All right, the title of the sermon this morning is why people are bored with church
Why are people bored with church and you know church should never become a drudgery to anybody, right?
And you know this the the assembling of ourselves together
Should never become a grievous chore that we despise the Bible tells us despise not
prophesied the Bible tells us for this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous and one
Of the commandments that God gives to us is that we forsake not the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is
We should not forsake the assembly and we should keep that commandment now
But it should never be grievous or a drudgery to us on the contrary
Church should be something that we enjoy man
It should be something that we look forward to it should be something that we value that we love that is an intricate part of
Our personal lives in the lives of our family, you know
The Bible tells us David said for the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up
Okay
When he says that the zeal of his house of God's house hath eaten him up
He's basically saying that he's consumed by going to the house of God. It's something that he holds dear
It's something that is important to him
He also says in Psalm 24 verse 7 one thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after?
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life
The Bible says he's a one thing that I desire is I want to be in the house of God all the days of my life
You know
He also says for a day and night courts are better than the I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than to dwell in the tents of
wickedness the Bible tells us this shows us his attitude towards the house of God that he just rather be here all the days of
His life you rather be in the house of God at all times
This is the attitude that he had go to first Timothy chapter number three if you would let me get that brother
first
Timothy chapter number three
You know
We should have the right type of attitude when it comes to church and it should never be something that we see as a chore
Something as a drudgery something that is grievous, you know, the Bible tells us in first Timothy chapter 3 verse 15
But if I tarry long that thou mayest know how the oddest to behave thyself in the house of God
Which is the Church of the Living God the pillar and ground of truth, you know, Jesus told Peter upon this rock
I will build my church and the gates of hell should not prevail against it
The Bible tells us that husbands should love their wives even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it
This shows us that the house of God has value to Jesus Christ himself
Therefore we should value it as well now
Unfortunately, this is not the attitude that a lot of people have right? In fact, some people come to church. They're bored with church
They have an indifferent attitude towards church. It's no longer valuable
Why is that? Well, there's plenty of valid reasons as to why your average church member is
Apathetic towards church. Okay, and I'm gonna get into those reasons those valid reasons later on in the sermon
but the reality is is that some Christians get bored with church and
Becomes become apathetic towards it and it has nothing to do with the church itself
It has nothing to do with the pastor has nothing to do with the preaching has nothing to do with the singing or the ministries
Or the soul winning it actually has a lot to do with them. Okay, or just elements that surround that now
We read in Acts chapter 20
The story of Eutychus very interesting funny story, right?
It says in verse 9 you'd have to turn there acts 20 verse 9 says and they're sat in a window a certain young man
Named Eutychus being fallen into a deep sleep and as Paul was long preaching
He sunk down with sleep and fell down from the third loft and was taken up dead now
What do we see here? We see a story of the Apostle Paul preaching
He's a little long-winded. He's not landing the airplane. He's preaching until midnight and a man by the name of Eutychus
Goes to sleep and literally falls out of a window and dies. Okay now
This is not necessary. I'm using this story to basically illustrate that it doesn't matter who's preaching
Sin nature still sin nature people can still get bored no matter where you're at because you think about it
This is the Apostle Paul
This is one of the greatest Christians in the history of Christianity did many works
He's a man who is spear-filled. He has the power of God in his life and yet Eutychus still fell asleep
Okay now give it he was long preaching. Yes. It's midnight
He's probably tired, but at the end of the day, it was still the Apostle Paul preaching
now
This is illustrating to us that really sometimes people could even have a hard time
Even in a good church under a good pastor under good preaching and it's not necessarily because of the pastor
It's not because of the church. It's not because of the preaching, you know
And why is it that in spite of good sermons or in spite of a healthy?
Vibrant zealous church people become callous or unresponsive towards the things of God. Why is that?
Well, it's not because the church is dead
Okay, and it's not because the hand of God is not upon that congregation
Sometimes it has to do with the person or certain factors within that person's life
You know, the Bible tells us he that have ears to hear let him hear you can't say well
I'm not getting anything out of the preaching
well, if the Bible is being preached you can always get something out of the Word of God, you know, and
Obviously there is some lame preaching out there
But you know what if some of that lame preaching has the King James Bible backing it up
You can still get something from it. You can still get principles. You can still learn
Important doctrine you can still grow and get fed and still learn something even from some preaching
That's not as good or as dynamic or vibrant, but why are people bored with the good church?
I'm gonna give you a couple reasons this morning as to why now go to Matthew chapter 13 if you would Matthew chapter 13
Let me give you a couple reasons why people are bored with the good church number one. It's because of distractions
Distractions cause people to get bored or indifferent to church
The Bible tells us in Psalm 119 verse 70 you're in Matthew chapter 13
Psalm 119 verse 70 says this their heart is as fat as Greece
But I delight in thy law now. This is not talking about someone who's overweight
What it's talking about here is someone spiritually speaking their heart is as fat as Greece in other words
Their heart is filled with everything but the Word of God
the heart is just filled with vanity with
distractions with
Containment with problems with stresses with everything but God and his word
Okay, in other words, there's no room
To delight in God's Word
When you come to church
Some people it's not because they don't love God. It's not because you know, they they're just backslidden
It's because they filled their heart with everything but God's Word
Okay, their heart is as fat as Greece. You see their bodies in church
But their heart is actually somewhere else
Okay, the Bible tells us oh how I love thy law
It is my meditation all the day long now look at Matthew 13 verse 22 says he also this is the parable of the seed
In the sower it says in verse 22. He also that receives seed among the thorns
Is he that heareth the word and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becometh
Unfruitful and the parallel passage in market says the lust of other things entering in
So the parable of the sower and the seed
The principle that is being tires that when the Word of God is sown in people's hearts whether for salvation
And I believe you know
The the seed of the Word of God can be sown in your hearts even after salvation when you're hearing principles and the truth
You know, it falls upon four different areas
You have the the wayside the stony places, but the third seed is among thorns
And what it's telling us here is that when the truth falls in a heart that is thorny in other words
It's filled with things it the person becomes unfruitful
Because the seed can't grow it doesn't sprout. It doesn't it doesn't go any further than that
Now, what are the thorns where it says there the cares of this world?
