What’s Lost in Your Church Building |

It read like a modern-day version of the story of Josiah. You’ll recall that Old Testament king was reigning at a young age when the book of the law was found (2 Kings 22:8). But that it was found in the temple speaks volumes about how little it had been followed.

Just a few days ago, an official for a church in England found an original 1611 King James Version copy of the Bible. Where did he find this treasure? He was cleaning out a cupboard right in the church building.

As soon as I came across that story it made me wonder if there are other very important things that can be lost, even right in the midst of our church buildings.

Scriptures. Tragically, in many churches, the Scriptures are lost. Oh, people may bring a Bible and have it open on their lap, but are those in attendance really being fed the pure Gospel? Too many congregations spend more time sharing stories or statistics than they do sharing Scripture. While stories, illustrations, statistics, and even jokes have their place in helping us understand the Bible, absolutely nothing should ever take the place of digging into God’s Word when His people gather.
Service. We come together, we worship, we leave. But do we make an impact on each other’s lives? Many congregations are more like a sporting event: a bunch of people come together and “cheer on” the same thing, but when the event is over, they still do not know anyone else any better. There must be interaction among Christians, and we absolutely must impact each other’s lives. Through encouragement, conversation, prayer, and service to one another, God’s people should be known for how we serve one another.
Souls. I hate to say it, but it’s true: there are people who come to services week after week, but who are lost. They may even have been baptized, but they are just coming to church because it’s in their family history or because they think showing up is the end-all-be-all of Christian duty. Tragically, a lot of church-goers will hear the Lord say, “Depart from me.”

There is a whole world out there who needs to hear the truth, be served by Christians, and be saved by Christ. But while we seek to win the world, we need to make sure that the Scriptures, service, and souls are not lost right in our own auditoriums.

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AUTHOR: Adam Faughn

Photo background credit: Steve Sutherland on Creative Commons