Michael Brown asked in the Townhall, “Can the Church regain its Prophetic Voice.” His inquiry implies a loss of unspeakable proportions. If you are reading this, then know that your responsibility as a believer and disciple of Jesus Christ has never been more critical. Jesus called us to be the salt of the earth, Mt 5:13, but if that salt loses its “saltiness” it loses its preserving power.
The steps are simple: The path well worn. It begins with faithful worship. The assembling of ourselves together (Heb 10:25) is a command. However, in recent years churches have seen a slow, but steady, decline in consistent attendance. One church leader asked, “How many Sundays will you miss this year?” His research found that the average member will miss about 8 out of 52 Sundays. A slight majority will miss roughly 14 out of 52.
Wednesday Bible studies are even more meager. Less than 30% of church members now attend any midweek function. While Covid bears some weight to the matter, and there are pockets where the numbers are better, the fact remains that Pentecostal churches have seen a dramatic, downward shift in faithful, consistent church attendance.
Prayer and the Word have also suffered in this arena. Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” The reason is found in the next line, Hosea 4:7 “As they were increased…” The priorities of Bible reading, prayer, and fasting are in competition with our busy schedules. With “increase” comes added responsibilities, which further erodes devotion to prayer and the Word. Added to this conflict is time wasted on phones, media, television, movies, and entertainment. It is a recipe made to cloud the Voice of the Lord – a constant barrage against our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.
The prophetic voice is also wrapped around the preached Word; the pulpit. Weak preachers have been developed over the years. The cause is varied. While some are anointed and led by the Holy Ghost, others ministers seek to please the congregation. Likewise, while some members invite a strong, doctrinal message, others reject it and seek out a more palatable pulpits which appeases their lifestyles. The battle to retain a biblically centered message has always been in play, but never more so than today.
The questions are many. Will we obey the Word? Will we abandon or embrace prayer? Is the preached and taught Word important enough to rearrange our lifestyles? Is sound doctrine, direct preaching, and anointed messages, which invade our personal space, still welcomed? And finally, can our church survive and thrive in these final days of time?
Pastor Jeffrey Harpole