It says there the deceitfulness of riches
Covetousness it says there that
Another place it tells us the lust of other things entering in can choke the Word of God
So sometimes what so how do we apply this in a practical way people come to church? They're going through some trial
They are you know, thinking about money. They're thinking about work. They're thinking about entertainment
That's in their heart and then they come to church and they just can't pay attention to what's going on
They can't get anything out of the Word of God because their mind is elsewhere their heart is elsewhere
It's thinking about other things and it's being entangled. Their heart is being entangled with the cares of this life
This is why people get bored with church, you know, you're in church you're listening and then you leaving like man
What did he just say? You're just thinking about food
Think about lunch you're thinking about, you know, the show you watched last night. You're thinking about
Financial issues that you may be going through you're thinking about trials you think about everything but God's Word and
This is a thorny heart. Okay, it becomes entangled and in fact the Bible even tells us no man that
warreth
Entangleth himself in the affairs of this life that he may please him who hath called them to be a soldier the Bible says
You know if you're gonna be an effective Christian a Christian who wars and is able to overcome the things of this world
You can't be entangled with what the affairs of this life
You know allowing your heart to be thorny just trapping the entertainment the problems of this world
You're gonna be an ineffective Christian. Okay
Now, let me give you an example of this brother. Hi, why don't you come on up and brother Paul brother John?
I want you to entangle this guy in this rope real quick
Yeah you
Come on this side brother brother John ignore these guys why they work on this, okay
But I want you know one one. Yeah one side to be able to be like this
So just wrap them around is that as much as it goes. Okay. Well put it over over his like chest
All right
Hike loves the Lord
He he loves the Bible. He believes right, you know, he loves church. He loves singing the hymns
You know, this is a person who loves the Lord, but you know what if he is constantly worrying about the affairs of this life
He's constantly think about work while he's here. He's constantly
Covetous in his heart for the things that he desires. He has a temporal value system
What happens is his spiritual arms get tied up tighten them up guys and really he can't move
Don't throw up on me, you know
When he wants to reach out and win someone to Christ
When he wants to be able to reach out and read his Bible and get something from the preaching
He's not gonna be able to because he's entangled
Okay, so loosen up a little bit
Loosen up. All right. So now he's coming to church. I gotta come to church
I need to get something out of God's Word
I need to make sure that I get back on track and then what happens he sits down he begins to think
Upon the things of this world tighten them up guys tighten them up tighten them up and what happens is now his heart is tangled
He can't really pay attention. He's having a difficult time because now his heart is thinking about money. It's thinking about entertainment
It's thinking about work. It's thinking about everything but the things of God. Okay loosen up
So what's the problem? So now he comes on Thursday and he's he's been working all week
He's been dealing with his froward boss
Okay, he's been dealing with problems at home with his wife. He's fighting with suing all week. Okay
Sueing's been yelling at him all week and just getting on him. I'm just kidding. Okay. They're like, how'd you know?
I'm just kidding
You know, they just they're having marital issues and they both come to church and there he's like well we're going to church
I don't care what you say so long
We're gonna go to church today and we're gonna be there tighten up and now you start hearing preaching and he's just can't think stop
Thinking about his marital issues
Okay, he arms can't move. He's stuck
The thorns of this life are just trapping him. Okay now let's talk about someone else
What if loosen up guys, you know, what if hike he loves the Lord? He loves the Bible
He loves the things of God, but he's so caught up in the entertainment of this world. He's playing too many video games
Xbox
Okay, he's playing video games. He's just always on social media. He's just not reading his Bible while he's at home
He's doing all these things that are just filling his heart with Greece spiritually speaking, you know, and he has the right intentions
And he's coming to church is like hey forsake not the assembly of ourselves together. This isn't a robber breaker Church
We go to church here and this is his conviction right but now because he's been filling his heart with Xbox tighten up
He's not gonna really hear anything. He's thinking about points. He's thinking about guns. He's thinking about all these moves or left right down shift
whatever
He can't focus
You know and look this this right here is the floor I'd look that the pastors get
When we're preaching and they're just like and then they kind of shake it off they go
This is because their heart is filled with thorns
They're thinking about other things. Okay. Okay loosen up guys. You're killing them. Okay, hold on
We're not done yet
You know, this is the person who's filling his heart with so much entertainment
So many extracurricular activities that he can't focus
Now I'm not saying live an aesthetic life or you just don't do any of those things but some people that's their life and
Some people that's the reason why when they come to church, they can't focus
They can't pay attention, you know, you're praying for a solution to your issue to your problem. But the problem is you're not listening
So when you come to church
You hear a sermon you hear a principle that God is trying to get across to you to help you with your issue
But because you're so filled your heart is as fat as grease with
Entertainment with Xbox with the problems and money and all these things tighten up you don't get it
You're you're not free to actually receive the Word of God
He that hath ears to hear let him hear but you know what if those ears are covered by the affairs of this life
You're not gonna hear anything
Okay, you know
You'll you'll you'll actually tune in when everyone says amen you're like, oh man, what did you just say?
You know, I got just missed it and you're like hey man, yeah, that's right. Amen, you know
But you're not actually listening okay, and you it's not because you're a wicked person it's not because you're backslidden
It's just because your heart is filled with thorns
You're not capable. You're too distracted. And then what happens is you begin to get bored with church
Okay, go ahead guys sit down
Thank you for the hike
Stop fighting with your wife
I'm just kidding. He's not fighting with his wife
So
Distractions the deceitfulness of riches they choke the word
Okay, this is why people get bored in a good church sometimes. All right now
What's the solution to that?
