Church Matters?

The church today has changed. Statistics say that on average, church attendance is on the decline. People are leaving the church at a faster rate than they are coming to it. Why is this? I think it is happening because of three basic things that are being missed.

First, we have lost the meaning of church. You are the church, and as a believer you are part of a body that is made up of every other believer in the world. The church is not where you meet together, as it is not a place or a building. And your local gathering, regardless of size, is not the entire body of Christ. The church is simply you, and you matter.

"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." 1 Cor. 12:27

Next, we have lost the value of church. The church is Christ's chosen vehicle to spread the message of salvation found in and through Him, to the world. This is the method that Jesus taught on, and we gather weekly to encourage one another on this path we have chosen to walk together, all the while following the mission of Jesus of seeking and saving the lost. Gathering together matters.

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:25.

Lastly, we have misunderstood the cost of church. There is a cost associated with supporting the leaders and the resources required to meet this task in 2012 and going forward. We are under the misunderstanding that churches just want our money. And to be honest, yes some do. But that is not the church Jesus set up before He left. The church cost Jesus His life, and in order to keep it moving we have to spend wisely the resources He has given us. That means it takes money, so yes money matters. In light of what Christ gave for the church, our approach to how we give should be more like a race to get there, and less like an obstacle course that keeps us from it.

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." Malachi 3:10.

We should be giving to God based on what He has given to us, and worry less about how much we will have left, then we could start to experience the abundance God has stored up for His church. Maybe if we lived out what matters most to God, we could experience what He has planned for us that matters most.

...just sayin'

In His Grip,

Pastor Pat