I heard on a long drive the other
day that 50% of the church is made up of people 34 years old and younger. So,
math whiz that I am, I deduced then, that 50% of the church is also made up of
people that are 34 years old and older.
I also read my Bible on a fairly
regular basis and have noted that Jesus never, ever, singled out one group of
people over another. He preached to everyone. “Everyone who has ears, let them
hear.” Matt 13:9.
Everyone.
The Bible is also full of stories
of God working through people of all ages. David was a young boy when he was anointed
King. Moses was in his eighties when God first spoke to him. Abraham and Sarah were in their nineties when
Isaac was born; Mary was a teen when she was called to be the mother of Jesus.
Paul was middle aged.
By today’s standards, I do
believe Moses, Abraham and Sarah, and probably Paul, would have been out of
luck. They would have been patted on the head and pushed aside. Or, offered the
chair straightening ministry if they really wanted to serve.
Why?
Because the Christian church of
today caters, almost exclusively, to the young. Young people and young families.
Not all churches, but most. And these churches don’t know what to do with anyone else.
So, by the stats above, 50% of the people attending church are left out.
And I wonder why? When the Bible
doesn’t teach that, why are Christian churches putting such a focus on youth?
I’ve heard that a large
percentage of Christians make their profession of Christ in their youth. I’ve
also heard that a large percentage of Christians leave the church when they are
no longer young.
Could this be the key?
We live in a culture of youth
obsession anyway, and it is sad (and worrisome) to me that the church has
jumped on that bandwagon. We are called to be different from this world, not
adopt its ways to further our congregations.
So, if we cater to the youth and
to young families, they are then under the belief that church is about them. The worship music is loud and
resembles a rock concert; there are endless activities for them; whole services
are carved out for ‘the family’; whole buildings are built just for them. And
yes, Jesus is preached, but to have a whole church catered just for them can
give them a false sense of their place within the church. They truly believe it’s
all about them. That church is there to serve them, not the other way around.
And anyone who is not in that demographic, is
not worthy. Or shouldn’t be there. Or is told to go with the flow. Or, told that maybe they need to go find a different church. And that is a problem. Because once you start dividing up the people that come
to your church into those you think need to be served and those who don’t,
well, you’re no longer a Bible serving church. You’re a self-serving church.
And, I know, I know, everyone else is doing it, so it must be a “Christian”
thing, but it’s not.
So, let’s get back to those who
leave the church when they are no longer young. Could it be because they have
had the rug pulled out from under them? They have been catered to all their
young lives and then, they are put out to pasture. They suddenly don’t matter
to the church anymore and if you’ve believed that Jesus only loves the young
and the young families, then, well, why would you stay? You are no longer
loved. Your perfectly catered to world no longer exists or makes sense.
My Bible is pretty clear that
Jesus and his disciples served and preached to everyone. Young, old, married,
single, rich, poor. It doesn't say to cater to the young. It doesn't say people with kids matter more than anyone else.
Moses didn’t say, “Let only the young and young families go” he said, “Let my people go”. (Emphasis mine)
John 3:16 doesn’t say, “For God
so loved the youth and the young families that He gave His only begotten son
that if only they believe in Him they will not perish but have eternal life.”
Nope. It says, “For God so loved the
world…” (Emphasis again mine) And ‘the world’ means everyone in it. Young ,
and the not young anymore.
The purpose of the church is to preach
God’s Word to us, all of us. It is to get the believers, all the believers, ready for when God
calls on us to His purpose. By only focusing on the young or young families,
the church is not serving their purpose. And by turning to the world to get
people in the door, they are not trusting the perfect Word of God that is
sharper than any two edged sword.
You want to reach the young and
the young families? Unflinchingly preach the Word of God. It’s not your job to decide who can come and who
matters. Preach God’s Word and let Him take care of the ears it falls on.
You want people to stay?
Unflinchingly preach the Word of God and thus equip them as you are told to do.
Let Him take care of the ears the Word falls on.
Jesus’ ministry wasn’t for the
young. It was for sinners. And we come in all ages.
