Sins of a Dying Church #2

Sin 2.  Loss of Evangelistic Passion

Dying churches have little evangelistic passion.  They putter around in sharing their faith.  When Peter and John faced the tribunal in Acts 4, the accusers were amazed at the boldness of their faith.  When the tribunal demanded silence and ordered them not to preach or teach the name of Jesus or else face losing their lives, Peter and John responded, "We are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard" (v.20).  Dying churches stop speaking about Christ to the world.  Evangelistic fervor becomes apathetic disinterest in a lost world.

As we will see later in the book, much responsibility rests upon the leadership of the church.  It is the responsibility of the pastor and other key leaders to exhibit this evangelistic passion.  In many thriving churches the driving force behind obedience to the Great Commission is the passion that the senior pastor maintains for the lost.  This passion will flow from the top down.  As the congregation sees his zeal, they catch the same fire.

Thom Rainer and Sam Rainer III, Essential Church, 17.

Most local churches should be appalled how much of our resources and energy goes toward our buildings and maintaining our programs that service the needs of our current members.

But we are not.  It is how things are done.  This is how our church functions.  Rarely do we ask if church status quo is correct.  

How long would Jesus last as the pastor of most local congregations?  

How about Paul?  

Both would be fired from most churches for not maintaining 

the current church ministries in a way that honors the past. 

How did we get here?

Maybe our model for doing church is wrong.

The local church exists for those outside its walls.