Great Churches Are Caring Churches
Rex Yancey
Acts 2:41-47
We have been discussing great churches. Great churches are loving, giving, worshipping, and unified. Today, I want to end this series of messages by saying Great churches are caring churches.
A U.S.A. Today article stated that Protestant churches are losing young adults in sobering numbers. 7-10 Protestants age 18-30 who grew up attending church said they quit attending by age 23. 34% had not returned by age of 30. If these facts are correct and I believe they are, about 1-4 in this age group have left the church.
I heard Jim Futral say recently that as Baby Boomers are dying out, the young generation coming on are not tied to the church as we were. That means there is a serious challenge coming to our churches in the next twenty-five years.
How do we explain this alarming trend? Ed Stetzer, director of Lifeway Research said: ''Too many youth groups are holding tanks with pizza.'' There is no life transformation taking place. People are looking for a faith that can change them and the world.
According to our text, the early church was a place where God's presence was dwelling, and his power was demonstrated. The church is not a playhouse or a club house. It is God's house.
Paul said to Timothy, ''The church is the House of God and the Church of the Living God.'' 1 Timothy 3:15
When God's presence is real, and his power revealed the church will be a place where lives are changed.
How can we have a church where lives are transformed? I want us to use an acrostic of the word CARE.
1.THE C STANDS FOR COMPASSION.
God does not bless every church. Just because a place is called a church does not mean that God is blessing it. It is a sad thing for me to say that not every church is a caring church today. Attend some church and no one will speak to you, befriend you, or include you in the group.
There are those who go to church, go through the ritual, go home and come back the n ...
Rex Yancey
Acts 2:41-47
We have been discussing great churches. Great churches are loving, giving, worshipping, and unified. Today, I want to end this series of messages by saying Great churches are caring churches.
A U.S.A. Today article stated that Protestant churches are losing young adults in sobering numbers. 7-10 Protestants age 18-30 who grew up attending church said they quit attending by age 23. 34% had not returned by age of 30. If these facts are correct and I believe they are, about 1-4 in this age group have left the church.
I heard Jim Futral say recently that as Baby Boomers are dying out, the young generation coming on are not tied to the church as we were. That means there is a serious challenge coming to our churches in the next twenty-five years.
How do we explain this alarming trend? Ed Stetzer, director of Lifeway Research said: ''Too many youth groups are holding tanks with pizza.'' There is no life transformation taking place. People are looking for a faith that can change them and the world.
According to our text, the early church was a place where God's presence was dwelling, and his power was demonstrated. The church is not a playhouse or a club house. It is God's house.
Paul said to Timothy, ''The church is the House of God and the Church of the Living God.'' 1 Timothy 3:15
When God's presence is real, and his power revealed the church will be a place where lives are changed.
How can we have a church where lives are transformed? I want us to use an acrostic of the word CARE.
1.THE C STANDS FOR COMPASSION.
God does not bless every church. Just because a place is called a church does not mean that God is blessing it. It is a sad thing for me to say that not every church is a caring church today. Attend some church and no one will speak to you, befriend you, or include you in the group.
There are those who go to church, go through the ritual, go home and come back the n ...
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