How About You?

Posted on January 2, 2017.
How about you original

With so many churches to choose from, why do people choose the one they choose?  Some hints to the answers to the question may come from a recent survey of why people attend the church they do…

 56% liked the people who go there

30% liked the preacher

8% liked the location

4% liked the building

2% liked the doctrine

 To me, the survey results are problematic.  Allow me to make a brief comment on each reason for attending the church we do. 

 First 56% liked the people who go there.  This speaks to the value of fellowship.  However, people can be wrong.  If you are hanging with the wrong people, you may be going down the broad way which is the way of destruction.

 Second 30% like the preacher.  Now I guess I’d be a fool to see anything wrong with this.  I must admit, I want people to like me and I want to be a positive influence on people.  But take away the personal angle and preachers can be wrong too.  Is your preacher committed to the truth?  Does your preacher express his opinion too much?  Is your preacher interested in your spiritual development?  If you don’t have good answers for these questions, why in in the world are you listening to him and putting your soul in jeopardy?

 Third, 8% like the location.  To be honest that sound a little (O.K. a lot) shallow.  With so much at stake why allow something like distance influence you? 

 Fourth, 4% like the building.  That not only sounds shallow it is shallow. 

 Fifth, 2% like the doctrine.  May I suggest ‘like’ is the wrong word.  I say that because I don’t like all the doctrine I know.  I agree with it, I preach it, I practice it but I don’t like.  I know it’s true so I go against what I like and embrace what is right and true.  To be totally honest, if this survey is true and only 2% of the people go to a church that is preaching the truth, at least as they see it.  No wonder our culture is in trouble.  The Bible tells us the ‘truth will set you free,’ I guess we prefer bondage and slavery instead. Hosea 4:6 says… my people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.

 So, I ask you, why do you attend the church you attend?