In a sermon I heard yesterday from my church, my friend and pastor commented on how younger people in their 20's and 30's are leaving the church and are not disciplined enough to come to church. While I see what was said, I must give some of the main reasons for this happening. Some will be of no surprise, others might be. Just to note, this is not an attack but a critique, observation, and rebuttal as to why my generation is not as interested in the evangelical church anymore.
1.) Lack of Discipline.
This was the point that was made in our church's sermon on Sunday. To be sure, this is a reality with some twenty and thirty somethings. Simply put, they would rather stay home, go out on the lake or river, go shopping, or get some home improvement jobs done. It usually involves sleeping in until about nine or ten and then getting up to do these things. I would be lying if I told you I haven't some of these.
2.) Irrelevance.
Since my generation is the generation that voted in Barack Obama, is concerned with going green, and cares about social justice, they find the evangelical church out of touch. The ones that go this route and stop attending because they feel churches don't care about recycling for instance, often times say the church is irrelevant. They usually come from an evangelical background full of legalism and stupid seeker sensitive gimmicks that are truly out of touch. This group of twenty and thirty somethings devote more time to volunteering at shelters and promoting their favorite political candidate while sipping coffee at a Starbucks on a Sunday morning. Obviously there is nothing wrong with those things at all! But to replace them with church is what they are doing.
3.) Lack of Doctrinal Preaching
This heading is the one that touches me the most and quite frankly there are a lot more twenty and thirty somethings out there that don't go to church because of the lack of doctrinal teaching. Mind you, I am not saying we should not go to church. The church is where the word is supposed to be preached and the sacraments rightly administered. But what are we to do if there is nothing? Many young people, so frustrated with the Church scene not because of irrelevance in the sense of not being culturally hip but irrelevant because there is no proclamation of the gospel are becoming so restless and upset that the only thing to do is give up. Again, it doesn't make it right! We desire the OBJECTIVE announcement of the forgiveness of sins only found in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone. We don't want "how to sermons." No more "how to be a better husband, how to be more devoted, how to have more joy in your life, how to be financially blessed, how to be a better Bible reader, and how to be a better fill in the blank." My generation may want to go green, support Obama for President( or Ron Paul for that matter), drink Starbucks, drive smaller cars, and so on but we want OBJECTIVE truths! Tell us about the virgin birth, Jesus' perfect life, the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the ascension. Tell us them in historical form that two thousand years ago, this is what happened and that he secured the salvation of His people. Give us the body and blood of Christ that was broken and spilled out for us. Give us the water with the word that buries and raises us Christ! My generation is planting churches......this may be our only option anymore. This doesn't mean we cant find these things in Baptist, Lutheran, Anglican, and Presbyterian churches, because we can. I guess if you lived in the Midwest like I do you would understand fully. It's difficult here. I will be posting on that very subject next time. Thanks for reading.
Seth
S.D.G.
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