HEALTHY CHURCH: Church, Say No To Apathy and Lethargy
In the song “The Church Triumphant,”Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote, “Let the church be the church. Let the people rejoice. For we’ve settled the question. We’ve made our choice. Let the anthems ring out. Songs of victory swell. For the church triumphant, is alive and well.” Great song and message, but is that true of your church? When this song is sung well, it can create within you a desire to attack hell with a water pistol. Unfortunately, far too many churches have fallen asleep and need to awaken from their apathy (an I don’t care attitude) and lethargy (not doing what they need to be doing).
One part of the song that you do not hear as much says, “There have been times of affluence and prosperity when the church’s message has been nearly deluded into oblivion by those who sought to make it socially attractive, neatly organized and financially profitable, but God has always had a people.” Actually, the New Testament message to your church is very countercultural. While the world says “be whoever you want to be” the church proclaims the message of Christ to die to self, crucify the flesh and be who God formed you to be. Jesus now lives within you, enabling you to carry out His purpose for your life.
I Peter 1:16 clearly states, “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” Think about the church in Thyatira. You hear more about Ephesus and Laodicea, but this is one of the seven churches of Asia that Jesus addressed in Revelation 2 and 3. Thyatira was a caring, sacrificial and loving church. That was the good part, and most churches are certainly doing some good things, but they were tolerating false teaching and sexual immorality. God is a holy God, and He is fiercely intolerant of those two things. Jesus tells them, “You are loving in many ways, but your tolerance is not love. It is unfaithfulness!”
When you look at Rev. 2:21, Jesus does not say, “Affirm her!” or “Dialogue with Her!” He says, “Remove her, or I will!” The Lord of His church is so stern that he is described with “eyes like fire” (too pure to look on evil) and “feet like burnished bronze” (too holy to walk among wickedness). Church, if you are not careful, you will work diligently to make being a Christian easier, less costly and much less countercultural. That will lead your church to become and display a compromised Christianity. Labeling sin as sin isn’t popular anymore, but was it ever? We need much more of Jesus and much less of ourselves.
Peter’s call to holiness describes followers of Christ as a peculiar people. That requires a separation from the world. Many churches have become more comfortable talking about what we have in Christ but do not want to discuss what we shouldn’t have. When you say “yes” to Jesus, that also means saying “no” to the world and the lusts of the flesh. You will naturally drift away from holiness, not toward holiness. Saying no to apathy and lethargy will require a renewed focus on God’s presence and revival in your heart. The pathway to becoming cold and indifferent is not by intention but inaction.
Saying no to apathy and lethargy means you are keenly aware of and sensitive to God’s divine, holy anger over sin and rebellion. This cannot be ignored if your church truly desires and longs to be the church He has called you to be. Revival in your church is waking up to the presence of Jesus in your midst. Churches are attempting a multitude of programs and activities, believing they know what to do, but honestly, is it working? Are you experiencing His presence that leads you into extended times of worship where you are not concerned about the service going too long? When Jesus shows up, you will not want to be anywhere else.
For any church to function properly, it must be in His presence. In the book of Genesis, man was formed, and God breathed life into him. The only other time you see this is in John 20, where He breathed the Holy Spirit on them and made them functional. Power resides in God’s presence, and we are weak, vulnerable and sinful without Him. You cannot function properly without Him. Although He does not leave us, you can hinder His activity in and through your life and ministry. In the Presence Centered Life, Bill Elliff stated, “God desires an unbroken, daily, personal relationship with us, but we must cooperate.”
This journey begins with a desperate desire to seek Him and His presence. There is a desire for more of His presence by being in His Word, praying and fasting. What would it look like for your church to call its membership to an extended time of prayer? How might you designate a particular day of the week for all your members who are able to fast, seeking His manifest presence in their lives and the church? Bill Elliff continued, “We must make the choice to turn to Him… Since the Word is one of His primary means of speaking to us, we must cooperate.” It requires a conscious, intentional choice to awaken from your spiritual slumber.
J. Oswald Sanders stated, “Each of Jesus’ disciples was as close to Jesus as he chose to be, for the Son of God had no favorites. With Him, there is no caprice or favoritism. Their relationship with Him was the result of their own choice, conscious or unconscious. It is sobering to realize that we are as close to Christ as we really choose to be.” II Chronicles 7:14 is conditional by stating that if we pray, humble ourselves, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways, He will hear us. “Let the church be the church!”
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Larry Barker
Director of Church Planting and Church Health Larry Barker submits a weekly column titled, Healthy Church Solutions, designed to strengthen and encourage the local church.
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