"Keep Awake"

                                                       photo  ©2010  Garry Knight, Flickr

So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

1 Thessalonians 5:6 ESV

Dysfunction in the body. Whether it be our physical body or the body of Christ, when every part isn’t functioning as it should there is dysfunction. The human body and the church are made up of a system of systems. When the individual systems within the system begin to fail, total system failure will occur.

When it comes to our physical bodies we must be cognizant of what’s happening to our bodies. When we ignore symptoms, our bodies become sicker and sicker. So it is within the body of Christ. We must be cognizant of what is happening within the body of Christ, we must be awake and sober minded and be aware of the symptoms of dysfunction before they cause irreparable damage.

Just like the brain is charged with health of the physical body, the leadership of the body of Christ is charged with its health. The leadership of every congregation must be aware of what is happening within the body. One serious issue within the body today is that fact that it is losing members. Think of that in the context of our bodies. If we started losing parts of our bodies we would try desperately to repair whatever disease or affliction that was causing theses parts to fall off or fail. When disease and affliction strike we seek a diagnosis and cure as quick as possible. We want to know what can be done to prevent further damage or possibly death.

When young people leave the church there is a reason. The problem must be diagnosed before irreparable damage is done to the individual member and the body. There is a reason for the exodus of young people from the church. We can sit back and say that it is the influences of the world that they are chasing after and leave it that, or we can take a closer look at the situation and act on it rather than reacting after the loss is already felt.

In 1st Corinthians 9:22b  Paul said “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.”  We tend to look at this statement simply as Paul doing this as an evangelism tool. I think perhaps it’s time apply this philosophy within the church as well.

Paul strove to be all things to all people so he could understand where they were coming from and find common ground to begin a conversation that would lead to their salvation. We must strive to do the same for those in our number that are feeling that they can’t relate to us and we can’t relate to them. Relationships only grow and flourish when the parties involved in the relationship work to understand and meet the needs of the other. This is at the core of the Jesus teachings and the teachings of his Apostles.

So let’s wake up to the problem and address it. Let’s begin with listening to what the young people of the church are saying. When we listen we will learn what it is that is affecting them in such a way that they want to leave. Let’s become all things to all people, that by all means we might save some.”

© 2014 Leo J. Woodman

 

"Why do young people leave the church?"

Dysfunction, would be my answer to the question of “Why do young people leave the church?”. In so many respects the local body of Christ is dysfunctional. Young people want to get away from something they see as dysfunctional. Think about it, many young people distance themselves from their families to distance themselves from the dysfunction. They go elsewhere to seek a new way of looking at life and to start fresh.

It is not the Lord’s plan for the body to be dysfunctional, to the contrary the body is to be unified and solid. The body of Christ is to be a place of nurturance. That is how the body of Christ (the church) is set up. The problem we run in to is that the body is filled with imperfect people that sometimes come across as “im-perfect” people. At least that is the perception of many young people. They see the body as exclusionary. “Unless you’re just like me, you’re wrong”.

I think many are searching for the real church, the church based on being a disciple of Christ. They don’t want to be a part of just another institutionalized group based on man’s interpretation of God’s intentions. I think they want to see Jesus modeled in the leadership and their teachings, like the first century church saw in the Apostles.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matt. 28:18-20 ESV Jesus sent out his Apostles to make disciples for him, those that would be baptized and follow in Jesus teachings as they had been passed down by the Apostles. They weren’t to make disciples of a church, but disciples of Jesus the Christ.

They were to be a called out body of believers (the church), a people that were to be Christlike. They were to be called out of sin, religious and worldly influence and come under the influence of Jesus and all that he taught. We must ask ourselves as a body of believers if we are truly following the teaching of Jesus and his apostles. Or are we spending more time arguing and fault finding?

If we want the young people to stay we must look to Jesus as our example of what it means to be in good relationships with both God and people and pursue that. When the body functions as it should it is healthy and viable. Jesus and his approach to his Father and to others attracted people. “So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” Romans 14:19 ESV

© 2014 Leo J. Woodman