The Declining Church - More Why

In a conversation with a small group on this subject a few more observations were made about possible factors that relate to the declining church.

1.  No Time for False Advertising

In one conversation I was reading regarding why more millennials don’t come to church, one millennial writer said, “Having been advertised to our whole lives, we millennials have highly sensitive BS meters.”  I think this extends beyond millennials to everyone under 50, maybe 55.  Everyone who has been a part of the media revolution has been advertised their whole life.  I remember a story by my American History teacher in high school (I graduated in 1987).  He said on a trip with a group of students they got stuck in an airport.  While they endured the long wait and boredom, since it was before smart phones, they started to sing songs together.  But the only songs everyone in the group knew as a group were commercial jingles. 

Everyone has been advertised to so relentlessly that they are looking quickly to see what it is that you want from them.  This means a church better be what they advertise.  Don’t advertise you are open to everyone if it is obvious to a guest that everyone is not welcome.  Don’t advertise you believe and follow the Word of God if you only follow the parts you like.  If someone who has been advertised to takes the time to come to church and sees something false, you can be sure they are not just put off, they are insulted at the waste of their time.  Their inclination is to immediately leave and most definitely to stop listening.

The old adage, “People don’t care about what you know until they know that you care” rings more true today than ever.  It is personal touches of caring that exhibits the hand of God from the church.  It is personal testimonies and witnesses of God’s touch in our lives that must be shared.  If the church wants people to believe its message, it needs to be believable.

2.  No Power in the Church

The church is intended to be God's Body on the earth, the Body of Christ. This means one intention of the church is to do the will of God as His physical hands and feet.  To say that the church is merely a meeting of like-minded saved people isn’t really enough.   The church should be more than this.  We were made with the view of having dominion over God’s enemy, so the church needs to be the ones who carry out God’s authority on the earth.  This means that they need to be subject to His authority in every way.  

For the Church to be built up, the members of the church need to come under His authority as the head to be in His kingdom.  So, if you have Christians in the church who refuse to be under God’s authority and are their own head, then Christ will probably struggle or simply refuse to build that church.  Ephesians 4:15-16 says ”We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.” (MSG).

If the world doesn't see the power of God in the lives of those who profess to be Christian where is the attraction and what is the point?  Why join a church or follow a church that demands time when those people are almost exactly like you now?

In Acts chapter 5, the apostles are jailed for preaching and healing.  An angel sets them free and instructs them to go and preach again, even though the high priest has told them not to.  When they find them not in the jail and in the temple preaching they bring them to their courts accusing them of breaking their orders.  Peter replies, "We must obey God rather than human beings! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging Him on a cross. God exalted Him to His own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him."  Then a wise teacher named Gamaliel spoke.

"Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men.  Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing.  After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."

Today, too many churches are doing their own purpose and their activities from their own origin and they are failing.  The church needs to learn again how to listen for God's direction, then to unapologetically, with no fear of persecution or what is proper in society, and with a complete belief in the Message of God, do what He purposes for them to do in His power.