No one disputes that church attendance has been in decline in America for the last number of years. But it’s not as straightforward as it seems.
According to one national church consultant (Thom Rainer), “The number one reason for the decline in church attendance is that members attend with less frequency than they did just a few years ago.”
He said, “About twenty years ago, a church member was considered active in the church if he or she attended three times a month. Today, some church members consider themselves active if they attend once a month.”
What that means is that a large part of the change isn’t fewer believers, as much as, it is less-consistent worship.
Other factors that affect the national trend include the fact that families are putting a higher focus on kids’ activities. For example, when I was a child, schools didn’t hold any events on Sundays.
Then, there is the factor of the blended and single-parent families where they often must split the amount of time families can spend at church.
Perhaps the biggest influence of all is the myriad of online options for worship, and not just on Sunday mornings. Finally, others suggest that people just don’t feel guilty about missing church anymore.
Many pastors are concerned about the negative attendance trends, and are very frustrated with various changes in our culture that may be contributing to the trends.
But I can honestly say that I’m not frustrated or worried, and here is why I say that.
These are the times that you and I have been given. God could have made me a pastor at any time in the history of His Church, and He could have placed you in His Church at any other time as well. But He put us here and now. We are to SERVE His church here and now.
1 Chronicles 12 lists the mighty men and warriors who came to fight with King David. In verse 32, it mentions…
“From Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do – 200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command.”
Maybe this verse simply means these men understood the times in such a way that they knew David was a better choice than King Saul.
Perhaps it means that these men had a deep understanding of fighting, human nature, or even politics. Either way, I think this verse shows us two options.
Option 1) We can ignore the times around us, and just watch them pass us by. Or,
Option 2) We can understand the times in which God has placed us and respond to them with wisdom.
Just as the men from Issachar put their lot in with King David, I have put my lot in with Christ’s church during this time in our history.
I don’t know if there’s ever been a time in history when God’s Church has been so relevant … and so desperately needed. And one may ask has there ever been a time when the Church has had so much work to do?
One of the reasons I have such great hope for the Church is that Jesus established it, and promised that it would prevail no matter the times or circumstances it faces. When Peter identified Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus responded by saying this…
“Blessed are you … for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Matthew 16:17–18
In this passage, where Jesus established the Christian Church, the Greek word translated as “church” literally means a local assembly or gathering.
However, it is interesting to note that the word CHURCH in the Bible NEVER refers to a building – it is always a reference to a gathering of people.
So, this building where we normally worship IS NOT the church. You and I are the local gathering in the name of Jesus … we are the church in this place … you and me.
Now, the Greek word for “Peter” is Petros, and the Greek word for “rock” is petra. So, Jesus is using Peter’s name as a play on words in these verses.
The Church is built on the foundation of Christ. And Peter’s confession of faith is the first stone used in the building when Peter declared, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (verse 16).
Our Gospel lesson also highlighted a tremendous authority and responsibility that Jesus gave to the church … His people. In verse 19, Jesus said…
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Now we know that only God can forgive sins, and only God can save people. So, this is NOT a power where we line people up and then go down the line and say, “You are saved. You are not saved.”
So, what does it mean that a local church has the power to bind and loose things on earth and in heaven?
Let me cite this metaphor and see if it makes sense to you. Let’s say that the Gospel is a loaded 2020 Mustang Shelby GT350. It has all the power it needs to do the work it is going to do. You cannot add anything to its power and speed.
Now imagine Jesus comes up to you and says, “Here are the keys, My child. Where are you going to take it?”
That’s what I think this passage is saying. The power to bring freedom to people, to break their chains of sin through forgiveness, which is found in the Gospel.
The Gospel doesn’t need us. But Jesus values you and your relationship to Him so much, that He wants you to be a part of His work. In fact, He invites you to be part of His work.
So, Jesus says, “Here’s the Gospel. Here are the keys. Where are you going to take it?”
The church has the authority to bring the full power and truth of heaven … to a hurting and sinful world … or we can park the Gospel in the garage.
I believe we need to take those keys, come screaming out of the driveway, put the pedal down, and see what this Gospel of Jesus Christ has under the hood. We are going to see what the freeing power of Jesus can really do in our community and in our world.
At times, it may get a little messy. It might get a chip in the windshield. It might get a ding in the side, but this car (the Gospel) is meant to be driven.
We have been given the keys to the kingdom, so we are going to take it forward by Jesus’ power, under the protection of His grace, and through the leading of His Spirit … so that what is loosed here on earth by His power, may be loosed in heaven for all of eternity. And the gates of hell will not stand against us!
Now, all that being said, I have heard some people say over the years, they hate organized religion. I think I understand why. Throughout history at times organized religion forgot it’s mission and purpose.
Sometimes we think church is all about structure and a hierarchy, when actually it is about the people we are called to reach.
Perhaps, the best thing about organized religion is that it organizes. When we organize, we can get more ministry done, than if we were working alone.
God has called us to gather to find ways to live, share, and spread the truth and power of the Gospel.
We have a common mission and call, which we can’t complete without each other. In Romans 12, Paul said…
“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.” Romans 12:4–6
You can get some things done by yourself, but it’s like a thumb without a hand or other fingers. In the end a thumb by itself is not good for much. But in conjunction with fingers, there is no end to the things your thumb can grasp, open, move, pull, or shape!
