I spent most of my day today with the Lord. It’s now about 10:30 at night and my mind rumbles with thoughts of frustration at a message I just heard. Its been at least 6 months since I listened to a message from the last Traditional church I left. It was a church of 800. They held two Sunday morning services and they can be heard on their Internet site.
After leaving 3 years ago, I have made it a point to occasionally check in on what they are currently preaching. So far the messages have never made me regret leaving, and today’s was exceptionally sad. The preacher was pleading for people to come back after weeks of the Covid virtual church services. It seems a lot of people have not been coming back, and not just this church, but many.
The Pastor started out by recognizing this problem has been going on way before Covid, but the pandemic had now shifted church exodus into hyper-drive! He gave some statistics. He admitted we have slid into a post-Christian culture. This has happened while under the watch of Traditional church, and yet he was presenting his case for a return to Traditional church! What’s the old saying? You can’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results? But he was.
He gave statistics that this year was already on course to see a 15% drop in church attendance even before Covid! And now, it would be even worse. He said that just to keep up with the birthrate in our country, you need 10,000 new churches every year! But instead of 10,000 churches opening, it would be 10,000 closing, causing a 20,000 church short fall! One-third of churches are about to close their doors due to Covid, and yet he continued only offering the same pattern of church we have had for many years now. He kept preaching the old wine that is being rejected.
He never once mentioned the Micro church movement. He never once mentioned Home churches. He spoke of the church in the book of Acts but never once mentioned them as Home churches. Instead, he went to the Old Testament to try and prove the need for large churches! He used the Old Testament temples as a pattern! This cannot be supported by the New Covenant, so he went to the Old, just like Pastors do on tithing, but Jesus fulfilled the Old and gave us the New!
By Old Testament standards, Jesus could not even be a Priest, let alone our High Priest, because he was not of the tribe of Levi. Jesus was of the tribe of Judah! Jesus made major changes in what we call church. He fulfilled the Old and took everything to a higher level. The book of Hebrews is excellent on this very subject.
Anyway, it was so sad listening to this man give the statics, the evidence, the proof of how badly our modern system is not working, and yet plead a case for still working it! He also explained people are dropping off the Virtual church services also! Virtual church is not working! It is called “Screen Fatigue”! How very interesting.
In our little Fellowship we have had no need for virtual church, and our Fellowship has continued functioning without a hitch. But this Pastor insinuated through his entire message that a Home church is not really “gathering yourself together”. He insinuated it is the “falling away”, and we need to get back in the four walls of the church buildings. Never mind Jesus said where two or three are gathered in my name, I am in their midst. He never explained that scripture. But most likely his big church is bleeding not only people, but money! House churches won’t work to his big church agenda. His message was so full of his personal bias that it defiled the whole message.
Now when I left 3 years ago, everyone was excited that big changes were coming to that church. I told my wife then, churches are always saying this. We will see if they can turn this big ship? Well, evidently they did not, because guess what…big changes are coming to this church again! Wow! Get excited everybody! But what are the big changes this time? What is the new vision this time? The people are tired of the hype and old wine. They are leaving looking for the fresh bread from heaven. People are realizing this king has no clothes, and they are voicing it by simply leaving.
We can already see Jonah being thrown overboard, but if we think this is bad, be ready for November elections! The Progressives already blame the church for electing Trump. They see “Jonah” as the cause of this storm! And no matter who wins in November, there is likely going to be an explosion! Forewarned is prepared. Right?
On that note, I warned people against the church becoming political. This Pastor also mentioned he knew many churches being torn apart by politics! Preach the Word! And if that don’t cause someone to vote right, then nothing will anyway! Don’t sacrifice your testimony in Christ over politics! Change hearts through the Gospel of Christ, that is our assignment as priest in this earth.
Church…get ready for November. Most of the church has painted itself into this corner. If persecution is required to reshape the church, I see it coming. So be wise and make spiritual preparations now. Get back to majoring on the Gospel majors, and minoring on the minors. David and his mighty men endured the storms and eventually brought the Ark back where it belonged. Seek the anointing. Only God’s power back in the house will change the day.
Path Without End 