"Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead"

"And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead. "

"Be thou watchful, and establish the things that remain, which were ready to die: for I have found no works of thine perfected before my God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear; and keep it, and repent."




It's not easy to tell the state of a person's health by looking. That's why doctors put us through a whole battery of tests.

Some churches are so clearly sick that a visitor does not even have to get out of his car to tell. Other churches give signs of being healthy but have fault lines running through the interior of their relationships and operations.

What does a sick church look like? How can we recognize one when we spot one?

My only reason for compiling a list of symptoms of congregational illness is to spur members and leaders to act to rescue their church, their families and themselves while there is time.

Some of the greatest churches of yesterday are today very sick and some are dead.

Ten signs of a sick church

10. A church that cannot solve a problem harmoniously is sick. Instead, the church falls into the blame game. Nothing is ever resolved, once people leave the remaining people are left to mourn and wonder. If there is no open door for those who have left to return, this is especially a sick church. Everything the church dose should be done with redemption in mind. If judgements are made based upon exacting vengeance and not redemption this is not a sick church it is a dead church.

9. A church that resists all change is sick. If it was good enough for grandpa, it's fine with them. Failing to see the difference in what is unbiblical and what is uncomfortable, they opt for comfort every time. This church is dying.

8. An unbalanced church is sick. It's either too ultra-conservative or too liberal, too close-minded or too open-minded, too welcoming to newness or too wedded to the past. Such a church may not be dying in the sense of declining numbers but as far as effectiveness for the Kingdom is concerned, it might as well be dead.

7. A church without a healthy view of Scripture is sick. It either ignores the Bible, makes an idol of the Bible, or more likely, preaches a few passages to death and ignores the remaining verses. You are out of balance, anything that remains out of balance will self destruct.

6. A church were people are held in check out of fear is a very sick church. God operated in the realm of love and faith, where there is love and faith anything can happen. Fear and hatred are the tools that the Devil works through. If major part of your motivation is fear you are sick and the person who makes you feel that way is even sicker.

5. A church controlled by unhealthy leaders is sick. It may have a good history and a solid reputation from years past, but at this moment be under the domination of a leader who are mentally unstable and spiritually challenged. Everything rises and falls on leadership. Good leadership good things, bad leadership, evil things. This is especially true when the leadership is hiding from a short coming in their life. Crafting fig leaves with which it covers itself. The church becomes sicker and weaker, taking on all the characteristics of its leadership. It's a goner.

4. A church that is lacking joy is a sick church. The joy of the Lord is my strength, therefore with Joy shall ye draw water from the wells of salvation. Jesus said he came to give life and that more abundantly. Joy expressed in daily living, public worship, and service. If it is missing Dial 911.

3. A church that exists only for itself is sick. It does not see beyond the walls of the building. The budget, will show that almost all its income goes to sustain itself. The message is all about protecting itself.

Supporting the structure and not the mission take center stage.
a. When the focus shifts from evangelism to safety and protection,
b. When the Finances and message support and protect the system,
c. When a church begins to isolate itself,
d. When a church becomes clannish and is unfriendly to outsiders,
e. When a church believes they alone are the last bastion of truth,
f. Isolation, protection, and decline
Call the funeral home you are dead.

2. An unreproducing church is sick. Its total evangelism vision is summed up by one item: the annual revival meeting. However, there will be no effort by the members to share their faith in the community, no evangelism through Sunday School classes, no training in soulwinning, and no sense of the need to have such. When the guest preacher shows up for revival, any unchurched person in the building is there strictly by accident. This church is self-destructing by default.

When a church is healthy churched people from other churches move in as they hear about the abundance of bread. When a church is sick members exit in hopes of something better. When people leave and relocate to another assembly you are sick. Quit quoting scripture about a great falling away and read your medical chart. You are in desperate need.

1. A church that is loosing it's youth is sick. This one indicator stands alone in the number one slot. It is not even close. Children want something that is real, form and tradition are never enough. God intended for this to be passed from generation to generation..." For this promise is unto you and to your children, and as many as the Lord our God shall call." is a promise to every pastor, teacher and parent. He was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The faith was intended to be passed from generation to generation. What dose it profit a church, if they have a great choir, or a pastor of notary, if they loose the "heritage of the Lord", their children.

Nothing about any of this is humorous. Unhealthy churches exist in large numbers in pentecost today. We have an epidemic. Many times the easiest thing to do is to relocate to a church that is vibrant and alive. Most sick churches hang on for years spreading their sickness upon all they come in contact with.

Repentance and revival are the antidote for all These calamities...

"If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways..."

"Be thou watchful, and establish the things that remain, which were ready to die: for I have found no works of thine perfected before my God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear; and keep it, and repent."



Thank you for reading today...

Lm


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