The Main Thing

As a pastor of a growing and thriving church, I am confronted often with this question from visitors -- "What programs does your church have for me and my family?"

I usually go on to explain that we have a teen program, children's program, college/career ministry, couples fellowships, and many other ministries for families and individuals.

While I obviously don't believe these programs are wrong, I do believe we as pastors have led the church down the wrong path into selfishness and spiritual mediocrity by overemphasizing programs over Bible preaching and selfless service.

"What is in it for me?" is the constant drum beat that most pastors hear and this in turn puts constant pressure on them to keep up with the newest trend in church marketing. It would be refreshing to see Christians looking for a church where they can worship the Lord "in spirit and in truth" and where sin is confronted and people are convicted of their sins and change their lives.

Can you imagine someone searching for a church stating "We want a church where the Bible is preached, sin is confronted, conversions are happening and disciples are being made ... that is where I want my family to worship"? They might go on to say, "Church programs are OK but I am more concerned about biblical truth than the next fun thing for the teens or the praise and worship teams' performance."

The church must get back to biblical basics and teach the people that it really is not "all about you."

Jesus came to this world to "save that which was lost" (Matthew 18:11) and that message, even though not palpable with the culture, must be preached. The New Testament church's mandate according to the scripture is to preach biblical truth (II Timothy 4:2) and make disciples of all men.

Using pragmatism and "fun stuff" to attract a crowd will not last and will require the line to be moved further and further from the Bible to keep the crowds coming.

An example of this is the Emergent Church. The "Emergent Church" movement (now favored in many mainline and evangelical churches) states that truth is never really known and each culture has the right to define truth as they see it. They try to Christianize this by using selected Bible principles but this philosophy is nothing more that postmodernism with a never-ending search for truth.

The Bible is truth as it is the very word of God. II Timothy 3:16 tells us it is inspired by God and is "profitable for doctrine," i.e. truth, and totally sufficient to guide our every decision.

In this community we have a lot of hurting people who need answers that can only come from the Bible.

What they need and desire are authentic, caring friends who will show them the truth from the Bible and how God loves them and has offered them forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ.

Let's keep the main thing, the Main Thing and be those Christians the world is looking for.