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Filling up the church seats!!

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by charles_creech78, Jan 1, 2011.

  1. charles_creech78

    charles_creech78 New Member

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    I was watching TV the other day and I think it was Kathy lee who said it. she said if the churches would just show love and stop condemning others the churches would be full.
    1.Do you agree with her?
    2.Do you disagree?
    3.Is it there excuse for not going to church?
    4.Is it because of the rules and ordinances of the church they feel judged?
    5.Or do you think the church is not showing enough love?
     
  2. Joseph M. Smith

    Joseph M. Smith New Member

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    While of course there are some churches that major on negativity and on condemning others, in my experience, that is not the main theme of most churches.

    It is naive and simplistic to think that if we all just spoke sweetness and light, we'd have full houses. I found, as a pastor, that people wanted insight, even when it was uncomfortable. To be all mushy is to distort the Gospel.

    Did anyone hear the debate between Christopher Hitchens and Tony Blair that was on C-Span recently? It took place in Toronto, and was supposed to focus on the question of whether religion helps or hurts human life. Hitchens spoke about the fanaticism that can be found in religion, but added lots of clever arguments about God Himself. I was disappointed in Tony Blair's rejoinder, repeating over and over that, while religion has done some bad things, it is also responsible for many good things. He may have been a consummate politician and effective British Prime Minister, but theologian he is not.
     
  3. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    If that is true, then the huge, full churches would be the ones that are all welcoming and accepting - like the Unitarian churches, or the Presbyterian at the bottom of my hill that says "Open doors, Open hearts". But they are struggling as well.
     
  4. charles_creech78

    charles_creech78 New Member

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    Well I think we have to much religion in this world today! I think what we need more of is Salvation. Salvation is of the Lord and if people get more of that and seek more of that we as people would be not only better as people but as a church.
    Putting God out of the church and putting the world in it is what is wrong with todays so called churches. They do it to draw in a crowd. To fill up there seats.
    Religion is from man! I know that pains a lot of people. Let us put a word up over a door of a building and let us call it by thy name and the men that are in it are just as dead as the one's who come in.
    It is the truth! Times have changed and we have to change with them! Who is in control of the church God or man? God said he was the same today,yesterday and forever and he changes not.
    People changed it all to fit there needs.To much world in the churches today! To much religion in the churches today! To much of the world and not enough God.
    We need to get Salvation back in the churches. Keep it the way God wants it and change it not. We don't need a crowd! We need the spirit of the Lord back in the churches.
    We need to gather out in the name of the Lord .Where there is two or three gathered in my name there I will be in the mist. Two or three is not a crowd. People say what is wrong with the churches and religion today? What is wrong is they have not the spirit of God in them. We need to want more of God and non of the world. God said I am not of the world and the world is not of me. How can the church be of the world when God is not of the world? Yes we are in the world but we should not be of the world nor the things of it. They are called by his name! It is the true. But it is not of him. God bless.
     
  5. freeatlast

    freeatlast New Member

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    Filling the church is not our goal. We are to simply give the gospel and God will decide if the church will be filled. When the church meets it is to teach everyone present to obey all that is commanded. As far as churches struggling, it is because they have turned from their calling.
     
  6. convicted1

    convicted1 Guest

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    Here is another reason why some churches are failing to grow. Too many churches are started from a split, and not all splits that occur are necessary. If a split in a church occurs, and it is biblically necessary(false teaching/preaching, immorality taking place, etc), then the church that stems from this split, I believe will grow. Too many start because the pastor was voted out, someone got their toes stepped on, or something very petty. I have a hard time believing that "church" will grow.

    i am I am's!!

    Willis
     
  7. preachinjesus

    preachinjesus Well-Known Member
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    who cares what Kathy Lee says about church growth?

    If your concern is numbers you'll scrutinize everything. The church where I serve has no problems filling several services with a lot of people. We don't preach legalism or sophmoric Christianity, but try to be honest, positive, and biblically based. Our goal is to see lives changed through faith in Jesus Christ.
     
    #7 preachinjesus, Jan 1, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 1, 2011
  8. nodak

    nodak Active Member
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    Scripture makes it clear that the highway to heaven is narrow and few find it.

    It also makes it clear that GOD builds His church.

    The fact is we worry about patooties on the planks because we worry about money because the ministry has become a profession and that requires a decent paycheck.

    We CAN trust God to fill the pews with those whom He calls and saves. Of course, we might or might not be able to afford a full time professional pastor, but God could still raise up whoever He chose to preach.


    If we did that, we would be free to teach and preach the truth.

    Naw, that would be too Biblical.
     
  9. jaigner

    jaigner Active Member

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    Of course, getting butts in the seats is not the mission of the Church, and Kathie Lee is an erratic and bizarre voice which is less that trustworthy.

    Having said that, Christians are commanded to be known by their love for others. Unfortunately, we aren't.

    (For example, go to grinchalert.com)

    It's this kind of thing that makes people leave the Church and never come back. We need to realize this. If we love others the way in which we are commanded, more butts in the seats will be a byproduct.
     
  10. Mexdeaf

    Mexdeaf New Member

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    Best way to fill up the church seats:

    Get fatter members.


    :laugh:
     
  11. charles_creech78

    charles_creech78 New Member

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    I just think its the signs of the time. A lot of people are putting God a side and doing there own thing. A lot of them go out to there ball games and fill up the seats there. God has his people who love and truly serve him. I don't know a better place to be on a Sunday then to be with my brothers and sisters in the Lord giving Our God the honor and Glory and singing pretty hymns in our hearts to the Lord. How wonderful he is to us! God bless
     
  12. Steadfast Fred

    Steadfast Fred Active Member

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    John said, "He that believeth not is condemned already."