You know
the solution is you got to cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God and
Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. That's what you have to do
You have to check your problems at the door. Okay, and
You know, we never want to compartmentalize
We never want to compartmentalize God, but we do want to compartmentalize our problems when we come to church
You know compart people compartmentalize God and they'll say well here at church. I'm doing church
But when I go home, I'm someone else, you know, that's called being a hypocrite
What we need to do is actually compartmentalize our problems so that when we come to church
We're not thinking we're not dealing with the problems that are out there. Okay now obviously there's certain problems that they're not gonna go away
They're in your heart. They're constantly on the forefront of your mind because the problems are so insurmountable
Maybe it's a debt that you're in
Maybe it's a loss of a loved one and it's just gonna take time
To basically ease your way out of that way of thinking for a while
But you have to on purpose come to church and say Lord help me to focus today while I'm at church
Help me to get something out of the preaching of God's Word
Please put out of my mind the troubles that I'm struggling with right now
So I can benefit from being in God's house to be able to be exhorted. Okay
You know the Bible tells us in Philippians 4 8 finally brethren. Whatsoever things are true
Whatsoever things are honest whatsoever. Things are just whatsoever. Things are pure whatsoever. Things are lovely whatsoever
Things are of good report if there be any virtue if there be any praise think on these things this has to be done on
Purpose. Okay. Now I'm not gonna get into the health reasons as to why
Another reason why people get bored in church. Obviously, there's a factor of health involved if you're eating, you know junk food at midnight
You're probably not gonna do well Sunday morning. I'll just be honest with you. Okay, it's probably why you're falling asleep
It's probably why you're so tired
It's because your body's been working at digesting that food throughout the night and then you're just exhausted the next morning
That is an obvious reason why but I'm giving you the spiritual
Reasons as to why people have a tendency to get bored with church
Go with me if you go to Hebrews chapter number 5 Hebrews chapter number 5
So there's distractions and you know when you're in church minimize as many distractions as possible put your phone on airplane mode
Or turn it off, right
You know now with parents parents. We have a good distraction and they're called children
That's a good distraction and sometimes children, you know throughout the service
they get out of hand and that's why we have mother baby rooms and such and
That's just something that we have to basically
Work on and deal with because we're trying to teach them how to focus in church as well
So for you parents who have children in the service
You have to work twice as hard to pay attention in church
Okay, because of the fact that you want your kids to pay attention as well
So your kids are not gonna be paying attention in church if you can't even focus and pay attention in church either
Okay, so why are people bored with a good church?
Well because of distractions but also because they just become disinterested in the basics. All right
What do I mean by that?
Well, if you're not careful, you might be a Christian who just wants to hear something new all the time
Thankfully we are in a church where we're always gonna learn something new, but it's not gonna be always
Okay, it's not gonna be every service. Not every service is gonna be a bombastic dynamite
Sermon that can just wake you up, you know, not every sermon is gonna have the word fag in it except for this one
apparently, you know
Not every sermon is gonna be talking about just these exciting doctrines that will keep keep your attention span
Sometimes you just need to discipline yourself to just pay attention
Okay, don't be disinterested in the basics
now the Bible tells us look at Hebrews chapter 5 verse 11 of whom we have many things to say and
hard to be uttered
seen your dull of
Hearing there's people who actually become dull of hearing. What does that mean? They're no longer keen
They're no longer sharp to just listening to the basics and this is talking about the basics here and this particular verse
Or this particular passage look at verse 12 for when the time you ought to be teachers you have need that one teach you again
Which be the first principles of the oracles of God and are becomes such as have need of milk and not of strong me
For everyone that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness for he is a babe
But strong me belonging to them that are a full age
Even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil
Why does someone become dull of hearing well because they think they know it all and
Then they want to keep learning something new and what happens they're just bored with the basics and Paul's telling them
No, you need to get back to the basics
And in fact in chapter 6 he talks about the first principles of the oracles of God
He talked about the foundational things such as salvation
Baptism eternal judgment the laying on of hands
These are basic doctrines that we should be pleased with and should still be edified by okay
Now, how do we apply this in a practical way? Well
you know
We as God's people need to take a sermon in at a time. Okay on a Sunday, for example
Sunday you get two meals. Amen in church you get two meals. They're different sermons dealing with different things
Digest those things take time to ruminate on those truths as baked as basic as they are
Take time to ruminate to chew on it to meditate upon it
Hey, how about this to apply it?
Okay, sometimes we just want knowledge but the application to that knowledge doesn't necessarily come in right away, right?
You know, we want the knowledge of all these things
But the reality is God is more concerned with the application of that knowledge than you just having that knowledge
Okay, you know, I was just talking to dr. Rita before and we're talking about eating and
She was explaining to me that it's always good to eat like physical food
It's always good to eat physical food the same meal throughout this throughout the day
Change up the meals every day throughout the week
But in a single day you should eat the same thing because at that point your body is capable of basically taking care of other things
It's able to strengthen your immune system because it's not working on
You know breaking down this spice and this nutrient and all these different things, you know
It's it can focus on one thing at a time in other words. Okay in order to create this really strong immune system
So your body's not just going haywire trying to digest all these different types of foods
Well, you know that's a spiritual application right there, you know instead of trying to learn a variety of different knowledge and gain
All these things why don't you just focus on one thing?
Hey, why don't you just focus, you know when a person first gets get saved
You know what that person should be doing is learning the intricacies and the deep doctrine of salvation
Right learning about baptism learning why they go to church learning the basics of the Christian life
And you know what the deep doctrine comes later
You say how do you know that well because of the fact that you know
The Bible tells us he that is faithful and little shall be faithful and much
God will give you more deep understanding of deeper truths and deeper doctrine if you're a good steward of that which you've learned today
Okay
Digest the basic truths today. All right, you know, don't be dull of hearing the basic things
The repetitious basic things go to numbers chapter 11
numbers chapter 11
So number one, you know people are just too distracted
They're so filled with everything else that when they come here, you know, the Bible says the full soul
Loatheth and honeycomb right but to the hunger so every better thing is sweet
You know, it's not the honey's fault. It's the soul that is already full of something else. Okay
People are bored with church because of the fact that they're distracted
People are bored with church because they're dull of hearing they're disinterested in the Word of God
An example of this is the children of Israel and the manna
now manna is a
Amazing concept is it not bread that falls down from heaven and all you got to do is go pick it up
You know, it's a core it's the size of a coriander and you know
It tastes like honey and wafers sounds delicious to be honest with you. I think Porto's for some reason
Cheese rolls. That's what I think every time I think of man. I think of cheese rolls
Like flaky or something. It tastes good and you know, they're they're happy with that
It was like this big miracle
They you know God provided for them and they're eating it. But what do we see later on?
