The church was never meant to be a 501C3 nor a business with paid pastors. Originally it was a community of saint who gathered to do the following, “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42). I do not know many churches share meals, Megachurches make that impossible to do every week as well as go fellowship, with the people attending being so vast its hard to get to know anyone. In smaller churches its possible with potlucks, and some go out to local dinner together. I testify eating with the pastor and other believers create a layer of closeness that cannot otherwise be achieved. People are less reserved when eating, and you can let down your hair and fellowship. This is why megachurches are folly, they are like massive universities, not conducive to intimate gatherings.
Another reason is we are not obeying the words in Scripture. The younger generations are participators not spectators, they are on Discord and all over the internet joining in with their voice and perspective. Church on Sundays does not facilitate this, only one person gets to share, the pastor, again like a teacher at university. But this is not how we are told to run a church meeting,
“What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.
Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.” (1 Corinthians 14:26-33). Notice it says “each of you has hymn, a word, revelation, and etc,” that means everyone coming to the meeting. Not one person. I have seen this done first hand, and people get excited to share what the Lord has on their heart, something they read, and etc. It allows the saint the opportunity to participate in church, not be a spectator. And this is crucial more than ever to practice because ww are losing people to Yoga and eastern practices because it allows participation.
The solution to low church attendance is not more pogroms, more special effects at worship, and more brilliant sermons. It is to return to the church of the New Testament which is Acts 2:42 and 1 Corinthians 14:26-33: gathering, fellowshipping, eating together, devotion to apostle’s teaching, sharing a word, sharing revelation, sharing a prophecy, sharing a tongue & interpretation, and etc. The model today is not any of this, it university format with one person teaching an everyone as an audience. I am not saying this format is without use, but church is suppose to be what we read in Acts 2:42 and 1 Corinthians 14:26-33. Amen.
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