There are many people who do not attend church for a variety of reasons. I have been in the pastoral ministry for several decades and have faced most or all of them.
I will be direct and honest with you―I understand most of them and admit there are many times that I have personally lost my own energy to be a part as well. This may come as a shock to you and surprise you to hear a seasoned pastor make such a statement.
I’m not saying that I have ever doubted my faith in Christ or my absolute commitment to the gospel, or my calling to ministry. What I am saying is that many, many churches, quite frankly, are difficult to be a part of because, simply put, they are not in alignment with scripture and not being aligned with scripture will ultimately harm people and especially their faith.
If you will indulge me, I will refer to a statement I made in my current book, The Divine Chase:
"We go into a church and believe we are in a spiritual hospital that has the answers for our lost heart. More often than not, however, we find ourselves in a factory, simply seeking metrics, doling out spiritual placebos, instead of the true medicine of the gospel of Christ, the saving faith and repentance of conversion from God’s dispensary".[i]
The church is where we go to find our greatest healing. One main reason we go there is to find human relationships―one of the most healing things known. But the greatest healing comes in the greatest relationship of all―with God through Christ our Savior.
We must preach the gospel, but we must use more than words. We must spend time in prayer and the Word and bring that relationship with the Savior into church with us and be a vessel of healing for others. When we live a sacrificial, selfless life of the gospel, that will happen and we may find it will be unnecessary to find ways to get people to church, for they will be drawn on their own to a marvelous place of healing and love―the church as it is intended to be.
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And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, 25 not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:24–25
©2018 by Ben Bounds. All rights reserved.
[i] Bounds, Ben. The Divine Chase: Responding to a Pursuing God. Bloomington, IN: Westbow Press. A division of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan, 2018, p.162.
We can come to know Christ through confession of our sins and repentance (turning away from sin). Let me encourage you to do this by talking to God through prayer. Here is an idea of how you might do that:
"Dear God, I believe your son Jesus Christ died in my place on the cross and rose from the dead on the third day following his death. I confess my sins, all of them, to you now with a humble heart. I repent of those sins and ask you to empower me with your Holy Spirit in overcoming further sin. Amen”
If you prayed this or a similar prayer committing your life to Christ and becoming one of his followers, let me encourage you to find a good, Bible-believing church. If you live in the Weslaco/Rio Grand Valley area of Texas, let me invite you to the church I attend, Mid-Valley Assembly (www.midvalleyassembly.com).
Begin talking to God in prayer and reading the Bible daily. A good way to begin to read the Bible is to start with the Book of John in the New Testament.
Feel very free in connecting with me if you need any further help in your walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. You can do this via the above email or facebook page or this web page.
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Mercy Road Ministries was founded and now led by Ben Bounds. Ben has pastored churches across Texas for over thirty years and is an ordained minister with the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA). He holds a BA in Pastoral Ministry and Biblical Studies from Southwestern Assemblies of God College and did graduate theological studies at the BMA Theological Seminary.
Ben's first book, The Divine Chase: Responding to a Pursuing God, was released on 12.08.2017 through Westbow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. It is available in paperback and hardback through your preferred bookseller (Mardels, Barnes and Noble, etc.) and paperback, hardback as well as ebook through online book retailers (www.christianbook.com, www.cokesbury.com, www.amazon.com, www.booksamillion.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, etc.).
Ben is the host of Staying in Bounds, an on-air Bible devotional broadcast multiple times daily on KWJV 103.7 FM Weslaco, TX which can also be heard worldwide online at www.kwjvthestar.com. Ben and his wife, Linda, together have four adult children and nine grandchildren. They live in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
Ben can be contacted for preaching engagements at benbounds695@gmail.com or 903.441.3279. Ben can also be contacted via his website @ www.benbounds.com, which is also his blog and contains more information about his ministry.
Follow Ben @ https://www.facebook.com/mercyroadministries/ and this website www.benbounds.com.
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