by John Vaprezsan
#1 – The Vision Is Not Clear – If people don’t know where a church is supposed to be going…then it will attempt to go everywhere and eventually wind up nowhere. (Interesting experiment–ask people this coming Sunday at your church, “What is our vision” and see if people give you the same answers or different ones.
#2 – The Focus Is On Trying To Please Everyone – There is NO church on the planet that will make everyone happy every single week…and…according to the Scriptures that isn’t really supposed to be our obsession. Too many times we become so concerned with offending people that we actually offend Jesus.
#3 – Passionless Leadership – When a leader does what he/she does for a paycheck and not because it’s their passion…it’s over. God wants difference makers not paycheck takers. AND…also…it is hard to be passionate about a place when a person’s average stay at a church is two years or less.
#4 – Manufacturing Energy – If a program is dead in a church…then it needs a funeral and the people need to move on. Investing time, energy and money into something that is dead will not revive it. Celebrate the fact that “that” program had its day…and then move on. AND…quit trying to fire people up over events that you would not attend if you were not on staff.
#5 – Lack of Prayer – Many times we work so hard putting our ideas together than we actually think there is no need for the supernatural power of God to be involved. Prayer should not be the good luck charm that we stick at the beginning or the end of what we do…but rather it should be our constant desperation to see God do the undeniable among us. Intense desperation often brings undeniable revelation!
#6 – Unwillingness To Take Risks – When our focus becomes to play it safe rather than to do whatever it takes to reach people far from God…it’s over. NOWHERE in the Scriptures did God ever ask anyone to do anything that didn’t involve an “oh boy” moment. We’ve GOT to be willing to embrace the uncertain if we want to see the unbelievable.
#7 – Disobedience To The Scriptures – Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:48, John 20:21, Acts 1:8, II Corinthians 5:16-21, Luke 19:10…I could go on and on…but we MUST understand that Jesus didn’t come to earth, live here for 33 years, give HIS life for us and then return back to heaven to intercede for us so that we could get in really little circles and talk about ourselves and condemn those who are not as good as us. We are called to REACH PEOPLE FOR GOD–PERIOD!
#8 – Selfish Attitudes – Matthew 20:28 says it all…and if we are going to be more like Jesus we’ve GOT to serve others rather than expecting the church to be our servant all of the time. When a person (or group of people) refuse to embrace that a call to follow Jesus is a call to serve…then we’ve lost sight of who He is and eventually we will make being a Christian all about Jesus following/serving us rather than us taking up our cross and following Him!
#9 – The Preacher Thinks He Is Always Right – “But the Emperor has nothing at all on!” said the little child. “Listen to the voice of innocence!” exclaimed the father; and what the child had said was whispered from one to another. “But he has nothing on!” at last cried all the people. The Emperor was vexed, for he knew that the people were right; but he thought, “The procession must go on now!” And the lords of the bedchamber took greater pains than ever to appear holding up a train, although in reality, there was no train to hold.”
by John Vaprezsan
Original article can be found at http://living-n-freedom.blogspot.com/2012/04/10-reasons-some-churches-do-not-grow.html
THIS IS A GREAT ARTICLE, AND NEEDS TO BE TAKEN TO HEART BY EVERY PASTOR. THANK YOU BROTHER!
Number 9 on the list is a real problem in many independent fundamental Baptist churches and that being that the pastor is always right and never to be questioned. Pastors are leaders not dictators. If a pastor teaches or preaches contrary to God’s word then he needs to be called out on it. On the other hand if he preaches and teaches according to what God’s word says then you need to follow and support him. As a matter of fact any good man of God will encourage you to check out what he preaches with the word of God. The Bible, God’s word (Authorized King James) is the final Authority not the pastor.