Why People Don't Go to ChurchSteven Long (12/31/12)

_{For those interested, the video from last night's podcast will be embedded at the end of this post.}
This is just a recap of the podcast we did last night. We reviewed a video titled Why People Don't Go to Church and looked at the responses given in the video. We then tried to respond with a Biblical answer. Just to recap the 8 reasons:

1. I can't come to church until I get my life together.
2. Church is filled with a bunch of hypocrites.
3. All they care about is your money.
4. Is there some kind of dress code?
5. Church–it just makes me nervous.
6. I'm not sure I believe everything you believe.
7. Church is for wimpy, girly men.
8. If you knew me...and what I've done...you wouldn't want me.

The video is a promo for Easter Sunday. As Danny & I stated in the podcast, we are not trying to down this church for what they're doing but for how they are doing it.

Again, you may object and wonder why we are being so harsh. Here are a couple of our own reasons:

1. The video really makes no mention of Christ, but simply church. A lot of people go to "church" but not a lot of people understand what the church is to be about. I certianly didn't expect an entire sermon on the church in a 3 minute video promo, but it would have been nice to at least hear briefly why Christ instituted the church.


2. The video is clearly "seeker" friendly. Seeker friendly is contradictory to Scripture as we are told, "no one understands; no one seeks for God" (Romans 3:11).


3. As per the point above: If people do not naturally seek God why try to build a service that revolves around them? We as believers are commanded to go out and seek the lost, not to try and attract them with gimmicks, drama, and cool music.


4. Finally, lost people hate God (Romans 5:10, Philippians 3:18, James 4:4). Somehow, I don't see God as being pleased with those who try to comfort the lost rather than lovingly preaching condemnation and then the good news of the Gospel.

In closing, I would just like to reiterate that I understand the motive of the video–to get people into church. However, at what expense do we do this? Is church, like the video claims, the means by which we "get [our] life together"? Jesus never stated this, and neither did anyone who preached with and for Him.

So while I commend this church for their efforts I would still have to warn those who fall for this kind of evangelistic method to carefully search Scripture and see the examples of how evangelizing took place in the early church.






Striving for Truth,
Steven