Autopsy of a Deceased Church

Why?

Why do an autopsy of a dead Church? So family members know why, and can avoid the same fate.

Matthew 16:18 LEB

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it!

An autopsy is not for closure. It is so we know what happened to these Churches, and do what we must to not go down the same path.

Growth may come rapidly, but deterioration is usually slow. A regular member will not notice it.

Are each of us more concerned with our own homes and affairs, than the state of our local Church?

Haggai 1:4 LEB

“Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your houses that have been paneled while this house is desolate?”

Are you looking for a reason you are making a good living, but something always manages to come up to take it away?

Are you looking for a reason you are making a good living, but something always manages to come up to take it away?

Haggai 1:9 LEB

‘You have looked for much, and look! It came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?’ declares Yahweh of hosts. ‘Because my house is desolate and you are running each to your own house!

Do we have a Discipleship program and people trying to do it?

Haggai 1:9

Good ‘Ole Days

Is our Church remembering the ‘good old days’ when great things were being done here?

What are we doing for our community right now?

Part of this community

Can the local people say this is their Church? Can they identify with us as well as us relating to them? Do the locals feel like we want to welcome them?

Philippians 2:4 LEB

each of you not looking out for your own interests, but also each of you for the interests of others.

Philippians 2:

Budget moving Inward

The last expenditures to be reduced, are those that keep the members most comfortable.

A Church does not have to be broke to be dying. What does money mean to us? Are we depending on it?

The Great Omission

Matthew 28:19–20 LEB

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20

Are each of us living our lives with a conscious intent to attract people to be disciples?

Is baptising something we continually encourage anyone professing belief to do?

Are we constantly in the word, where it is a reflex in our responding to life?

Two main points of the Great Commission:

To go.

Depend completely on the power of God.,

We don’t ‘forget ‘ the great commission, we choose our own comfort over going out as we were told.

People in a failing Church are quick to blame others for bad times, never admitting their own lack of effort.

People in a dying Church want the ‘Good old days’ and even if they get a temporary spike in attendance, they can drive off new people by constantly referring to their glory days.

Corporate Prayer

Do the Church members pray together?

What is devotion to prayer?

Purpose

Does the Church have an unifying purpose? Do the members know this?

Are we too busy playing ‘Christian’ to actually Be Christians?