Breathing, But Dying

All over the world, people are taking their last breath and entering eternity. Some will enter heaven, but most will enter hell. There are also those who continue to breath, but are slowly dying inside because of intense hurt, rejection, and severe loneliness. Others are living in poverty. Many are homeless and on the street. People of all ages are starving to death, with no hope for a better future.

Teenagers, men, and women are destroying themselves with alcohol, illicit and prescription drugs to try and numb their pain. There are children who are being sexually, physically, or emotionally abused by those who should protect them.

But the churches are busy and have too little time to be concerned about these needs. They fight over the style of worship to be played on Sundays. They worry about the money coming in: Is it enough to cover the church's enormous expenses? They consistently count the numbers. Are they dropping and which pastor should we blame?

Right now Christmas drama productions and musicals are on the way. So much needs to be done, and yet there is so little time. These Christmas pageants require so many of the church's members: children's pastors, script writers, music and arts pastors, sound people, lighting crew, costume designers, drama directors, choir conductors, scene constructors, prop people, and stagehands.

With all of this going on at this time of year, I can't help but ask the question: What are the churches' true motives? Are they to entertain? To please the parents? To fulfil a yearly church requirement? To display the gifts and talents of children? How many famous singers today got their start in churches and are now the idol of millions with no longer a thought of God in them? Did the churches encourage this?

If these Christmas pageants are truly an outreach to save dying, lost souls, then why is the message typically humanistic with a vague message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, rather than truly evangelistic? Why are the children seldom encouraged to make personal invitations to all their non-Christian family members and neighbours to come? Hundreds of photocopied invitations are not very inviting, neither is a price tag attached to the invite or the suggestion to bring an offering or a donation — in other words, bring money so you don't feel guilty.

I know from experience that most people who come to the needlessly complex Christmas plays and musicals are Christians; only a small amount are non-Christians. The Christians are satisfied and the unsaved are pleasantly entertained, but the pain, loneliness, and shattered hearts they come with remain with them when they leave.

I never hear outdoor carolers anymore singing on a December night the beautiful words that give honour and glory to Christ's birth. I guess it is too cold and not worth the effort, so they sing in their multi-million dollar churches where it is warm and comfortable. They expect the unsaved to come to them instead of going out themselves, singing on the streets, shivering in the cold night air for those who desperately need to be reminded of God's love. Just the fact that Christians are willing to suffer a little bit for God is a greater testimony than the words we sing or the words we speak.

I believe that everything people do as a church needs to be double-checked for true motives and heart's intents. People are dying, hurting, and crying. They are in need of a Saviour. Let's not waste valuable time. Let's take every opportunity to reach them. The time is short and the unsaved are many.

"And I assure you that the time is coming,

indeed it's here now,

when the dead will hear my voice —

the voice of the Son of God.

And those who listen will live."

John 5:25

The saving power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ needs to be told and shared to all. It is through us that the unsaved can hear and listen to God's voice. We just need to get out of our pew, our pulpit, and our churches, and go to them. We need to stop wasting time.