The Problem of Mobilizing the Church

Introduction

The church today is under attack, and unfortunately for us, the devil is gaining ground.

Matthew 11:12 KJV 1900

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

Matt 11:12

It started with the days of John the Baptist. John heralded the coming of the kingdom of God when he spoke the words, “Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world.” This is why he is the greatest among the prophets. But from that day the devil has sought to destroy everything Jesus has done, & is doing.

The sad thing is the progress the devil has made in the church. When we first see the NT church beginning, it is thriving with people who are mobilized for Christ. It’s growth & pace frightened the other established religious institutions.

They fought back denouncing the Christian church as well as the apostles, & every prominent figure involved. They pursued them from town to town trying to destroy the forming doctrine of Christ, re-emphasizing Judaism. They had successes as some departed from the faith, reverting back to the old way of the law & its rituals.

Their fight is still continued to this day, attacking the church and her members. And unfortunately they are still having successes. People are leaving churches in mass. And it’s not that they have fallen out of love with Jesus, but oft times it is the so called “Christians” AT the church that are driving so many of them away.

Do you not realize that you will have to give an account for every idle word you have spoken?

Matthew 12:36–37 KJV 1900

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Matt 12:36-37

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (ESV)

You will get up in the morning & take the time to look your best. Get to church & all someone has to say is something like, “You don’t look well. Is everything alright?” And we will respond with a smile saying, “Yes, I’m fine.”, but on the inside we are fuming & headed for the door.

With all this going on, no wonder it’s so hard to mobilize the church. people have become stagnant, loathsome, slothful, judgmental, absent, and some have just plain old quit!

I. Overcoming Weapons of Mass Distraction

The church today is comprised of members who are affected by the weapons of mass distraction.

Distraction has become the great & subtle archenemy of the church.

We have become so addicted to trendiness.

Social media is addicting! Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Vine, Flickr, Reddit, YouTube, etc. Are all one big distraction. Some cannot sit through a church without checking their messages. While you are reading &/or responding, you are not receiving the Word of God.

Romans 10:17 KJV 1900

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans

The hearing Paul is talking about is not background noise. It’s received by giving it your full attention. And that reception is manifest by our obedience to the Word of God we have heard.

The enemy no longer need destroy the Christian leader, he only needs to distract him. And over time the distractions will grow like a cancer until it drains the effectiveness of Christian leaders through discouragement, dilution, & despondency.

John Piper described it this way...

Ministry is its own worst enemy. It is not destroyed by the big bad wolf of the world. It destroys itself. What are the most common obstacles to spiritual growth? The top 3 are busyness, lack of discipline, & interruptions. And most of our busyness and ministry interruptions are ministry related, not worldly! The greatest threat to our prayer & meditation on the Word of God is good ministry activity.

It may seem strange to hear it, but sometimes success can stifle a ministry. When we have an idea for ministry, and we implement that idea and have huge numbers to turn out at its inception, we can run with it right into error.

What error? When did we pray about it? Are we still praying for the Holy Spirit’s direction? Or have we run ahead with our own ideas, taken the reigns & are now leading it where we think it needs to go?

Does God even get a word in it? Or is God’s only word the scripture you used out of context to justify what you are doing? Did we wait for God’s answer before we moved, or did we wait until the day before starting, pray, & give God less than 24 hours to respond?

II. Overcoming Weapons of Mass Judgment

Why do we have to be asked, before we feel useful or a part of? If the disciples had sat around waiting for Jesus to ask them to do something, how much would have been accomplished?

Today many churches are filled with individuals who will not get involved because they are waiting to be asked to do something. And since they wait, nobody approaches because it appears as if they don’t want to anything. And since no one approaches they become bitter and spew a poison that paralyzes the church.

They have favorites. They only ask certain people but they don’t ask me. You better watch out with them! They are a clique.

Their negativity encroaches & impedes another’s progress. Come over here and wait with me and see if anyone asks you to do anything.