mark milestones like births, wedding and deaths.  We fill spiritual needs with inspirational music, candle light programs, the Lord’s Supper and Baptisms.

    Furthermore, we believe Christ is the only head of the church.  Paul said, “God put everything under his power and made him the head over everything for the church, which is Christ’s body . . .” (Eph.  1:22-23, edb).

    Therefore, we do not support a hierarchy of leadership.  We have no dictators.  Every Christian is autonomous and can be guided by his or her own conscience and the Holy Spirit within.  Paul said, “You should know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit who is in you . . .” (1 Cor.  6:19).

    So, we must feed people spiritually.

    As we evaluate our ministry, remember, each man, woman, boy and girl makes up the church.  Paul said, “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it” (1 Cor.  12:27, nlb).

    Therefore, we must be responsible in our attendance.  The Scripture says, “You should not stay away from the church meetings, as some are doing, but you should meet together and encourage each other” (Heb.  10:25, edb).

    The excuses we use for church won’t work in the real world.  Can you imagine these ridiculous statements?  “No, it’s raining a little bit, so we won’t be able to go to the ball game.”  “No, some company dropped in and I just can’t make it to work today.”  Or, “No, nurse, Johnny does not want to go to the dentist and I’m not gonna make him go, because I’m afraid he will develop a complex.”  Or, “I don’t know how long we’ll live here, so don’t hook up our electricity.”

    Faithful attendance is important.

    We must also be responsible in our stewardship.  Jesus said, “Give, and you will receive . . . The way you give to others is the way God will give to you” (Luke 6:38, edb);

    Jesus said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35, edb).

    A man trying to explain why churches take up collections said, “Let me share an experience with you.  Our first child was a little girl.  She cost us money from the moment she was born.  As she grew up she cost even more–her clothes were expensive and we had to have the doctor through all those childhood discases.  In High School she needed formals to go to parties.  When she went to college we discovered that there are a lot of expenses besides tuition.  After graduation she had a wedding which cost a lot of money.

    Then, she was killed in a car wreck.  You know, our daughter  hasn’t cost us a cent since the day we walked away from her grave.”

    He continued, “As long as the church is alive, it will cost money.  Only a dead church, like a dead child, is no longer expensive.  Think it over.  Is the church costing too much?”

    Then, we must certainly be responsible in our service.  Jesus said, “There are a great many people to harvest, but there are only a few workers. So pray to God . . . that he will send more workers to help gather his harvest” (Luke 10:2, edb).

    Once a library was moving.  A child named Paul and his parents joined the long line of people standing side by side for the community “book pass.”  Someone inside the old library removed books from the shelves and handed them to the first person in line.  Then, the people passed the books down the line from the old library right into the new one.

    After a while Paul said, “I’m getting tired.  My arms are sore.”  A little later he said, “I’m dropping out.  I can’t pass any more books.  Let someone else do it.”  When he left, it created a gap between his parents and the job was much more difficult. 

    It’s the same in church.  You are important.  Don’t drop out.  We need your attendance, your stewardship and your service in order to succeed.

    In the 21st century, the church cannot be satisfied to live on a holy hill in a stained glass house and throw stones of criticism at an evil world.  Instead the church must paraphrase Abraham Lincoln by saying, “We are an institution of the people, by the people, and for the people.”  If it does that the church shall never perish from the earth.  Jesus said, “On this rock I will build my church, and the power of death will not be able to defeat it” (Matt.  16:18, edb).

    This is your church.  It’s here to feed the people in this area.  Don’t neglect it.

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(WC1878)

Copyrighted 2010 by Miles and Maralene Wesner, Idabel, OK.  PLEASE FEEL FREE TO USE THIS MESSAGE IN ANY WAY YOU THINK IS APPROPRIATE.  The only thing we ask is that you give credit for original material in PUBLISHED works. 

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Miles E Wesner