Why is Church growth in America stymied and almost nonexistent in most local congregations?
It seems as though most Americans lack a true desire for Sunday morning church attendance, exchanging their Sunday's in quest for something more meaningful such as seeking pleasure more than the love of God.
Where's The Love?
The answer to this major problem may well lie in the fact that there is not much love expressed in most congregations directed toward the lonely and hurting of humanity. In the church we have exchanged programs for a human touch of love.
Not long ago a friend confided in me concerning the ministry that he was involved in. After the critiquing of a recent crusade, the leader addressed the board of directors with the question, "How many giving units did we have present in last weeks crusade"?
Are people no longer persons with feelings, beings filled with emotions and in need of love but rather now rendered to just "giving units"?
What was the church birthed for? Contrary to popular opinion the church was not brought into being for the purpose of finding God. No, it was originally intended as a fellowship for new believers to share in the love experience of the "God so loved the world" concept.
Our westernized mindset as to the meaning of church is far removed from its original intention.
The church should be a haven of love for the hurting. Every Sunday morning across this nation, strangers, first time visitors, find their way into our congregations through the front door, not to find Jesus but to find someone to love them.
The church is built upon the capacity to express our love to God as well as our hurting neighbor, not bigger and better programs. Love builds the church.
When you lose your capacity to love your neighbor, you lose your capacity to love God. When you lose the capacity to love God, you lose the capacity to evangelize. When you fail in evangelism the church will die.
The Will Of The Heart
Evangelism is crucial in filling His Kingdom and empty pews. When you lose your capacity to love one another, you forfeit the capacity to forgive one another.
I have often asked this question, "is the love of God all sufficient for His creation, mankind?" If your answer was a resounding yes, then why was it necessary for God to take from man another being in His likeness named Eve for a companion to Adam? We need each other.
A society that loses its moral values first loses its capacity to love. Real love is not the act of the lust of the flesh, but true love is the will of the heart. May this teaching on "perfect love" kindle a fire within us to love God and the hurting even more.
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