They become discontent with the basics and wouldn't you say that the most basic meal that the Israelites had was the manna
The most basic meal look at numbers 11 verse
4 and the mixed multitude that was among them fellow lusting and the children of Israel also wept again and said
Who shall give us flesh to eat now? I don't blame them. Okay flesh is good, too. Okay
We remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely the
Cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic but now our soul is dried away
There is nothing at all beside
This manna before our eyes. I mean, they're already
Discontent with the manna that God is miraculously providing for them
This goes to show you that people can often get bored with just the basics
Okay. Now with them what they needed to do is just be grateful
Right show gratitude show appreciation and you know
Maybe go hungry for a couple days and guess what that manner will look pretty good after five days or so
Okay
After they fasted for a little bit the Bible tells us preach the word be instant in season out of season
Reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine for the time will come
When they will not endure sound doctrine the basics
But after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears
And they shall turn away the ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables go to Hebrews chapter 13
Hebrews chapter 13
Don't become disinterested in fact master the basics
Appreciate the basics relearn the basics and one thing about human beings is that we easily forget things
Okay
If you allow enough if you allow enough time to pass between the time you learn something and
The time when you review it you will forget it
Anybody who's read through the Bible multiple times know this is true
You know, there's stories that you have read and then you read it six months later. You're like man
I feel like I miss this truth here, but you didn't miss it
You probably learned it before but you forgot it because we have we constantly have information coming into our brains leaving our brains
We're constantly learning new things, but we constantly have to review certain things
Okay
Now obviously when information comes into our brain it really never leaves but it's more difficult to recall if you don't review
Over a spaced amount of time, but this is why it's important to review
Okay, and to revisit biblical truths because if not, you will forget it. Okay
Look at Hebrews 13 verse 9 says be not carried about with diverse and strange
Doctrines for it is good for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace and not with meats
Which have not profited them that have been occupied
There and so one of the main reasons why people become dull of hearings because they want to hear something new
But also because they're just not applying that which they're learning
Okay
and let me say this you will not be bored with biblical truth if
You just work on applying what you've learned because it takes a lot of work
To apply biblical truth, it takes a lot of work to live a life of righteousness
It's one thing to sit there and listen to preaching. It's another thing to get up and apply it
You know, it doesn't take a whole lot of work to sit there and hear someone scream at you for an hour
You know, it doesn't take much to sit there listen and hear it
But it's does take doubly work in order to actually apply you see the work that's being done right here is actually by me
All right preaching the Word of God now your turn is when the service is over and now you got to apply that which I
Just taught from the Word of God that actually takes work
And you know what if you can just work on applying the Word of God applying what you've learned
Applying what you're learning, but you know what you won't be bored with the Christian life because you'll recognize
Hey, man, even the basics are hard to kind of keep sometimes. I need to work on this
I need to work on this area of my life
I need to live righteously in this area of my life and it's gonna take a lot of time to do so
Okay
You need to make sure that you are a doer of the work and not a here only
Try to apply the biblical truths in a practical manner go to Mark chapter 12 if you would
So people become bored with church because of the fact that there's distractions in their lives
Their their heart is as fat as grease. They can't pay attention when they come to church
They're bored with the good church because they get disinterested in the basics. Okay, they want to keep hearing something new
They want to hear something that's never been heard before they want to have a new revelation
Okay, and sometimes we need to stick with the basics and be satisfied with those things. Here's a big one number three
Why are people bored with a good church wrong attitude towards the preacher slash pastor?
Wrong attitude. Okay. What does that mean?
People come to church with the critical eye or they think they know more than the pastor
They think they know more doctrine than the pastor and they kind of come with this attitude of
Filtering everything the pastor says and making sure that he doesn't say anything wrong
You know, oh that's wrong. Oh, yeah, that's not true. Oh, no. No, I already know that
That's not the kind of attitude people should have and look we don't have that attitude here in our church. This is preventative
Okay, this is the only good thing that when it when it comes to preventing something. This is the only time that it's good. Okay
Not physical war. Amen
This is preventative because we need to make sure you have a good attitude even towards me
Okay, then when you come to church, you don't come
With a critical attitude towards the pastor, you know saying well
Bless me. I dare you
You know, oh and something basic is thought yeah, I already knew that I already knew that, you know, no the attitude should be
Yeah, I'm looking forward to hearing something from God's Word and to learn
Okay, now look what the Bible says in mark 12 verse 11
This was the Lord's doing in his marvelous in our eyes and they sought to lay hold on him
But fear the people for they knew
that he had spoken the parable against them and they left him and it went their way and
They sent unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians to catch him in his words. This is wicked
They're not coming to him to learn doctrine. They're not coming to him to learn a biblical truth
They're coming to him under the cloak of wanting to do those things, but they want to catch him
In his words look at Luke chapter 11 go to Luke chapter 11
Next book over Luke chapter number 11 in verse number 53
It says in Luke chapter 11 in verse number 53
and as he said these things unto him the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently and to
Provoke him to speak of many things
Laying wait for him and seeking to catch something out of his mouth that they might accuse him
You know, there's certain people out there that literally to go to church
Just so they can hear the pastor say something wrong just so they can approach him and tell him that he was wrong about that area
These whack church members
Okay
These people who've been saved for a year two years and all they want to do is show the pastor
That they know more Bible than him that that pastor got it wrong. They didn't agree with him. They're prideful and puffed up
And I'm not talking about here
That's never really happened here as far as I know
But look, I'm sure there's Pat there
I'm sure there's church members new IFB church members that go to old IFB churches that do that and
Shame on those people. Okay, because first of all, you're just being a bad representative of the new IFB movement period
Okay, why don't you just shut your mouth?
Keep your lips shut
Get something out of the Bible and thank God that you have a church to go to
And look there's a reason why he's up there and you're not
You ever think about that?
