Why Churches Fail (269)

Why Churches Fail

 

 

The Seven Churches in Revelation.

1. The Church of Ephesus: The Church that Has Abandoned Its Love for Christ and His Teachings (Revelation 2:1-7)
2. The Church of Smyrna: The Church that Remains Faithful Amidst Persecution (Revelation 2:8-11)
3. The Church of Pergamum: The Church that Compromises Its Beliefs (Revelation 2:12-17)
4. The Church of Thyatira: The Church that Follows False Prophets (Revelation 2:18-29)
5. The Church of Sardis: The Church that is Spiritually Dead (Revelation 3:1-6)
6. The Church of Philadelphia: The Church that Patiently Endured Despite Weaknesses (Revelation 3:7-13)
7. The Church of Laodicea: The Church with a Lukewarm Faith (Revelation 3:14-22)

 

Churches that have their pastor’s face or in the south US, husband and wife teams, about their church, but not the times and contact info.

 

People are dying out here and the church is called to make a difference.  We are not.  

 

Why Most Churches Fail?

 

A failing church is not by attendance, numbers, money or prestige,  a failing church is where no souls are saved, no members are edified, they don’t grow, they don’t become disciples of Christ, they don’t evangelize,  there is no passion for praying, maintenance is trumping mission work, volunteering, management is replacing leadership, older people are not supporting younger ones to lead Behind every vibrant church you find leaders with a vibrant faith.  We become double minded, there are us vs them  predictable services  the community doesn’t get served or impacted. 

 

 

Self exam.

EVALUATE your faith

Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.~ Psalm 4:4

 

Matthew 7:15-20

New King James Version

You Will Know Them by Their Fruits

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

The Fruits of the Spirit in the Bible

The phrase “fruit of the spirit” comes from Galatians 5:22-23: 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is 

• love, 
• joy, 
• peace, 
• forbearance, 
• kindness, 
• goodness, 
• faithfulness, 
• gentleness 
• and self-control. 

 

fruit” usually means fruit in the sense of edible fruits and vegetables, but it can also be translated as offspring, deed, action, result, or profit.

 

John 13:34-35

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

 

There are a lot of trees and vegetation.  Not all are edible. There are a lot of people that go and spend a lot of time in church but they are not disciples of God.  They speak and sing, some even preach but they are not of God.  They are for themselves mostly. They have been taught wrong. They are ignorant.  They are barren, fruitless and prickly.

You ever been stuck by a prickly church person.  They hurt you when you were already hurting?  They made you wonder if you belonged here?  

Church people are the worse.

2 Timothy 3:5

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

 

2 Timothy 3

3 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

² For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

³ Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

⁴ Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

⁵ Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

⁶ For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with diverse lusts,

⁷ Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

⁸ Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

⁹ But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their's also was.

¹⁰ But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,

¹¹ Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

¹² Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

¹³ But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

¹⁴ But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

¹⁵ And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

¹⁶ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

¹⁷ That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

 

Who was Timothy?

Timothy, the recipient of the two New Testament letters bearing his name, was the son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He joined Paul during one of Paul’s later missionary journeys. Paul addresses Timothy as "my true son in the faith" (1 Timothy 1:2). He was probably no older than late teens/early twenties when he joined Paul but had already distinguished himself as faithful, and the elders noticed him. He probably heard and responded to the gospel when Paul came through the area of Derbe and Lystra on his first missionary journey, but we don’t know for sure. Timothy served as Paul’s representative to several churches (1 Corinthians 4:17; Philippians 2:19), and he was later a pastor in Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3). Timothy is also mentioned as being with Paul when Paul wrote several New Testament letters—2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon.

Paul says Timothy had a “genuine faith,” the same as that which lived in his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:1–5). Eunice and Lois prepared Timothy’s heart to accept Christ by teaching Timothy the Old Testament Scriptures and preparing him “from infancy” to recognize the Messiah when He appeared (2 Timothy 3:15). When Paul came preaching Christ, all three accepted his teaching and committed their lives to the Savior. We, too, must prepare our children to be ready when Christ moves in their hearts. They must know how to recognize that pull on their spirits as coming from the Savior, and the only way to do that is to follow the example of Eunice and Lois and teach our children the Word of God.

In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he gave him instructions and advice for leading the church. He also exhorted Timothy not to let others look down upon him due to his youth, but to set an example for other believers "in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12). Paul told Timothy to be devoted to reading Scripture, exhorting, and teaching, and to not neglect the gift that he had been given. Paul also counseled Timothy to keep a close watch on himself. These instructions remain pertinent to believers today. We, too, are called to "pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses" (1 Timothy 6:11–12).

It seems that Timothy had a chronic illness that required some attention (1 Timothy 5:23). Paul counseled him on a change of diet to aid the relief of his condition. From this example we learn that it is not always God’s will to heal a person miraculously; sometimes, healing comes through more “natural” means, if it comes at all.

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul warned Timothy about the false teachers that he would encounter and tells him to continue in the things he has learned because he knows the character of those he learned them from, namely Paul himself and his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 3:14–15). The truths Timothy was taught from infancy—truths about sin and our need for a Savior—were able to make him “wise for salvation” (2 Timothy 3:15). As parents, we are to prepare our children to distinguish truth from error. And as believers, we are to stand firm in the truth we have learned, not being surprised or swayed by opposition and false teachers.

Paul also told Timothy, to "do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). This advice is crucial for all Christians. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16–17). Paul counseled Timothy, his "dear son" (2 Timothy 1:2), from a heart of love, wanting Timothy to stand firm in his own faith and to lead the other believers well. Timothy certainly seems to have been faithful; we should follow his example.

 

25 Duties of a True Christian

 

No doubt about it, If one is to be a true christian then there many responsibilities that come with that title. Christians should present themselves in a certain way. You may be able to know a real christian by the way they walk and talk. Let see how many of these duties reflect our daily lives. Is it only a few or all of them?


FEAR God  
Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God. I am the Lord your God.~ Leviticus 25:17

GLORIFY his name
Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” ~ John 12:28


INVITE others 2 Christ, to worship with you.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. ~ Romans 1:16

JUDGE no one
Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ~ Matthew 7:1

ZIP your lips ~  But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.  For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. ~ Matthew 12:36-37


LOVE one another  
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ~ John 13:34

MEDIATE in silence  
Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.~ Psalm 62:5

NEVER deny God   
But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.~ Matthew 10:33

OBEY God's commandments  
It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.~ Deuteronomy 13:4

PRAY for one another  
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.~ James 5:16


READ the Bible  
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. ~ 2 Timothy 3:16

SANG songs of praise  
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord. ~ Ephesians 5:19

TALK in truth
These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts.~ Zechariah 8:16

UNITE in unity
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! ~ Psalm 133:1

VALIDATE your faith  
For we live by faith, not by sight. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:7

WORSHIP in spirit & truth  
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. ~ John 4:24




In 2023, I asking you to read the entire bible.  To pray at least once a day. Talk to God. Not jabber religious stuff. Worship God with your whole self.  Return to the person you were called to be. Watch your language, your gossiping, your interest in everybody’s business. Take care of your own.  

 

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