Conserve the Converts

Two decades ago, an average of 42% of U.S. adults attended religious services every week or nearly every week. A decade ago, the figure fell to 38%, and it is currently at 30%. This decline is largely driven by the increase in the percentage of Americans with no religious affiliation -- 9% in 2000-2003 versus 21% in 2021-2023 -- almost all of whom do not attend services regularly.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/642548/church-attendance-declined-religious-groups.aspx

For a number of years in the church world, we have experienced the challenge of what has been called “losing people out the church’s back door.”

It may be visitors who attend a few times and then never return. It may be members who slowly stop attending services less, serving in the church’s ministry less, etc. It may be new converts who fail to become established in the faith and disappear.

Chic Shaver wrote a little book titled Conserving the Converts several decades ago addressing this problem.

A Nazarene pastor and college teacher, Shaver noted that in a 32 year time period the Church of the Nazarene had received nearly 729,000 new members by profession of faith, but 396,000 were dismissed from membership or transferred to another church - a loss of 54 percent.

(pause)

The problem is obvious, isn’t it?

(pause)

Of course, we understand: not every departure reflects failure. Even Jesus saw some walk away. Yet we should never be careless with souls God entrusts to us.

Big Idea: The church's passion should be converts that last.

In our scripture text for tonight, the apostle Paul talks about his tender, loving care of the Thessalonian believers. There are five principles we find in this scripture that will help conserve our converts, or to say it another way, close the back door of our church.

1 Thessalonians 2:17–3:13 ESV

But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy. Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain. But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith? Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

The first principle we find in this scripture that may help us with conserving our converts - closing the church’s back door is…

1. We should give a careful Gospel presentation, 1 Thessalonians 3:3-4.

In 1 Thessalonians 3:3-4, the apostle Paul spoke of sending Timothy to encourage and strengthen the Thessalonians during the persecution they faced.

But Paul pointed out that when he was with them and they turned from worshiping false idols to serving the one true God that he told them that they would face persecution.

Paul had done his best from the very first to prepare the Thessalonians for what serving Christ would mean. He had taught the believers how to faithfully live for Jesus. He warned them that their friends would turn against them.

Paul prepared converts honestly for the cost of discipleship. He also did not want them making a life commitment in ignorance.

Salvation is the free gift of God. However, being saved is not just receiving a hand-out. Salvation is about a change of allegiance - making a 180 degree turn from sin to God.

There is great joy and peace in serving Jesus, but the Christian life is not exempt from the burdens and cares of life. So we must present a Gospel that calls people to faithful commitment despite any opposition they may face.

The second principle we find in this scripture that can help us conserve converts… or close the back door of the church is…

2. We provide continued spiritual instruction, 1 Thessalonians 3:2-3.

Paul had taught the Thessalonians during his visit, but he did not think that this instruction was enough.

1 Thessalonians 3:2–3 ESV

and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions.…

The Thessalonians needed to be encouraged. They need to be strengthened. They would have spiritual challenges that needed to be discussed. They would have questions that needed to be answered. They were brand-new babies to the faith.

When you bring home your newborn, do you put him or her in the crib and then leave for a week? Of course not!

You spend many hours - day and night - feeding, comforting, and taking care of this little bundle. As the child begins to grow, you must spend much time teaching him or her how to live.

You teach them to walk. You potty-train them. You teach them the ABC’s. You warn them about wandering out into the street. Physically, as newborns and children we needed much care. Spiritually, we need much care also.

We achieve this by training believers in the faith, helping them to develop spiritual disciplines, discovder their spiritual gifts, and modeling a passion for the lost.

We all are growing spiritually. There is never a place this side of heaven that we can say, “I have attained it all spiritually. I’m just going to sit down in my Lazy-Boy recliner and enjoy life now.” We all should be growing.

But those who have been in the faith for many years should also realize the responsibility they have of living out the Christian faith and providing a good example for those who have not been in the faith as long.

The third principle we find that will help us conserve converts… close the back door of the church is…

3. We intercede in prayer constantly for one another, 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13.

1 Thessalonians 3:10 ESV

as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?

At that point, Paul burst out into intercessory prayer.

1 Thessalonians 3:11–13 ESV

Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Prayer is hard work. Yet it is most necessary.

In Point Man, Steve Farrar tells the story of George McCluskey. When McCluskey married and started a family, he decided to invest one hour a day in prayer, because he wanted his kids to follow Christ.

After a time, he expanded his prayers to include his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Every day between 11 a.m. and noon, he prayed for the next three generations.

As the years went by, his two daughters committed their lives to Christ and married men who went into full-time ministry. The two couples produced four girls and one boy. Each of the girls married a minister, and the boy became a pastor.

The first two children born to this generation were both boys. Upon graduation from high school, the two cousins chose the same college and became roommates.

During their sophomore year, one boy decided to go into the ministry. The other didn't. He undoubtedly felt some pressure to continue the family legacy, but he chose instead to pursue his interest in psychology.