There's a reason why the pastor is up there and you are not you know
Don't go to church with an attitude that you know more than the pastor
You know that you can you just want to correct everything. No come with an open heart
Now obviously you don't want to take it to the extreme where you don't prove all things and hold fast that which is good
You know, we obviously don't want to be dumb sheep where we just accept everything that we hear and just follow blindly
Follow the leader blindly. We don't want to be that way and we're not that way
But we want to make sure that we don't go over eat each extreme where it's like follow the leader blindly or just
Criticize everything that comes out of his mouth. Okay, and look I'm gonna say things from this pulpit that you probably won't agree with
You know, do you need to come tell me you could if you want to but I don't care
You know people tell I don't agree with that. I'm like
I'm faster here. So that's fine. You could disagree on how you do something. Hey, thanks for telling me
You know, it's not gonna change much, you know, and I'm not talking about
Essential basic doctrine I'm talking about maybe if I even talk about my preferences for the church
Okay, you know you may not like it
But guess what you voice in your opinion against it and with a bad attitude is not gonna help anything
In fact, it'll push me further
Into my preference, you understand so don't have this Herodian attitude or Pharisaical attitude
Where you just want to catch something out of someone's mouth. This is why people become discontent and disinterested in their church
All my teachers such a false prophet. He always preaches the preacher relation rapture
It's wrong, yeah, I know, you know, but is he a false prophet because of it no, he's not
Okay, cuz that would mean that my father-in-law's a false prophet cuz that's what he believed and I know he was a safe man
Okay, he is a safe man
You know
We never want to have this wrong attitude towards pastors and preachers come to church with an attitude of we're gonna get something today
I want to feed my family. I want to feed myself. I want to learn something when I come to church
Okay, why are people bored with a good church? Well, we said because of distractions
Number one number two, they're disinterested in the basics number three
They have a wrong attitude towards the pastor and or preacher number three is this go to Matthew chapter
Excuse me. Let me see here. Go to mark chapter one if you would actually mark chapter number one
Let me give you the last reason that people are bored with the church lack of involvement
Lack of involvement in
The church. Okay, if you only come to church to hear the preaching of God's Word, but you're not involved in the ministries
You're gonna get bored with the church
Because here's the thing. You're not exercising. You're not bringing out that what you're learning
Okay, and I make it real easy for you to get involved in our church. You know how I only have one ministry
Technically there's two you got the minister and stuff
But there's one ministry that you can be a part of and guess what?
It just so happens to be the most important ministry there is the Ministry of Reconciliation
You know, you will get bored with our church if you don't get involved in the soul one
That's just well, that's not really for me. Oh, no, it's actually for everyone
You're right. It's not just for you. It's actually for everyone
It's for everyone. Okay
You never want to become this person that comes to church
It's just blessed by the sermon. It's just such a good truth. You go home and you just don't go preach the gospel
Look
Preaching the gospel soul-winning will fertilize your growth
You will learn things from the pulpit you will you know
Enjoy the preaching and the fellowship but soul-winning is so vital and essential to a Christian's growth
The involvement okay, you know, we can never the people the reason people get bored with church is because they're not actually putting into practice
You know, we're human beings
Not just human doings, right? We have to be we have to be the right type of person
We will also have to do the right type of things as well
we have to be doers of the word and not here is only and
If you're the type of person who's like, well, I'm not involved in this church
Well, guess what after service we can put you on a team and you can get involved
You can become involved learn how to preach the gospel and don't see it as some like
Insurmountable task that you can't do it's very simple to learn how to preach the gospel in our church
Because we don't put you at the door like right away
Okay, and in fact, we don't do anything. We don't do that to anybody we gauge if you are ready
If you are capable of and then when you feel like you're ready, you can do it on your own
But look, this is a way you can get your feet wet. Just go as a silent partner
And if you are right with God
If
You're right with God if you love the Lord, you're gonna get excited when someone gets saved
You're gonna see your partner lead someone to the Lord. You're gonna be like, wow, that was awesome
That was great. And then what happens is after the second third fourth time you start thinking I can do this
Let me try because you want a piece of the pie now
You want you want to you want to see it done?
You want to do it for yourself and then once you bite into it, you're hooked
Now it's like now I got to learn now
I need to memorize the verses now. I want to win more souls to Christ and now you've found purpose in your life
Okay, you know people are bored with church. It's because they don't have any purpose in life
Well, guess what? Your purpose is to win people to Christ
Now obviously there's there's other details that align your life
They would align with being your purpose as far as you know, maybe you're a wife. You're a husband your father
You're a mother you have a job so on and so forth
But here's the main purpose and that's winning people to Christ. Okay, and look
Don't get bored with church by just not being involved
You should get involved as soon as you possibly can and grow in that area
This is why people get bored with the church now
Let me just give you give you a couple reasons why people are bored with an average church
Okay
So I give you the reasons that it people are at fault with but now let's talk about the churches and pastors
Who are responsible for causing their people to be bored with the church?
Okay. Now why are people bored with an average church? Well number one because the preaching is lame and powerless
You know why people get bored with an average church because the preaching sucks
Let me just be real honest with you. Okay, and
People go to church they might go to independent fundamental Baptist Church, but the preaching is so powerless. It's so lame
It's so without zeal that people
They just kind of see Church as a social club after that
The reason they would even go to church is because their friends are there
Not because they're hungry for the Word of God not because they know they're gonna get their face ripped off
It's because they're they have friends there people get bored with church because the preaching has become garbage
It's become lame and look it's not because they have a lame Bible. It's because they're not praying for power
They're not preaching through the entire Word of God. They're not hitting on controversial subjects
You know people tell me oh you guys are so controversial. All you do is talk about controversial things. You mean the Bible? Oh
You oh you mean the Word of God, yeah the Word of God is controversial, I don't know if you knew that
You know if you get out of Proverbs every once in a while or how about this just preach on the topics in the book
Of Proverbs like Proverbs chapter 5 6 & 7
Talk about the whore
Hey, if you use biblical terms like bastard whore and ass
You wake some people up in the church
You're just cussed. Well, you know what you just showed your ignorance of God's Word because those words are in the Bible
And look people get excited at biblical preaching
Bible preaching
You know, the Word of God is quick and powerful sharper than any two-edged sword. It's an exciting book to read
It's an exciting book to preach
The
Bible tells us in Mark chapter number one
For they were astonished at his doctrine for he taught them as one that had
Authority and not as the scribes the Bible says so what is the scribe a scribe is someone who's who hears something from someone?