And it is the same way with the body of Christ. Our different gifts working in conjunction with one another opens-up ministry and Gospel opportunities we could never imagine on our own! You cannot be all you are created to be without each other.
The trends may say church attendance is down, but we don’t have to be subject to the trends of our culture. In fact, we are called to change and shape our world together with the power of the Gospel.
It’s the power that God gave us when we come together. That’s why God tells us in Hebrews 10:25 not to give up, “meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing.”
I’m not asking you to add another thing to your already busy life; I’m just suggesting that we all make the work of the kingdom of God a priority in our lives since it’s the only work that really matters.
One essential expression and work of that priority is for us to keep meeting together! The bottom line is…
“We Need the Church.”
Our need to gather goes beyond what we can get done or do; it actually affects WHO we are and WHAT we become. We find in the Bible that the followers of Jesus are meant to be equipped, motivated, and connected to the local church.
You don’t have to go to any specific Christian Church, such as COL, but the Bible says we should all be connected to Christ’s church. In Colossians 3:16, Paul put it like this…
“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”
The message of Christ dwells among us, and that should not be a surprise to anyone. We are called to be transformed more into His likeness. But, how do you think that happens?
In the first verse Paul tells us, “As you teach and admonish one another.” ADMONISH means to correct and urge. This is the powerful thing about coming together regularly.
We are all a little blind. There are ways that we are all a little off or a little wrong. We all have blind spots, different experiences, different strengths and weaknesses. And we are used to doing things and seeing things our own way.
If you want to grow to the next level in the way you follow Jesus, you have to get beyond your own voice and your own interpretation of God’s Word.
A church gathering is important for our growth, our unity, and our purpose. No wonder the Bible so clearly tells us we should NEVER forsake gathering together.
And there are very practical reasons for gathering often as a church for worship. As I think of the practical reasons, I am reminded of the couple that is having problems remembering things.
During a checkup, the doctor tells them that they’re physically okay, but they might want to start writing things down to help them remember.
Later that night, while watching TV, the man gets up from his chair. “Want anything while I’m in the kitchen?” he asks.
“Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?”
“Sure.”
“Don’t you think you should write it down so you can remember it?” she asks.
“No, I can remember a simple bowl of ice cream.”
“Well, I’d like some strawberries on top, too. Maybe you should write it down.”
He says, “I can remember that. You want a bowl of ice cream with strawberries.”
“I’d also like whipped cream. I know you’ll forget that. Write it down,” she says.
Irritated, he says, “I don’t need to write it down. I can remember it! Ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream, for goodness’ sake!”
After about twenty minutes, the man returns from the kitchen and hands his wife a plate of bacon and eggs. She stares at the plate for a moment and asks him, “Where’s my toast?”
Like this couple, one of OUR big problems is that we need constant reminders of the truth. There’s so much in this world that is questioning, contradicting, and attacking the truth of God Almighty.
When we gather here, we are reminded of the truth of God’s Word, the truth of who God is, and the truth of who we are in Christ.
If we forsake meeting together, the truth will quietly slip from the forefront of our minds, and we’ll almost imperceptibly buy into, and live according to, the lies of this world, the lies of this culture.
It amazes me how quickly I can forget or question God’s goodness, power, love, and involvement in my life. Gathering every week in church keeps my life on track with what I believe in my heart.
But we also gather together to bring real help and support for life’s difficulties. Is there anyone out there, other than me, who has found out that life is hard?
The truth is “We all have!” All of us are going to go through trials at some time, in some way. When the tough times hit, your church family is there for you.
When the tough times come tor me, I want you to be there for me. What a beautiful thing it is when we gather and extend the grace and care of God to one another!
But there’s an even MORE important reason for us to gather every week. And it’s NOT ABOUT you, and it’s NOT ABOUT me.
It’s ALL ABOUT our Creator and Savior.
Every week, we gather, we pray, we read God’s Word, and we sing songs of worship to Him. 1 Chronicles 16:29 says…
“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.”
We need to worship God. To worship is to boldly declare who God is, and what place He has in our lives. As we make that declaration, our hearts and minds line up with the truth of our worship.
Worship actually transforms us as C. S. Lewis once said…
“In the process of being worshipped … God communicates His presence to men.”
As we worship together, we draw nearer to God. As you can see in the Bible, any human who comes close to God leaves forever changed. Jesus told us in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
We gather to draw near to God. Gathering for Worship is an essential part of our personal relationship with Him.
But even if worship did absolutely nothing for us, we still should gather to worship God for no OTHER reason than He deserves it.
There is NOTHING like the church when it’s working right. But is there anything more disappointing than a gathering of believers who have decided to park the Gospel in the garage to keep it clean and safe and pure?
What an amazing honor and privilege God has given us. Do you see HOW highly He thinks of you as part of this this gathering of believers called church?
And it is our job to do our very best to make sure it’s working right. But it only works right when we understand that the local church is not a building. It certainly is not a pastor. It is not a denomination. It is not volunteers or elders.
The local church is a gathering – an assembly of followers of Jesus Christ, who are united by love for Him.
A church that’s working right is a church where every individual in the gathering takes his or her place in the gathering with a determination to take the keys of the kingdom and charge forward with the Gospel of Jesus Christ … for the glory of His name and for the freedom of His people.
For the sake of the health of this church, for the sake of your own growth, I want to challenge you to be the church with me every week for the remainder of this series.
Let’s gather together every week so we can BE the church that God has called us to be. Amen