Blog
“The Church and Present Trends”
THE CHURCH AND PRESENT TRENDS
Bob Patterson
As a rule, most parents want things to be better for their children than it was for them. As we think about it, each member must recognize that the church’s strength today will help provide for the church’s strength tomorrow. Thus, there is the need for every member to be what God would have him to be and to do what God would have him to do. Every area of obligation, responsibility, and privilege in serving God must be characterized by our giving all diligence and adding to our faith “virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”(2 Peter 1:5-8). In obeying God, performing well in the work, worship, and service that God demands, we have every reason to expect that the next generation will be benefitted by our efforts. The basis of our concern is in knowing what can happen in one generation’s time! Judges 2:10 says, “And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers; and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.”Knowing what can take place in one generation, we had better do our very best!
Let’s consider some current trends we are facing. If these trends continue, WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THE CHURCH IN THE FUTURE...
1. Will be made up of primarily older members!Obviously, because to them, God is not a high priority, we are losing many of our young people (Eccl. 12:1). Older saints are truly a blessing, but let us remember that God has so designed His will for man that every accountable being can respond obediently, and begin to live by that inspired rule and grow up in faithful service! As parents, let us teach our children that ‘youth’ is the time to remember and begin to serve God (Eccl. 12:1; Eph. 6:1-4; Col. 3:20; 2 Tim. 1:5; 3:14-15).
2. Will be hurting in the area of leadership!In many places the church will not have elders and will not have much prospect of having elders in the future. Sad to say, many elderships today are filled with men who either do not possess the qualifications that God has given (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9), or they do not have any concept of the work that God has placed upon them (Titus 1:9-11; 1 Tim. 3:2; Acts 20:28-31; Heb. 13:17; 1 Thess. 5:12-15; 1 Peter 5:1-3; Eph. 4:11-16; James 5:13-16). There are also many attacks against elderships by some who are unwilling to be submissive and obedient to those men charged with the watch-care of their souls (Heb. 13:17). Thus, there is not very much appeal for men to desire this work!
3. Will have little (if any) discipline!To many, the idea of fellowship is absolutely meaningless, making the “discipline” that is often involved meaningless as well! All manner of misconduct is virtually overlooked (or tolerated) without consequences. We dare not neglect this area of responsibility (1 Cor. 5; 2 Cor. 2:1-9; Rom. 16:17-18; 2 Thess. 3:6,14-15; Titus 3:10-11). Discipline ignored for years usually means discipline ignored permanently!
4. Will have homes which are unscriptural, or if not unscriptural, homes which are virtually powerless as far as having and demonstrating a godly influence!We are already well aware of the fact that marriage-divorce-remarriage has crippled the church. I was personally told by an elder (concerning a couple in an unscriptural relationship where I was working at the time), “Bob, How can you be so sure? After all, the scholars disagree among themselves!” Can any doubt what direction this kind of thinking will lead the church toward? Jesus, the master teacher, was very plain in the area of marriage, divorce, and remarriage (Matt. 5:31-32; 19:9; Mark 10:11-12). Beyond that problem, there are many other areas of concern relating to the family which are being ignored (Eph. 5; 6:1-4; Col. 3:18-21; Titus 2:1-8; 1 Peter 3:1-7).
5. Will replace New Testament truth and work, opting instead to please and entertain the membership!Should we be surprised? I mean, after all, one who is ignorant of the truth is not going to call for a return to the “old paths, where is the good way” (cf. Jer. 6:16) because he does not know any better. Likewise, the same will be true concerning various areas of work because one must go to the Word of God in order to be “throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:17). Minus the Bible, ears will be tickled (2 Tim. 4:3-4), the church will no longer be “holding forth the word of life” (Phil. 2:16), fun will be the order of the day, and souls will be lost (2 Cor. 4:3)!
I sincerely hope that we will consider these points of concern. Brethren, we must “give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip”(Heb. 2:1).