Else and writes it down
Someone who speaks with authority is someone who gets it straight from God
How do we apply that today? You know, the scribes of today are getting their doctrine from Paul chapels books
From commentaries
Secondhand information whereas the preachers who are on fire zealous preachers. They're getting it straight from God's Word
that's the difference and
People get astonished at that. Okay
The Bible tells us in Jeremiah 23 verse 28 the prophet that hath a dream let him tell a dream
He that hath my word let him speak my word faithfully
What is the chapter of the wheat saith the Lord is not my word
Like as a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces
You know the Word of God, it's not like a pillow
It's not
It's a hammer
That breaks up the fallow ground of your heart
Okay, and look this is why I love the new IFP preachers
Because they're fiery preachers
Okay, they slobber they spit they yell they scream veins are bursting out of their foreheads
They get mad about things because this the Bible says the word is like a fire. What does it do it burns?
It's hot. Hey, man, and it's like a hammer. It just breaks false doctrine
breaks false perceptions and false
teachings and theology that's being
Propagated out there just breaks it in pieces
It breaks the culture. Amen
It breaks up the fallow ground of a Christian, you know
You get a Christian under some hard preaching someone who has been callous
Someone who has been hardened or indifferent and they get into some fire-breathing preaching you what's gonna do to them
It's gonna break up that fallow ground in their heart
Yeah, I
Thought that was me at first
That
Broke my concentration
You know, it's gonna break up the fallow ground
It's gonna help them to get right with God and you know the feeling once you get under some leather lung preaching
Your heart starts breathing just a little faster
You started kind of like your hands start sweating a little bit you kind of start sitting up because you know
What the man is saying is true and you start realizing all this guy's mad about sin
This guy's mad about what's going on. And you know what it rubs off on the people as well. But if you have some lame
watered-down
Baggedy preacher. Oh, there it goes. There goes that word again, you know if you have some lame
skinny jean-wearing mohawk
Preacher who just wants to share with you
Let me just share with you what I got out of the Word of God today
These soothsayer preachers
It's no wonder people fall asleep. It's no wonder people are bored with it. It's no wonder why the sermon is like 20 minutes long
It's true though, they have to preach for 20 minutes
Because there's no content in the sermon and they already lost the people at the 10-minute mark
Whereas and these type of churches the leather lung fire-breathing preaching you can preach for an hour and people sometimes don't even notice that
You know, I preached for an hour and 15 minutes and when I was done people have told me like man that was short
I'm like, what are you talking about? It's like an hour and 15
Like no, that was like 30 minutes. I'm like, no that was an hour and 15 minutes, but you know what it is is
The attention span increases when the pastor has power behind the sermon. Okay. Are you saying you have power? Yes
Because it's available to every single one of us and guess what?
It's available to every pastor behind a pulpit if they just preach the Word of God half of the power just comes from preaching the Bible
Half of the power of a sermon comes from just preaching just reading the Word of God
Just saying what the Bible says the other half comes from when you're spirit-filled
And you're just letting loose and you're just zealous for the things of God, you know
People are bored with you know, why men are bored with church is proof for that very reason
You know why churches today are just filled with ladies and children and no men
Because the pastor is too effeminate
The pastor is too effeminate just limp-wristed
powerless lame
Just soy boy
You think of the word? That's what he is. And that's how his preaching is
You know and the pastor just tries to work hard at keeping keeping the ladies there and that and by the way
That's why they have to preach all these emotional sermons
Because women are emotional right and they get captivated by the emotional
sermon, you know
whereas
the leather lung preacher just
slobbers and gets mad and
Rips on sin and guess what that men like that
Men like it when you just give it to them straight
Okay, I've heard I've talked to members like what church is just for ladies and kids, you know
Well, I don't know what church you're talking about
My Savior is the the manliest man that ever lived. Okay
Go to Ezekiel chapter 6
Ezekiel chapter number 6 people get bored with church because the preaching is lame and
Powerless and look
Obviously there has to be an element of repetition when it comes to the basics, but some pastors literally preach the same exact sermon
Don't change the title. I mean literally just repeat everything on the on the paper. You said what do you do with your papers?
I literally just throw them away
I'm done. I've already preached it
There's people who literally
evangelists
Pastors who literally priest the same exact sermon using the same jokes the same
Illustrations over and over and over again. Okay, there's no power in that
There's people who literally have to read off of their sermon everything they say off their sermon
The sermon is supposed to be the skeleton to kind of guide you and what to say and if you chase a rabbit
It'll kind of help you to get back on the trail
Okay
These guys are often lame and powerless and look I've heard testimonies from other church members of other churches
Who have literally said I'm not learning anything in noon at this church. I just come here because my friends are here and
They literally get upset over the fact that this pastor will literally preach the same exact sermon
Not even don't even change up the points a little bit not even mix it up
Just the same exact thing. You know what that tells me that pastor stopped growing a long time ago. Okay?
