Have you ever heard someone exclaim, “That has no effect on me?” The claim is that something or someone has no final outcome as to the behavior of the person. An example might be specific prescription used for relieving pain. The drug may work for the majority of people but have no impact on others. It doesn’t mean that the product in ineffective as a whole; it simply means that its intended result doesn’t work as it should for some people.
This week an article appeared relating to a new study that was headlined, “Nearly half of churchgoing Americans say church doesn’t have an effect on their lives.”
“Nearly half (46 percent) of churchgoing Americans report that their lives have not changed at all as a result of attending church... nearly one-third of individuals report not having ever felt God’s presence while attending church” according to the Barna Group, an evangelical company that studies faith in America.
The article did point out that there are those that can point to a point of influence or change as a result of their attending church. Yet, the article noted of those that participated in the study, “Six-in-ten church attenders, when asked to recount their last visit to a house of worship couldn’t remember any significant insight they gained related to their faith. Even more startling, among those who attended church in the past week, half said that they couldn’t recall any spiritual tidbits.”
There are so many questions that arise from this study that it’s hard to know where to focus one’s attention. Some people would simply shrug it off by saying, “It’s a sign of the times” meaning that it’s a fulfillment of scripture referring to that in the last days people’s hearts growing cold towards God. However, that wouldn’t be exactly true as the study concerned those that were attending church. I would like to think that at least some of them are there looking to find something.
If there is a place to start in trying to find out where the problem lies, I would suggest that it isn’t in the pews of the church but rather the pulpits and those filling them. I remember many years ago attending an event in Shreveport, Louisiana to hear the late David Wilkerson speak. Before he did, he invited to the podium the elderly Leonard Ravenhill (now deceased) to say a few words. I will never forget what he said that day to over 1,000 ministers gathered in that place.
“Almost 40 years ago I wrote a book titled, “Why Revival Tarries”. I’m writing a new book called, “Why Revival Still Tarries”. Do you want to know the reason why it hasn’t come yet?” (the response was a unanimous “Yes”). At that moment, Ravenhill pointed his finger at the crowd of ministers and said, “You’re the reason!” and he simply walked back to his seat.
Leonard Ravenhill’s point was clear: if there is no effect on the person in the pulpit, how can one expect there to be any effect upon the people in the pews.
Yes, there will be those that fall away in the last days for various reasons. However, the same scriptures say that there will be many who come into the knowledge of knowing Jesus Christ.
Church attendance in itself is not the answer; experiencing the power of Christ to change one’s life and the daily presence of His love is the answer.
It’s time for this cause and effect to happen from pulpit to the pew so that the Church is impacting the world instead sitting in pews waiting for something to change them.
Are you ready?
Comments