The Bait in Churches

I recently heard a sermon based on Jesus’ call to His disciples to follow and He would make them fishers of men. The Minister then proceeded to extol the virtues of the denomination and his church. What it provided and the programs it had.

I thought about it for some time and recalled my approach to that Scriptural reference. I had pastored 10 churches for about 55 years, for 3 different denominations. I’m not a fisherman, and know very little about the mechanics of the process. So, I consulted with several devotees of fishing.

They informed me about several elements about effective fishing.

1. It’s not the location that makes good fishing.

2. It’s not the clothing you wear.

3. Above all, it’s not the equipment-for example, the fishing pole.

4. It is the BAIT. Fish respond to the type of bait that is used.

My interpretation of the story about Jesus and fishing is this. The bait that Jesus used was His MESSAGE. Life abundant; God’s presence; life everlasting.

Stella and I have visited 4 Protestant churches (for several times each) in the last 6 months. Three of the four have a declining membership. All four have excellent facilities and middle-aged ministers. Educated and ambitious. The three have missed the challenge of Jesus. They brag about their pot-luck dinners, raffles, bingo, card parties, dancing, movies, game nights, financial drives-on and on. Of course, extolling their denominational affiliation, and raising money.

Seldom is the sermon about the message that Jesus spoke about. There have been scores of research that speak of declining membership in churches in the USA. Including Catholics.

I’ve studied the history of growing churches for years. Those that are growing have ministers that stress the messages of Jesus. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” “You must be born again” “Thou shall love the Lord your God with all your, mind and soul. And your neighbor as yourself.” “The kingdom of heaven is within you.” Etc. the list is extensive.

My cursory observation about church growth is that the denominational churches are the ones losing members. Methodist, Presbyterian, Congregational, Lutheran, Episcopal, Baptist, Nazarene, among others.

The growing churches are the independent churches like The Way, The Rock, Ecclesia, The Covenant, Rick Warren’s Church, Joel Osteen’s church.

From my experience, the former’s agenda is determined by the denomination and not so the independent churches. Another liability is financial. A friend, a pastor of a denominational church, said that the first $2000.00 dollars of the Sunday offering went to the denomination. That totals $104,000 each year.

Again, my basic premise about the message of Jesus is more likely to be the emphasis of the independent churches.

I have a further frustration with most ministers in the mainline churches. It is in regarding funerals. Recently I’ve had occasion to visit the services for several of my friends.

First of all, in each one the minsters had very little information about the deceased. In my 55 years as minister I’ve had well over a hundred funerals. In each case, if I did not know the deceased, I made it my responsibility to visit the relatives and get information about him/her.

I’ve often said that I felt that my primary task as a minister was in the conducting of funerals. That includes the afore mentioned information.

Secondly, in any Bible Concordance, there are usually about 50 references about hell and hundreds about heaven and the afterlife. How can any minister avoid talking about it and providing comfort to the loved ones? But they do.

The older we get the more interested we get in the next life. Jesus spoke about it often. As mentioned before, the words of Jesus are like bait. It attracts listeners.

Before I retired I preached under the assumption that as John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world” and that means everyone, past, present and future. Who am I to question it? Furthermore, I quote the Apostle Paul who says, “To be absent from the body is to be present with Christ.” (God) What better words to use to comfort the grieving.

I also quoted the Gospel of John where Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. He (she) that believes in ME. Even though they die, shall live forever.”

I always close the service by stating: “I assume all of us today believe God hears our prayers. Also, I believe (the name of the deceased) is with God. Therefore, I will pray (and you join with me) that God, who hears our prayers will let (him/she) know how much they are missed, how much they are loved and how much they meant to us. Amen.”

The avoidance by many clergy to address belief in heaven is tragic. Eugene O’Neill in 1925 depicts a very provocative incident in which Lazarus-who was raised from death by Jesus, is in Athens, Greece. When Caligula (the Roman Emperor to be) comes riding by, everyone is to bow. Lazarus refuses and Caligula threatens to kill him. Lazarus laughs and says, “O, Caligula, don’t you know that death is dead?”

Amen. Selah. So be it.