GENE THERAPY & THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH

Imagine this:

You are a new bishop, freshly elected to a Synod with 270 churches. You take a quick survey of the congregations under your care and you find out that 265 never opened a Bible last year. 260 of them don’t have a Christian education program. 255 of them didn’t bother to pray all year. 250 of them didn’t do a single act of Christly service for anyone outside of their walls.

What would you think of such a synod? You’d certainly have your work cut out for you. The body (your synod) would have no future if the cells (the churches) were not healthy.

Now imagine this: You are a new pastor, freshly installed in a church with 270 families. You take a quick survey of the families under your care and you find out that 265 never opened a Bible last year. 260 of them didn’t mention God’s name aloud last year. 255 of them didn’t bother to pray all year. 250 of them didn’t do a single act of Christly service for anyone outside of their home.

What would you think of such a church? You’d certainly have your work cut out for you. A church cannot be healthy if the cells are not healthy.

Our homes are the cells of the church body; and most of them are sick, malnourished, and starving for the bread of life. How might we change that?

Some of you know that we buried my CEO’s 14 year old son last summer. Alex was full of cancer. They did everything they could to save him, but his whole body was under attack. The cells were sick, and the body could not survive.

The body can be no healthier than the cells.

Some of you are members of the mainline church. You've seen your numbers decimated over the last 30 years. (Actually, most of you would have been more than happy to only have been decimated... lost 1 in 10.)

I happen to be an ELCA pastor. My denomination lost 80,000 members in 2005. We’ve lost 275,000 members in the last five years. Why? There are many reasons, but let me suggest one underlying, systemic truth.

We are dying because the body can be no healthier than the cells.

How might we bring health to the cells before it is too late?

Tomorrow I will suggest an experiment you might try this fall.

 

Comments

[Diane]

Interesting note--this is very similar to the theme we have been getting from our pastor, who was new to our church last fall. As of late he has been doing sermons on the Fundamental Truths of the Assembly of God Church. Today's sermon was on sanctification -- Text was Romans 12:1-2. He gave the promise of a tremendous life in God, obtained by finding His perfect will for your life, and not found on this world's terms. He told us that he could not determine what was God's will for each of us, but he could provide the process--sanctification. This process he summed up in two words--seperation and dedication (don't conform to the ways of the world and renew your minds!) To go through this process it required PASSION, which takes FAITH. He gave us three benefits of living in the perfect will of God. . .it's good for us, it's pleasing for us and it is complete (no longer will we always be searching for more!) What God wants for us is always what is best for us!! May we all find ourselves moving on in our walk with the Lord, as we press on in our individual sanctification process! Makes me think of a little VBS song we used a couple of years ago. . .

"God's got a good plan for my life
I'll follow His will
I'll follow His way
God's got a good plan for my life
I'll follow Him every day!"

Blessings to all this beautiful Lord's Day!

[Sivin]

I'm interested to hear how you do it? and how you persevere in what seems to be overwhelming!