$20M for advertising for God?

#1 06-11-2009, 12:48 PM

I heard a talk show this morning as I flipped stations talking...no ...ridiculing the Christian church for its sad condition. They shared a latest Gallup poll (I think) on the erosion of the church in attendance and the big reason? Youth. They want no part of our play like religion that promises much but delivers little.

One church in Nashville has set aside $20 million in advertising "God" to the youth, trying to woo the younger generation into the fold, but it will not happen until we give them something relevant. $20 million dollars. I know where our hearts are, but my gosh, where are our minds? If we are not careful, we will lose our tithing base as older Christinas go on fixed incomes and then what? Gosh, we might not be able to afford that new plush carpet in the sanctuary!

God has a message that will set our hearts on fire. But we say "No thanks. I gave at the office" and stick with our message that at most makes us smoldering rags, just enough to irritate and move the young away from the church altogether. Leonard Ravenhill sad "You never have to advertise a fire. It can be 3 a.m. and there will be a crowd-full to watch."

Why have we come to this sad condition? How do we get back the zeal of the Lord, a godly jealousy that makes us more concerned about what the world thinks of our God and His reputation than our own lives?

We may debate the answer as to how to rectify the situation, but one thing I know, it will not come as a revelation as we lay on our hammocks of doctrine and knowledge, sipping lemonade and waiting to be raptured home, content that we know so much, when the world is going to hell.... and if we are honest...we simply do not care.

I am sorry to be so persistant, but it is time for some serious soul searching. I am convinced that if we are not careful, God will simply bypass the organized church and lead his house with new shepherds, zealous ones who will do and preach His will at all costs, both personally and professionally. He will fill His house with the poor, the halt, the lame and the blind from street ministry type churches.

It is time we really thought about how we have our churches set up, and why our hearts are so blooming cold when we know we are the last generation of man and act like we are the first, with not a care in the world. We can consider the need of an evolving world, and we can consider the cause of the abject failure of a gospel that sets none free, and sets none on fire for God, or stick to our normal methods and doctrines that lull millions of saints asleep, content they are safe because of a one time asking Christ into their hearts. Folks, like it or not, the world burns and our hearts do not, and if repentance and faith are not our watchword, we will have front row seats to literally watch the holy spirit bypass us altogether.

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision.