One pastor tells about visiting an art gallery where he saw four paintings that were narrative in nature. The first painting showed a large wheat field and a farmhouse in the distance. The second showed a young boy lost in the wheat field while the entire town was in the distance looking for him. The third painting showed the townspeople, a hundred abreast, hand in hand, systematically searching for the lost little boy. The final painting showed the boy dead and a weeping father standing over him saying, “Oh, God. If only we’d joined hands sooner.”
Thousands of churches are shutting their doors every year. That’s horrible, isn’t it? No! That’s wonderful! For some twisted reason, we’ve begun to worship the institution, instead of that Jesus guy. God actually has quite a bit to say about that kind of idolatry in the Bible. In Amos, he tells his followers that they can just stop all their religious stuff—their feast days and whatnot—because they were making him sick. Why? Because they had begun to believe that the works of their flesh were of more importance than mercy.
Jesus said something similar to the Pharisees. He told them that their tithing was fine, but they didn’t need to forget the weightier matters of the law, “like fairness and compassion and commitment--the absolute basics!--you carelessly take it or leave it.” And this was like what he said to the church at Ephesus in Revelation. Jesus commended them for their hard work and their stance against evil and false teachers, “but,” he said, “you walked away from your first love--why? What's going on with you, anyway? Do you have any idea how far you've fallen? A Lucifer fall! "Turn back! Recover your dear early love. No time to waste, for I'm well on my way to [closing your church’s front door.]”
So, why would I say such an unspiritual thing as it’s wonderful that so many churches are closing their doors? Because I think it’s a God thing. It’s funny, we blame everything from the breakdown of the family to the gay agenda for the lackluster appeal of the church, but there’s one place we haven’t looked that might hold an answer for us: a mirror. Maybe—gasp—it’s largely our fault.
Now, that’s not to say that there aren’t sweet people, with good intentions, that love God with all their hearts that attend some of these churches. Sincerity is good, but sincerity doesn’t equal correctness. Jesus said that when he was lifted up, all would be drawn to him. You see that happening? Yeah, me either. As an acquaintance of mine commented on that observation: “either Jesus lied or we’re doing something wrong.” I don’t know about you, but my vote is on us.
As I’ve said before, the church isn’t a building, it’s the people of God, and until the people of God stop playing their my church is bigger games and start loving one another and their neighbors again, we aren’t going to see one whit of change. So, yeah, I think—barring a massive change in the heart attitudes of many churches—it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if some of those buildings became coffee shops or something. Because they’re doing a heck of a lot more harm to the name of Christ than good.
Matthew 23:15 (NIRV)
15"How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You travel everywhere to win one person to your faith. Then you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