You
Know pastors
Today the vast majority of them are just not dynamic
okay, look at Ezekiel 6 11 says thus saith the Lord God smite with thine hand and
Stamp with thy foot and say alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel
For they shall fall by the sword by the famine and by the pestilence the Bible says. Oh
You guys you know, there's this guy you're always sliming the pulpit
Why you're always time in the pulpit
Smite with thy hand
I'm not gonna smite my church members. So the next best thing is the pulpit
Okay, smite the Bible says
To show the severity of the truth that's being spoken
Stamp with thy foot, you know the prophets of the Old Testament are a great example of how dynamic a pastor ought to be
Okay, and people criticize these things today
people look at pastors like us and they'll say
Oh, you guys are just angry you jump on your pulpits you kick and scream and do all the that's what they did in the
Old Testament
The guys that you guys read every single day
You read through the Bible every single year. That's what they're doing. And it's funny how you want to you know
Associate with the prophets of old and the pastors of old but you're not mimicking the way they preach
You
Know we ought to smite with our hand stamp with our foot and cry out loud and spare not and show my people their
Transgression the Bible says to lift up our voice like a trumpet. Must you scream so much? Yes, I must
to wake people up
Spiritually and physically, okay
You got to be dynamic, you know and look there's pastors out there that
Maybe they they have a good Bible doctrine, but this is an element that they're missing here is being dynamic
Okay, you need to be dynamic. Look if you're gonna get sent out by this church, you need to be dynamic
Okay, it's not the only it's not the most important thing
But it is definitely important that if you're gonna be sent out at a first works Baptist Church
You need to be a dynamic preacher. No boarding preachers coming out of this church
Okay
Go to Ezekiel 34
Pastors
Today they preach like they're giving a motivational speech or something
They're just like the Lord loves you I
Love you the devil loves you
You can do it and then it's just like I believe in you
They have all this weird stuff that they have to do and you know, the ladies are just like
the guys are like
Are you right are you talking like that? Why are you like making love to the mic?
That's what it is
You know
It's just giving this
Motivational speech and look if you read between the lines, this is what they're saying. God loves you
time
God loves you
I love your money. I mean
So they're they're basically preaching these smooth sermons to get you to just give
Right
Whereas the fire-breathing preacher
The only time he even talks about money is if he has to preach a sermon on it and if the sermon calls for it
Most churches look at your smoothest church
I guarantee you the vast majority of the service is dedicated to talking about money at one time or another
Right before the offering takes place
You know right before they pray for the offering. They're just like I
Give to my church and you should give to and they always give this little sermonette take your Bibles go to Malachi
That's the only time to actually go to the Old Testament, right?
Talk about tithing, okay
You know and people are fed up with that
People get fed up with that and the interesting thing is is most churches who behave that way
They're giving is going down
They're giving is going down. So there's just like they're constantly pushing and propagating give give give
but you know when you push that button you end up breaking the button and
People are just like I'm not giving to this crap
All they want is my money
All right
This is not this is why people get bored with church
No dynamic preaching lame sermons and then here's another reason is people are bored with church because they're just not growing
They just are not growing. They're not learning anything and look learn new things
But you know what some some things that are not new to you are new to others
Some people come to church and like I never heard that before, you know, that means they're growing
okay, look at Ezekiel 34 verse 1 and
The word of the Lord came unto me saying son of man prophesy against the shepherds of Israel
Prophesy and say unto them thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves
Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
He eat the fat and you clothe you with the wool you kill them that are fed
But you feed not the flock the disease you have not strengthened neither
Have you healed that which was sick neither have you bound up that which was broken neither
Have you brought again that which was driven away?
Neither have you sought that which is lost but with force and with cruelty. Have you ruled them?
The Bible says you're saying your congregations are filled with broken people
people who are going through issues people who are
Disease with sin they have sinned. They're sick
Spiritually speaking and you're not helping them
Because you're so worried about the money
You know, I literally had a pastor one time tell me this he brought me to his office and he told me this
He said he told me about a new family in his church in
The church and he said this pray for them
Because they got money. I
Was like are they saved and he's like, huh, I don't know they got money I
Was like whoa
False prophet
times a thousand
Literally pray for them because they got money and I need money
Ha
That's what I was hearing I was like man you should be on the preachers of LA show
But this is exactly what God is talking about you lame shepherds
Who
Are not helping my people grow in knowledge and in doctrine
This is what the church is here for amen you come to church the Bible says so you're not tossed to and fro
Carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby the lying weight to deceive you're here to grow
To learn doctrine to learn eschatology and times Bible prophecy. You're here to learn about salvation about
Sanctification you're here to learn that the Jews are not God's chosen people
That's what you're here to learn
You're here to learn the Bible. Okay, and people get bored with church. You know why because they're not learning anything
they're like
Church is Church is 20 minutes long. We have donuts before
Donuts afterwards and look this is one reason why the vast majority of churches as soon as the service is over. What do they do?
They're out you're just like I don't even want to be here
There's my good deed for the week
You know done with that. I mean you you if you've come to our church for any length of time
You know, we have to like kick people out. I
Was like after it starts hitting like 12 midnight just like I start turning off the lights. All right guys
You guys can stay but I gotta go home. I got kids, you know put them bad and stuff people loves being in our church
You know and so but here we don't see that today
We see that churches
People are bored with church because of the fact that they're just not growing the Bible tells us in
Jeremiah 3 15 and I will give you pastors according to mine heart which shall feed you with knowledge and
Understanding and look people criticize all you guys are just coming up with these new doctrines
No, they're just new to you because you don't even study the Bible pastor
It's in the Bible. I
Mean when's the last time you preached through revelation?
Or through what was the last time you preached to Hosea?
Hey, I have never heard a book someone preached to Hosea before in the old IFB
People are interested in that
When you start talking about topics that the Bible talks about, you know
What you're gonna have people in your congregation say wow, this is interesting
I've always wondered about this, but I've never heard anything about it now
I'm hearing about it and that makes it interesting to the people understand
Go to first Samuel chapter number four
Why are people bored with church?
Number one because they're the pastors preaching is lame and powerless, okay
Two is because they're just not dynamic when they preach they don't keep the people's attention
Three they're not growing
Four it's because there is no vision at that church. No vision
What does it mean the pastor in the church? They're not going anywhere?
