Why Not?

Churches of our time are languishing under the seeker sensitive sickness that was sold to pastors and church planters and church growth experts. Be sensitive to the seeker. Taylor your church and your ministries around the needs of the seeker. Teach them more about how to be successful in life rather than how to be right with God through repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ. Teach them how to be the "Best You" you can be instead of finding their identity in Christ. Teach them to increase their self-esteem, but the gospel says we must have a low self-esteem before we can ever come to be reconciled with God through faith in Christ. Focus on gimmicks and games rather than the glorious Gospel.

Now, churches are reaping what has been sown and sold. Those methods may have drawn a crowd, but they did little to build a church. They sound like the words of Hezekiah when told of the coming judgment that would ravish his people and even his family in 80 years: "Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?" (2 Kings 20:19) It didn't seem to matter to Hezekiah about the consequences of his actions or the writing on the wall as long as things were fine in his day.

As we make decisions about how to grow a church, we must not just be content with what it will look like in our time or if it will mean a comfy existence for us or if it will bring in a crowd now. We must think about what these decisions will mean 20 years from now. What do we want the church to look like in 20 years and how does this decision we are about to make impact the church for the far future, not just the immediate future? Let's commit to building solid biblical churches which strive for lasting gospel growth which will impact the church and the home positively 20 years from now and not be content with a quick shot in the arm of superficial growth that does not stand up to the trials of life and cares of the world.