You can't help but notice that the majority leave because they say the drifted away from religion. But what does that mean? Did they drift away from the faith or did they get tired of "religion" in general. There is no way for me to say having not seen the actual survey or the responses. But as for me and my thoughts; let me say this.
Too many people in churches today are caught up in religion and tradition. Too many people place God in a box and fail to recognize that He uses many avenues to reach the hearts of the lost. Too many times we think that a worship service should be conducted a certain way. All too often people are more concerned with the structure of the service than the content. God once spoke through a jackass. At another time Christ used his own spit to make clay to place on a blind man and healed his blindness.
God moves in mysterious ways. His ways are far beyond our understanding. People that we see as flawed, hypocritical, and perhaps even fakes are often those whose hearts are most like his. Don't forget David was a man after God's own heart and David was surely a mess. God is not so much interested in where we are as He is in our sincerity to get where He wants us to be. He forgives 70X7 because He knows the frailty of our flesh.
So why did I say all this? Because I fear too many Christians walk around today with a mask on. They are sincere in believing they are living up to their calling. But they are only fooling themselves. Too many churches today go to one of two extremes. They either take the position that it is our nature to sin and we cannot help no matter what; or they preach holiness as abstaining from specific activities and attitudes failing to recognize that sin is simply missing the mark for which we are called to live up to. I believe it is these two flawed approaches to the Christian life that leave so many people dissatisfied with church. It not only leaves these people in a personal state in which they struggle to be at peace with God; it also leaves an impression of hypocrisy with the lost because a true representation of Christian living is rarely taught and demonstrated.
People today need to hear that we are flawed. We do make mistakes and those mistakes are called sin. We do have the power within us (the Holy Spirit) to live free from sin but our flesh is still with us and we do stumble along the way. Yet we have an Advocate with the Father who is just and faithful to forgive us if we will confess our shortcomings. That was what made David so special. He messed up a lot; but he always came back to the Father and admitted his shortcomings and sins; asking for forgiveness. David was transparent before God and others. And this is what I think is desperately needed in the church today!
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You can't help but notice that the majority leave because they say the drifted away from religion. But what does that mean? Did they drift away from the faith or did they get tired of "religion" in general. There is no way for me to say having not seen the actual survey or the responses. But as for me and my thoughts; let me say this.
Too many people in churches today are caught up in religion and tradition. Too many people place God in a box and fail to recognize that He uses many avenues to reach the hearts of the lost. Too many times we think that a worship service should be conducted a certain way. All too often people are more concerned with the structure of the service than the content. God once spoke through a jackass. At another time Christ used his own spit to make clay to place on a blind man and healed his blindness.
God moves in mysterious ways. His ways are far beyond our understanding. People that we see as flawed, hypocritical, and perhaps even fakes are often those whose hearts are most like his. Don't forget David was a man after God's own heart and David was surely a mess. God is not so much interested in where we are as He is in our sincerity to get where He wants us to be. He forgives 70X7 because He knows the frailty of our flesh.
So why did I say all this? Because I fear too many Christians walk around today with a mask on. They are sincere in believing they are living up to their calling. But they are only fooling themselves. Too many churches today go to one of two extremes. They either take the position that it is our nature to sin and we cannot help no matter what; or they preach holiness as abstaining from specific activities and attitudes failing to recognize that sin is simply missing the mark for which we are called to live up to.
I believe it is these two flawed approaches to the Christian life that leave so many people dissatisfied with church. It not only leaves these people in a personal state in which they struggle to be at peace with God; it also leaves an impression of hypocrisy with the lost because a true representation of Christian living is rarely taught and demonstrated.
People today need to hear that we are flawed. We do make mistakes and those mistakes are called sin. We do have the power within us (the Holy Spirit) to live free from sin but our flesh is still with us and we do stumble along the way. Yet we have an Advocate with the Father who is just and faithful to forgive us if we will confess our shortcomings. That was what made David so special. He messed up a lot; but he always came back to the Father and admitted his shortcomings and sins; asking for forgiveness. David was transparent before God and others. And this is what I think is desperately needed in the church today!
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