What's Killing the Lord's Church?

David Olmos
In my office you can find hundreds of old publications from different religious organizations dating back to the 1950’s. This past week I was flipping through the October 1979 issue of Defender, and the front page had an article titled “What is Killing The Lord’s Church in America” by Roger Shiflet.  I found myself curious, I wanted to know what struggles Christians were facing in the 70’s, and if things were any different today. No surprise, the problems were identical.  Why is it that issues 35 years ago are still being battled today?  Where are we failing? The Defender article begins by saying, “Unless we reverse the trend of the last 15 years: (1) the growth of the churches of Christ in this nation will stop in the early 1980s; (2) before the end of this century we will have only half the membership we now have; and (3) within 50 years the church will no longer exist in the United States.”  At first glance it seems like we are doing much better than they thought.  The growth of the church didn’t end in the 1980s, the century passed by and numbers increased, and Lord willing we’ll overtake the 50-year deadline.  We deserve a little praise, right?  Maybe not! Could it be that the “growth” the churches of Christ have seen is merely from an increase in population over time?  Could it be we’ve become too relaxed by putting focus more on numbers rather than the truth; or were the problems just never dealt with?  If that’s the case, how much longer can we really survive?  I want to examine the three problems listed in the 1979 Defender article and find out what we can do to insure were not killing the Lord’s Church.  (Each paragraph begins with a quote from the Defender article). “The Lord’s church in America is being killed by MATERIALISM.”  Has this changed? No, and I would even argue that we’ve become greedier.  With the entrance of the technological revolution our society has become gadget and gizmo crazy.  People today put more effort in obtaining worldly pleasures than they do laying aside “treasures in heaven,” (Matthew 6:19-21).  Even though the numbers show an increase in church attendance there is also an increase in gluttony and greediness.  If we hope to survive we need to make sure we put our sights on God.  Is it wrong to “want” or “have” certain things? No, if we “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” (Matthew 6:33), we can ensure that our growth doesn’t become tainted. “The Lord’s church in America is being killed by WORLDLINESS.”  I wonder if there was ever a time when worldliness was abnormal.  When people pointed fingers at those who turned away from the truth instead of pointing them at people who followed it.  It seems today the churches of Christ are beginning to blend too beautifully into the world.  Congregations are removing God by altering worship for fear of what the world might think or a decrease in figures.  It was a problem in the past and it’s getting even worse today.  Let us not forget what Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” “The Lord’s church in America is being killed by INDIFFERENCE.” It would sadden me, as it should you, if the Lord's church ended because we stopped caring.  The overall theme of the Bible is love and with that we must care for each other and care about the future of the Lord’s church.  We need to look more like the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) rather than those who walked by hastily.  If we refuse to teach about love and compassion we will see those things vanish completely.  Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Hope is not lost.  As long as we physically live, the Lord’s church still has a fighting chance.  Even as our populations grow, and most turn to the world, the Lord’s church has the ability to grow too.  Just look at our own congregation and the many others that still fight for the truth.  Death will only occur when we stop teaching the Word of God, so teach the truth to everyone you meet. That way, 35 years from today, articles like this one won’t need to be written. Remember what John 16:33 says, “In the world you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcome the world.” God Bless! Written By: David Olmos