Podcast Episode #178
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We discuss how churches—intentionally or not—choose to die. Whether it be elevating negotiables to the status of non-negotiables or just refusing to face reality, churches often choose to die rather than choosing to change.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
- When a church has an attitude that the pastor works for them to meet their needs, it’s already dying.
- Many churches who feel they are “the friendliest church in town” truly are friendly…to one another.
- Pastors too often blame new churches or megachurches for their church’s failure to reach their community.
- A church who is all about what it is against is on a path to dying as a church.
- There are some church members who would rather let people die and go to hell than to lose their preferences in church.
The five ways churches act in such a way that they effectively choose to die are:
- They refuse to face reality.
- They are more concerned about greater comfort than the Great Commission.
- They are unwilling to accept responsibility.
- They are too busy fighting and criticizing.
- They are confusing non-negotiables with negotiables.
Episode Sponsors
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Feedback
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Some of church leaders lack knowledge and are not equipped enough for what they are doing. Others fail to control their temper on the pulpit which makes believers to stumble and leave the church. A pastor here in Uganda recieved a letter from a fellow pastor and tiered it into pieces on the pulpit before the congregation and said this is my enemy. Thanks, you indeed inspire me always am sure am leading a stable church because of your work you are doing in me and in the body of CHRIST
I’m no pastor but for a long time I’ve been wondering if God is withdrawing his Spirit from what is popularly known as the Christian Church.
Regardless of how sound the preaching seems, my close encounters with pastors (including my brother and former brother in law) have been almost universally demoralizing. Gentle or harsh, I have never failed to bump into what seems like powerful pride. As a life long church goer, I actually got to the point where I was so discouraged that I quit going to church altogether for about a year or more and only went back because of the biblical directive not to forsake the gathering and my desire for my daughter to be a part of a Christian community. And for a while after going back, my skin crawled but I kept going anyway. I live and work in a dirty and deadly world and want some Christians to stand with me in doing what’s right and urging me to avoid what’s wrong.
What I’m hoping for is someone who can give me some insight in dealing with the pastor of the church I left over three years ago when the pastor agreed that he ought to do something and then didn’t do it. When I asked why, he said “How can I help this person (my current ex wife), if I continue with church discipline.” As a result I told him I no longer had any confidence that he was being subject to what he had agreed the Bible required him to do and would not continue going to his church.
I thought that was the end of it until today. In my current custody battle, he was strangely contacted by a court investigator and recounted an absolutely false series of statements regarding the marital counseling we were taking just before leaving the church. His statements about me were universally derogatory and his statements about my now ex were universally positive (even commenting positively on events he was never in a position to observe).
To make this especially dumbfounding, my ex ceased going to church altogether not long after I left that church, doesn’t even pretend to be a Christian anymore and is currently dating a divorcee. On the other hand, I go to church every Sunday I don’t have to work, read the Bible to my daughter nearly every night (and she loves it), and pray regularly with her. And the guy who leads my small group has mentioned several times that he has floated my name for leading one of the adult small groups but I don’t feel that I can right now because my work schedule (military) keeps me out of church quite a bit.
I guess my questions are whether or not this guy is a wolf in sheep’s clothing and what I can do about it. Right now, I’m thinking about suing him for libel. Any other thoughts appreciated as I’m feeling a bit heartbroken and discouraged by the dishonesty which I’ll be able to prove if I can still find the emails of almost 4 years ago.
Seriously, I’m literally bankrupting myself to ensure my daughter isn’t raised as an Atheist and according to the morality she’ll be taught by the public school and the TV her mom uses to babysit her. And this guy is helping her and attacking me.