Sermon Central
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The Importance Of Church In The Face Of ...
Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 4, 2010 (message contributor)
The Importance of Church in the Face of Disillusionment
The church has fallen on tough times. Sadly, some of the negative
perceptions are the church’s fault. Stories of sexual abuse by a few ministers and avarice and greed by others have tarnished the testimony of the church. I am convinced that such infractions represent the exception rather than the rule. But such failings among ministers have made the job of truly called men and women more difficult in our day.
Many outside perceive the church as being more concerned about buildings & budgets, nickels & noses, piety & pretense, than people & their problems. Oh, people are still involved in a search for meaning, but while spirituality is “in,” the church is definitely “out.”
Many today question the relevance of the church. Not just the people outside but also many inside. The church is seen as an institution that puts form before substance, tradition before truth, conformity before creativity, and seems more concerned about following their constitution and by-laws than the leading of the Holy Spirit. Some have even advocated that they need to leave the church to save their faith!
George Barna, the Christian pollster, has written that large
numbers of American Christians are disillusioned with the church. He supports this trend and has labeled these church dropouts “revolutionaries,” who are on the verge of forcing a decline of the churches in the 21st century. Other prominent writers, like John Eldridge, of “Wild At Heart” fame, agree with Barna. Amazingly, many professing Christians see themselves as part of the universal church of Christ, but do not participate in a local body. Others openly discredit the idea of formal membership in a congregation.
But while many have given up on the church, Jesus has not. The church is still the center of God’s work in this world, and if you are going to have a right with God, you will have a relationship with His church.
From a sermon by Dave McFadden, Why Church Membership?, 6/1/2010
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