He earned his doctorate and eventually wrote books for parents that became bestsellers. He started a radio program heard on more than a thousand stations each day. The man's name was James Dobson. Through his prayers, George McCluskey affected far more than one family. (Martin)

The fourth principle we find that will help us conserve converts… close the back door of the church is…

4. We express encouragement frequently, 1 Thessalonians 2:17.

1 Thessalonians 2:17 ESV

But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face,

Paul wrote this letter in response to Timothy’s report of the Thessalonian believers. This letter overflows with Paul’s praise for the church. He used very descriptive language to express his love for them.

In 1 Thessalonians 2:17, Paul says, “since we were torn away.” The Greek for this verb is literally about being made an orphan. Paul loved these believers so much that when he had to flee the city because of persecution he felt like he had been orphaned!

Furthermore, in 1 Thessalonians 2:17-18 where Paul says, “we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you” - the Greek word translated as “great desire” is usually translated in the New Testament as “lust.”

As one commentator says, this word…

“is usually a driving, uncontrollable passion to have something that is wrong. But here Paul is declaring, ‘There was in our hearts a fierce and uncontrollable urge to be at your side.”

Source???

Paul throughout this letter, expressed his love to the Thessalonians to be an encouragement to them. In the same way, we should express encouragement to our brothers and sisters in Christ frequently.

This is a call to go beyond the normal chit-chat of social relations. Express your admiration for others. Thank people for more than their attendance at the service. Tell them that you appreciate them. Let them know you are praying for them and are “in their corner.”

The fifth principle we find that may help us conserve converts… close the back door of the church is…

5. We love people genuinely, 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20.

We have already seen Paul’s depth of love for the Thessalonians. But let’s look at a few more verses.

1 Thessalonians 2:19–20 ESV

For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.

Most churches usually will describe themselves as loving. Unfortunately, in practice sometimes this means, “We love each other.”

But it does not necessarily mean, “Yes, we love those who are not yet a part of our church.”

Do we have such a love for your fellow Christians and those who are not yet Christians that we could say with Paul, “You are my hope, my joy, and my crown?”

Yes, we say we love the unchurched - and the churched. But how is our love for such people displayed?

Often, the problem is not our beliefs, but our values.

We believe that Christ loves sinners. But our belief must become a deeply held value. What we value, we act upon. Do our actions demonstrate that we value the lost?

How can we show love for others?

Leadership Journal once ran an article by a woman who wrote:

Today I visited your church. I looked up the address, called the church office for service times, and got myself and my three children ready on time.

We're new in town, and this is the fourth church we've visited. We step inside, hopeful. Perhaps here I'll find help teaching the Word to our children. Perhaps here we'll grow spiritually. Or maybe we'll receive the same welcome we got at the other churches.

"Good morning! And isn't it a fantastic day!" says the greeter, handing us programs. "Yes. I'm so glad it's cooling off." "Are you visiting?" he asks. “Yes. We just moved here."

"Isn't that grand!" he says, stepping back and looking over our shoulders. "Mr. Charlie! And how are you today?"

Evidently everyone has taken the same greeter class. Again and again someone offers a limp hand saying, "I'm so glad you came," without smiling at all, quickly moving on, job finished.

I am itching to ask about the women's Bible study, choir practice, and Sunday school. But then they're gone, chatting with a good friend in the next pew.

After wandering around between Sunday school and church, trying to find a door to the sanctuary that doesn't open into the choir pit, we're late. The sanctuary is nearly full, but there's one empty row—at the very front. So we walk past hundreds of eyes, "new people" on parade.

As we settle the kids, a lady on the end whispers to someone behind her, "I just don't know where John and Steve are going to sit now."

I chose the deacons' row. I cringe and turn, searching for another pew to move my family to, but the place is packed and the music is starting.

After the service, I buckle my children into the car, pile the take-home papers and Bibles on the dash, and I start to cry.

This is a true story. I have visited four churches over the last three months, and I am frustrated and disheartened enough to quit church altogether. Why has it been so difficult to find a church home?

I have been an active church member, someone people called for counsel and prayer, someone my pastor called if he needed help with a project. We're in a new town, and I don't mind starting over. And the new church doesn't have to be just like the one back home. But, I think, we should be made to feel welcome.

This story vividly illustrates the challenge we face as a church. Too many times, unknowingly and unintentionally we leave our "back door” wide-open.

(pause)

Who knows how many have come in and then left because nobody cared!

(pause)

Are we conserving our converts? Are we unintentionally leaving our church’s back door open? Are we in danger of losing people who might become faithful members because we have failed to show the proper care for them?

We must address not only how we treat the visitor but also how we treat the new member and the long-time member. How can we do that?

In Paul’s expression of how he desired to encourage the church of Thessalonica in their faith, we find several very practical ways to conserve the converts:

First, we should give careful Gospel presentations. Second, we should provide continued spiritual instruction. Third, we should intercede for one another in prayer constantly. Fourth, we should express encouragement frequently. Fifth, we should love people genuinely.

Let us be careful to do our best to encourage one another in our faith. God has blessed us with a wonderful group of people who love Jesus, but our calling is not just for ourselves but to help others know Jesus, be welcomed in the Church of God, to grow in their faith and to then go serve in Christ’s name.

So… let’s do our part to close the back door - to conserve the converts God has entrusted to us!