Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Church of the Living Dead

…but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
(John 12:24)

There has always been a lot of talk by people about leaving, visiting, or experiencing a so-called “dead” church. To most, I suppose what they mean by “dead church” would be that it was cold and formal. When people say it’s a dead church they mean that it feels dead. This could be true, and as the venerable Jonathan Edwards said, you have to have both heat and light.

However, lets consider the other side, because I have seen just as many churches that are just as dead and yet have a whole lot of buzz about them. You know, they even have a buzz conference these days. They may have a lot of hype but no holiness, a lot of passion, but no power. So to me a dead church can look like a really lively one, for sure.

Today we have the church of the upwardly mobile, the church where everybody is somebody, the church where you can become the best you that you can be, and we even have a laughing church or two out there. We have the liberated church, the empowered church, the militant church, and the dead churches. I would put all of the above in the last category.

Today what we need is for people to be on fire for the gospel, but what we see are just more and more programs, promotions, politics, and purpose. We may have passion, but we don’t have any real power, because we lack purity (fuel): where there is no fuel the fire dies out. Flash fires, flash paper, and the flash in the pan all fade. Soon enough a fire that doesn't have real fuel dies out, and often gets replaced by a false fire built on feelings, fellowship, or flurry. People try and live off the fumes of a faded fire, and that, friends, is a dead church. Too many preachers in the pulpit and people in the pews are confusing anointing with adrenaline, and the busyness of man with the business of God.

A pastor in Illinois said something like this. “The modern day church looks exactly like a community service organization, like the YMCA. I love the Y, but I would not say I love the ministry of the Y. It is a health club, a safe place for families, and a place to go to have fun. The YMCA boasts having introduced millions of people to sports. One of their themes, “It’s more than a gym, it’s a community,” sounds a bit like the theme of the modern day church. Go to www.YMCA.net and view their website and compare it with most church websites. They are almost identical. Sadly, the modern day church has a lot in common with the YMCA.”

“Pastors who want to build churches by attracting people through programs and that sort of community, the YMCA could use your help. No one would say the YMCA functions like a church, but we can say many churches function like they are a YMCA.”

You see, church today has become little more than a socialistic country club atmosphere of fun seekers – not God seekers! Psalm 127:1 – Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain.

The question remains: what do you want to be a part of?

It’s good to be active, and organized, and lively, but it’s a must to be alive!

Do you want to know what an alive church is?

A church that is alive is a church where people are dying!

Dying to self that is…

12 comments:

Even So... said...

This is a repost from nearly 7 months ago, but with some added material, and it is part of the series, and we have many more visitors to the site these days, so I thought it was good to post again...

Kim said...

Thanks for this!

Once again, true Christianity proves itself to be the ultimate paradox: dying is needed for life.

donsands said...

I prayed this morning with my wife that the Lord would give us the same heart He gave to His servant Paul, so that we could say, " .. the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."

Very nice study.

Diane Viere said...

Brilliant! Worthy of a repeat....over and over again!

Diane

Anonymous said...

This ia a great post!

came from Bluecollar's blog

mind if I say a prayer for your dad to?

blessings

Even So... said...

Please do, and thank you for coming over...

Anonymous said...

Thank for a great post!

i was just reading your name,

you are a Hatfield? you don't know McCory's ( I think thats how you spell it) :)

And I like Florida State

Even So... said...

Yes, my family is from West Virginia, and we are of those hillbilly Hatfield's...I don't know any McCoy's...

As far as your collegiate preferences, well, no one is perfect, but REPENT, there is forgiveness and healing to be had...be set free...

Anonymous said...

All well guess we all can't be perfect :)

and I is a hillbilly from Missouri:)

jazzycat said...

J.D.,
Very good and discerning post. My prayers are with your dad.

Even So... said...

Thanks Jazzy, God bless you...

Sista Cala said...

Powerful message, needs to be preached to all preachers nation-wide. The church body will be no more alive in the Spirit than the pastor is. It is a certainty that the death of their flesh will not be any more than the death of their leader's flesh.

Just like our natural bodies; what goes in the mouth/head has much to do with the shape of the rest of the body.