This question is being asked many pastors today, "Where is everyone?" " Why are most people choosing not to go to church anymore?" This question was asked by Jesus too.
Luke 17:11-17
11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
The reasons people are no longer going to church may be many, but one reason is that people forget or possibly don't even know all that God has done for them as in the example above. I don't think people understand what worship is anymore and that we are there to worship God, to thank Him, and to experience Him. Today however, I think the primary reason for lack of attendance is far more problematic and sad. I believe the primary reason people have stopped attending church is because the power of the Holy Spirit is lacking, no worse than that, non existent, in most church services today. Without the power of the Holy Spirit, people are essentially attending man made services! It takes the power of the Holy Spirit to convict the church goers heart, to change the church goers heart, to do spiritual surgery on the church goers heart. People are too busy, too stressed out and too tired to continue to add another obligation to their already overbooked schedule unless….what they add is truly life changing!
You and I have heard the many reasons people don't come to church and when you stop and think about the reasons the bottom line is always this, "People choose not to come because they "know" nothing significant is going to happen so why bother?" Now that is a sad commentary on the condition of the Christian church today, really sad! I'm convinced that there are some people, many people who no longer even expect to meet God when they come to church! How has this happened?
Well Kent you are the pastor, who's fault is it that we are not experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit? Let me be right up front, "It's my fault!" It is the pastors duty to create the environment in the church service that will allow the Holy Spirit to do His work. Everything we do at Praise Community Fellowship must be to bring glory to God and it is the pastors responsibility to make sure everything in the service is pointing to God and His Glory.
Look at this bible verse.
Colossians 1:15-18
The Supremacy of the Son of God
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
Jesus is to be the focus and the reason for everything we do. He is the head of the church! He must be lifted up in every song, in every activity because church is about Him! We gather to worship Him and all He did for us so that "in everything he might have the supremacy."
The only viable reason for coming to church and getting involved in a church is so that you can get to know and experience the living God, Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit. That is the bottom line. It's not so you can play in a band or get to sing in a group, or get to know some nice people. Nor should one attend church because that's where their friends go, or because they like the music, or the pastor. All those things can be part of worship but none of them are the reason one should attend church. The primary reason one attends a church must be to meet and experience the living God. That is when lives change, miracles happen, and true worship will be experienced! People are choosing not to come to church because there is no longer even an expectation of meeting God if they come, and that is truly sad!
My number one priority is for Praise Community Fellowship to become a place where people can come to experience the living God. A gathering where true worship takes place. A place where people come broken and leave changed, healed, filled with hope because they experienced Gods Holy Power! Let the healing begin.
Come and hear a life changing message this Sunday by a guest speaker.
It's time to return to worship! 6:30 pm Sunday at the Crystal Garden, 1230 University Drive, Edwardsville.
Love, pastor kent