    The Church can condemn no one. Some local Church's may look negatively on people who are not of their congregation or faith, but they cannot condemn them.
     
  13. luke1616

    luke1616 New Member

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    What caused people to follow Jesus? They wanted what He had. Love.There is nothing to attract people to most churches. Why would the average "unchurched" person want to go to a place where they will be judged? They won't go. The kindness of God brings man to repentance.
     
  14. charles_creech78

    charles_creech78 New Member

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    I agree with you on they won't go because they don't want to be judged. We are also in the world but not of it and they can see how we live. Mat 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
    Mat 5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
    Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
    Our light should be a daily light and not just to be burned on the weekend or on a special day of the week. We cannot make them come to the potters house but we can let our lights shine in the potters house and out side the potters house. :thumbsup: God bless!
     
  15. luke1616

    luke1616 New Member

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    Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
    The good works being great signs and wonders, healing people, they:love2: will come in droves.
     
  16. JohnDeereFan

    JohnDeereFan Well-Known Member
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    Yes, our churches would be full. But full of what?

    The cross has always been a stumbling block and an offense and foolishness to those who are perishing.

    We could remove the cross, stop preaching the Word of God. But then what would the church be? This is what Joel Osteen's done and look at his church. It's a doctrinal trainwreck that is nothing you wouldn't find at a Tony Robbins convention.

    Is that really what we want? Or do we want to preach the Gospel and see sinners convicted of their sins?
     
  17. rbell

    rbell Active Member

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    Hmmm...Jesus did many great signs and wonders.

    And the same people who were amazed shouted "Crucify Him!" a few days later.

    So, would that make Jesus' endeavor a failure? Hardly.

    As was said earlier...it's not our job to make sure the church is full. It's our job to make Christ known, and be obedient to him.
     
  18. blackbird

    blackbird Active Member

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    I heard the late Dr. Adrian Rogers say "It is not my job to fill the pews!!! Its my job to fill the pulpit!!"

    If you take a Bible tour of the crowds Jesus attracted you'll find this

    ---on the first miracle of bread Jesus fed 5,000(impressive)

    ---on the second miracle of bread Jesus fed 4,000(slightly less than impressive as the first bread miracle---but nothing that would cause Jesus to start putting out His resume and making a church move)

    ---then next thing you read is----Jesus sends out 120(good DiscipleNow report)

    ---then read on through the Bible---next thing is---Jesus sends out 70(almost half of the first disciples He first sent out)

    ----then read on---next thing you read is----the Bible saying something along the lines of how many disciples were "leaving" Jesus

    ----then read on---Jesus looks at the disciples who are left and asks "Will you leave also??"

    So the crowd starts at 5,000---then a few pages over--the crowd dwindles to 4,000---then as "Eternity's Time Line" progresses closer and closer to the Roman cross---the crowd dwindles down to 120!!! Then a few days closer to the cross the crowd dwindles down to 70!!

    Then as the Roman Cross casts its ugly shadow on Jesus----He goes from 70 down to the original 12

    What does the Bible say at this point??? "Strike the Shepherd and the sheep will scatter!!"

    Now stay with me

    Of the original 12----He takes 11 of 'um to a garden called Gethsemine---where the other of the 12 turns on him and yet kisses Heaven's door

    So----you see???? As the ugly cross looms closer and closer---the crowd dwindles

    After Gethsemine----Jesus is left with 11 disciples

    Then one of the 11 left finds himself warming his hands by the enemy's campfire(Peter)----so count um----Jesus is now down to 10 on "Crucifixion Eve"

    Then on ugly Crucifixion Day-----the Bible says that only one of those original 12 was found standing nearby(John)

    So---as Jesus' ministry opens up He starts off with 5,000(Impressive)

    Then as the pages are turned ----- down to 4.000!! Then suddenly down to 120! Then a few pages more are turned and He's down to 70!! Then 12!! Then 11!! Then 10!!! Then 1!

    Get the picture??? As the Cross looms closer and Roosters start crowin'---the crowd thins out!!!!

    I guarantee I can go to a few of those TV churches where the camera pans the crowd who is dressed clean as Pins-----and start on one end of the Bible and preach a clear message of the stumblingblock of the cross and the offense of the cross---and when the dust of the sermon settles---I won't have but three left in the crowd---and they would be my wife and my two children!!!!!!!!

    God help us!!!
     
  19. Jerome

    Jerome Well-Known Member
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    "They must have something attractive to them; we must preach as Christ did; we must tell anecdotes, and stories, and parables, as he did; we must come down and make the gospel attractive. The reason why the old Puritan preachers could get congregations was this—they did not give their hearers dry theology; they illustrated it; they had an anecdote from this and a quaint passage from that classic author; here a verse of poetry; here and there even a quip or pun—a thing which now-a-days is a sin above all sins, but which was constantly committed by these preachers, whom I have ever esteemed as the patterns of pulpit eloquence. Christ Jesus was an attractive preacher; he sought above all means to set the pearl in a frame of gold, that it might attract the attention of the people. He was not willing to place himself in a parish church, and preach to a large congregation of thirteen and a-half, like our good brethren in the city, but would preach in such a style that people felt they must go to hear him." —Charles Spurgeon, "Preaching for the Poor"
     
  20. blackbird

    blackbird Active Member

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    Yes---thats true---but its only one side of the spirtual coin---the other side of the coin says that Jesus also preached in such a style that people felt compelled to crucify the same Man who they heard preach such pretty style!!!


    The spirtual coin is bogus without ingraving on both sides!!!!
     
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