Too many churches or not enough?

Praxeas · #1 05-17-2007, 07:22 PM

To me, there are a LOT of churches in America. Is this good or bad? When it comes to businesses the more the better. Why? Competition. Competition causes these businesses to care about garnishing customers. They will lowe rates and provide better services. When there is no competition, they don't need to care about how good the service is.

On the other hand, when it comes to churches...the quality may not be improved due to competition.

Take politicians for an example. Some of them, due to competition will do or say anything to get more votes and as we have seen their promises usually end up being empty lies.

I am wondering about what Paul says about heaping to themselves teachers, having itching ears. Do we live in a day and age where the competition of churches leads to less truth merely for the sake of garnishing MORE membership? Do they preach less against sin so they don't rock the boat and make promises they can't keep?

And as a result could this mean for churches that do not follow that course less membership?

Larger, in church membership, it seems to be is NOT necessarly indicative of being truely in the will of God nor is smaller numbers necessarly indicative of NOT being truely in the will of God.

At the same time the reverse of that is not true either. If it was churches could intentionally keep their numbers lower just to appear to be in God's will.

What think ye?

#2 05-17-2007, 07:23 PM

I will say that i would be more likely to be in "church" if there were a limited number of messages to choose from, instead of a gazillion.

Praxeas · #3 05-17-2007, 07:29 PM

It just occured to me. I have a friend that goes to a Calvery Chapel. They don't have "moves of God"...no one gets the baptism with tongues. No gifts appear to be operating. It's not your usual "alter call" type services. He says the girls (young and old) dress like hoachies and that bothers him and yes sometimes the pastor brings that topic up but they keep on doing what they have been doing.This is one of the largest churches in our area. Most of the messages are just bible expositories verse by verse, book by book. I wonder how much this relates to this "ever learning and yet never able to come to the knowledge of the truth"...

While at the same time in many of our churches we have a lot of the other stuff but not a lot of the teaching too.

But still a lot of folks are going to this other church while the Pentecostal churches are not that big. A lot of these churches all have very charismatic pastors and that seems to draw the crowds in the most. They are funny and entertaining.

We are so saturated now with churches that people can chose a church to their own preference and to some degree this might be good. At the same time we are prone to choosing churches based on how we feel and no based on what is really good for us.

berkeley · #4 05-17-2007, 07:39 PM

They want a Joel Osteen!!!!

[YT="make up your mind!!!"]vPeYUXuuRUM[/YT]

berkeley · #5 05-17-2007, 07:40 PM

[YT="who needs scripture??? I wan't to reach the mainstream!!!"]U3euLlSdy2c[/YT]

berkeley · #6 05-17-2007, 07:41 PM

my bad.. I went opposite direction.. blah

Praxeas · #7 05-17-2007, 07:45 PM

That is partly my point. We are a capitalist society and I fear this "trend" has influenced Christianity way too much here in America. Sure, I can agree that it would be nice to have more churches so that when you are going to a church that is a bad church, even though they believe true doctrines, is a good thing, but due to the saturation and the market minded approach to doing things, I think this has been more spiritually harmful to us American Christians than anything. Being "happy" or a satisified customer has taken precident over having the truth in every aspect of our spiritual needs.

It reminds me of the child that seeks to divorce their parents or to lodge false charges against the father so they can get out of that home because the child felt it was too strict when in actuallity compared to our permissive society yes it was too strict, but compared to biblical principles that parent was right on.

Praxeas · #8 05-17-2007, 07:51 PM

And this is why I believe we need a real revival and especially of the gifts of the Spirit. They are for edification and no, NOT all prophecies or words of knowledge etc etc are going to be positive. That is baloney. But we also need true discernment as well as the discerning of spirits.

The more "prophets" we have the better they can judge that something was truely in the spirit and not in the flesh. We need such moves of the Spirit that people are so convicted they won't dare want to go to a church that is more "easy"

We also need to get rid of the disunity and disorganization in our ranks and focus more on how to have such revival. We have to have the win a soul and all costs mentality but not the "how to grow in numbers at all costs" mentality

berkeley · #9 05-17-2007, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Praxeas

And this is why I believe we need a real revival and especially of the gifts of the Spirit. They are for edification and no, NOT all prophecies or words of knowledge etc etc are going to be positive. That is baloney. But we also need true discernment as well as the discerning of spirits.

The more "prophets" we have the better they can judge that something was truely in the spirit and not in the flesh. We need such moves of the Spirit that people are so convicted they won't dare want to go to a church that is more "easy"

We also need to get rid of the disunity and disorganization in our ranks and focus more on how to have such revival. We have to have the win a soul and all costs mentality but not the "how to grow in numbers at all costs" mentality

Wishful thinking.... does anyone really want this?? What you are asking for comes with a cost. Not many are willing to pay that price. They are satisfied with a "fast food drive thru" type of church where they can have it their way and go on their merry way.

Praxeas · #10 05-17-2007, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berkeley

Wishful thinking.... does anyone really want this?? What you are asking for comes with a cost. Not many are willing to pay that price. They are satisfied with a "fast food drive thru" type of church where they can have it their way and go on their merry way.

That is my point. We NEED this. You know the bible says all that will live godly shall suffer persecution. You notice how "spiritual" Americans came after 9/11?

More of that is coming because for many that is the only way they will shift gears...I think we can avoid it if we get motivated ourselves, but most "revivals" come during low times because that is the only time people get desparate enough to really turn to God with hunger and thirsting