It’s an easy answer: DISTRACTION! And churches can become distracted so easily!
Good things can distract the church from its mission! It happens regularly.
· Building programs can easily become a distraction from our primary objective of going into the world and making disciples of all nations! There’s a reason why pastors who oversee large building programs often leave the church shortly after it’s completed. Dissension and brokenness over the massive number of decisions to be made drain the people of unity and focus!
· Satan will stir any pot possible to divide a church and distract it from its God-assigned purpose! For instance, a conflict between two key leaders can dampen the presence of God in worship and cause a major disturbance among the people who are part of the church.
· Other major decisions about programming can become sources of frustration and discontent. If these are not quelled by open discussion and transparency, then discontent and suspicion can run rampant!
· Election of leaders and votes on controversial issues frequently become oppositional and cause friction among the membership. The highest level of integrity must accompany this process with plenty of opportunity for discussion, questions and information sharing. Leaders must exhibit Christian grace in their dealings with one another and with the congregation.
· Expansion of staff can raise concern and questions that must be addressed. This will typically only occur within larger congregations where it is genuinely needed. But first attempts to hire help in a growing church can be vigorously challenged. Great patience must be exercised to help the people understand the need and be willing to accept another leader.
· In smaller churches there can be strong feelings about the finances of the church. Certain individuals will focus on this area with great scrutiny. Of course, finances should be transparent and subject to frequent review by finance teams, auditors and leadership teams.
In most cases these kinds of concerns are not known to the vast majority of attenders in churches over 300 in size. However, in smaller churches there is a greater sense of ownership and control on the part of members.
Listen, Satan’s task is really easy! All he wants is to see the church be distracted from influencing lost and hurting people toward the Kingdom of God! He doesn’t care WHAT distracts the church; only that it BE DISTRACTED!!!!
Happy, comfortable small churches where the focus is on loving one another and living together in harmony are not a concern to Satan! He will essentially leave them alone! They’re not a threat to his kingdom. A church that registers no new converts year after year gives him no reason to oppose them or even distract them! THEY’RE ALREADY DISTRACTED!
I suppose the weapon that is next in line would be COMPLACENCY! When a church is happy and content with maintaining things as they are, they are not a threat to his dominion. He’s happy to leave them alone with their ‘we four and no more’ attitude!
But let new leadership arise that begins to teach about discipleship and evangelism and the enemy will take note and begin to make attempts to bring dissension, opposition and confusion.
He
will stir up good, Christian people to use manipulative and deceitful methods
to disrupt the body. He will catalyze bully-types to outwit, outmaneuver and over-speak
milder, less confident people.
He
will influence people toward gossip, secret associations and malicious and
underhanded actions.
He will raise up bitterness, hurt, division, and general nastiness that demeans and discourages others.
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Church leaders must be on guard for signs of the above! Our mission is far too important to allow ourselves to become distracted! People are headed for an eternity of misery and we must intercept them with the saving message of Christ!
Leaders must be courageous in confronting and guiding the church body through these times of temptation and opposition. The pastor/shepherd role becomes highly significant at times like this by pointing out the reality that the church may be under attack and urging congregation members to seek the Lord and pray for the restoration of passion for God’s priorities to reign!
Lord of the Church:
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
We are weak but You are
strong!
Keep us Savior from all
wrong!
Help us to recognize the
clear reality of being distracted from our God-given mission!
Help us to care enough
about the lost to make whatever concessions and confessions that may be
necessary to put us back in Your graces!
Help us to remember and
realize that it’s NOT about us and what we want,
But IT IS ALL ABOUT YOU
AND WHAT YOU WANT!
Grant us the clarity to
see what is wrong with our attitude and perspective.
Correct us through
intercession and Your Holy Word!
Speak clearly to us –
through the fog of distraction – and encourage us to humble ourselves in the
sight of the Lord!
Jesus, we are Your
body!
As Your Father sent
You, so You have sent us!
We don’t want to
disappoint You!
We want to be full of
love and compassion – especially for the spiritually lost!
Have Thine own way,
Lord,
have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter
we are the clay.
Mold us and make us
after Your will
while we are waiting
yielded and still!
FOR THE KINGDOM’S SAKE,
AMEN!
