OUR GREATEST TRAGEDY

The greatest tragedy in America’s Churches is not the fallen minister, although that is
quite tragic. It also in not the false doctrine, though that is devastating, nor is the
greatest tragedy the missing focus or purpose for the church. The greatest tragedy is
not denominationalism, as evil as that is. The greatest tragedy is the missing church
member! Recent surveys show that 38% of the members attend services on any given
Sunday.
In America today there is an attitude toward membership that is appalling… Many are
saying membership is not necessary, it may be nice but it is not necessary. Others say
church membership is not important… I can be just as good a Christian without the church
as I can with it. Others say the church is not meaningful, that it adds no value to my life.
Some even declare that church membership is unscriptural, in fact some would even say it
is evil.
If so many people have such low views of the church and its purpose, it’s a wonder that
that we have church at all. It really boils down to this. Who are you following? Who is
leading you? If you have become one of the anti-church people in our world, who led you to that position? Jesus was pro church… He called the church His wife, His body and His
Kingdom. To me, Jesus is a leader worth following. He has the greatest potential to get
us to a place called heaven. In fact, He is on record saying that He is the way to heaven
and the only way. He is the truth and the only truth. He is the life and the only life, John
14:6.
We have free will, and this world gives us many options. You and I are totally free to
choose who will lead our lives and who we will follow. But let me remind you that eternity
has only two options. Take your pick. An old commercial use to say, ‘you only go around once in life, so go with all the gusto you can.’ I think gusto is good. But we go around twice in life. The first time around determines where we go the second time.