They're not looking to grow
They're not looking to grow they're not looking to reach new people they're not taking mission strips
there's no vision of what can happen within the next ten years and
That's why people people want to be in a place where that church is going somewhere
It's going the pastor's going somewhere. The congregates are going somewhere. It's growing there's vision there
The Bible says where there is no vision the people perish
Let's look at an example of this Eli is an example this first Samuel 4
verse 11 it says the ark of God was taken and the two sons of Eli Hophni and Phinehas were slain and
There ran there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army and came to Shiloh
The same day with his clothes rent and with the earth upon his head and when he came low Eli
sat upon his seat by the wayside watching for his heart trembled for the ark of God and
When the man came into the city and told it up and told it all the city
Excuse me told it all the city cried out and when Eli heard the noise of the crying
He said what meaneth the noise of his tumult and the man came in hastily and told Eli now Eli was
98 years old and his eyes were dimmed that he could not see now look physically
Yes, his eyes were dim, but God did not put that there on accident
It's not a coincidence because what it's telling us here is that spiritually his eyes were dim as well. He could not see
Go to first Samuel chapter 3
first Samuel chapter number 3 the chapter before says in verse number 1 and the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli and
The word of the Lord was precious in those days
There was no open vision and it came to pass at that time when Eli was laid down in his place and his eyes
Began to wax dim
that he could not see and ere the lamp of God went out of the temple of
The Lord where the ark of God was and Sammy was laid down to sleep that the Lord called Eli
No, he called Samuel and he answered here am I now? Why did the Lord called Samuel not Eli? Well, because Eli
Eli's eyes began to wax dim
That he could not see what does that mean? He didn't have vision anymore
That's why the Word of God was precious in those days because there's no open vision
God was no longer using Eli to foresee what was going to come to pass
You know, I want to be a church where there's always vision here
Okay
Over vision for your family for your children for your marriage for soul winning for missions
to do great exploits for the Lord there needs to be
Goals there needs to be a purpose and
There's churches that are just have zero vision and that's why people are bored
You know small dreams move no man's soul big dreams will move people to Belize
Big dreams and big goals will move people around the world
Okay, and this is why people are bored with church. There's no exploits being done
Go with me if you would to revelation chapter number three
revelation chapter number three
There there may have been a time when pastors who are the pastors who are pastoring these churches they had vision
They're excited about the things of God
They're excited over the potential that a church could have and over the people
But now in their older years their eyes are beginning to wax dim. They can't they can no longer see
Okay
They need carrots. They need glasses and
What's happening here? Is that a new generation is arising?
Where the younger preachers, you know these young bucks these little young idiots
They got more vision
They actually can they actually can see
Years beyond 10 years 20 years of what God can do now what we don't want is for us to end up like them
Where our eyes begin to wax dim and our eyes are no longer capable of seeing what God may be able to do
So, how do we prevent that? Well, this is how we prevent it. We fulfill the vision
Every couple of years
You see some people have vision, but they never fulfill anything
Therefore to them it's impossible to do to fulfill any vision
Whereas when we cast vision here. Oh, hey the vision of Belize. Well fulfilled
You know the vision of reaching a filling up that map what fulfilled
So now we begin to prove to our church that we not only have vision. We have the capability of fulfilling the vision
We actually do what we say you understand we want to start this many churches, where's the fulfillment?
We want to send all kinds of missionaries out, where's the fulfillment of that
We want to reach our community. I want to see the fulfillment
And you know what the people want to see the fulfillment too
They want proof
Because the proof is what motivates them to buy into the vision
Okay
Here's the last point people are bored with church
Because the church is dying and everyone knows it
That's why people are bored with church. Some people are in a dying church and they're like this this thing is dying
It's it's it's either dying or it's dead
And guess what? It is commonly reported in that church that they're dying
Okay
Look at Revelation 3 verse 1 and unto the angel of the church and Sardis write these things saith he that hath the seven spirits
Of God and the seven stars, I know that works that thou has a name that thou livest and are dead
Now I don't want to get too much into Revelation chapter 3 because I don't want to steal my thunder
For the fall not this Thursday, but the following
But look these people think that they're alive
Because they're so busy doing so many things God says you're dead
You're dead as last year's Christmas tree
You're dead as Julius Caesar. You're dead
Now
They can fix that in verse 2 they're watchful and they strengthen the things which remain
Things that are ready to die for I have not found that works perfect or complete before God
The reason they're dying is because they've removed certain things from their church
They just cause them to die. You know, I don't believe we are a dying church. I believe we're just thriving. We're growing
We're not only growing in attendance. We're growing and having babies. Amen
Oh
What is that all about? Yeah. Well, that's one that's one of the reasons these other churches are dying
Because they teach birth control and all this filth
They discourage people from having babies. And so then that's why you get a church that's only filled with gray heads
Right because they hate babies and don't tell me look I know of a pastor whose wife literally
Part of her ministry was to go around to talk to the ladies and encourage them to get on birth control the pastor's wife
Doing that garbage
Telling people to get on birth control. I literally had a friend of mine say I keep my wife away from that lady
Because I want my wife to keep having babies, you know, we love children
But you know what?
Churches are dying and the people in those congregations. They know it. That's why they're bored with it
You said why do they stay there then this isn't that what we think sometimes like why do you remain in that lame?
Congregation if you know that it's dying
because of the fact that some people are just creatures of habit and
they just get used to being in a dead congregation or
Maybe they have a heart for the Lord and they're like
You know, they're like the the few names in Sardis or they like to be a big fish in a small pond
That's sometimes the case
But you know, they're not gonna grow beyond that unless they go to a church. That's actually growing. It's vibrant. It's soul-winning
It's preaching the Word of God
These are the reasons why people are bored with church. So what is the gist of the sermon here?
The gist of the sermon is this is there? Hey
Let's not get bored with our church
And here are some clearly laid-out principles that you can do to abstain from ever becoming indifferent towards your congregation
But not only that for for people who go to lame churches
This is the reason why it's because they got lame preaching they they're preaching is not dynamic
They're not growing the church has no vision. No exploits and it's dying and the people know it. Okay
Let's seek to be in the house of God all the days of our life
Let's seek to be like David who said the zeal of thine house has consuming it has eaten me up
Amen fireheads and have a word of prayer father. We thank you so much for your word
Thank you for the house of God
I'm thankful for our church here
I'm thankful for churches in the past, but I'm looking towards the future and I pray God that you'd help us help me as a pastor
to
Continually help our people here grow and to learn the basics to perfect them
help me to be dynamic and
Part of being dynamic is just believing what we're saying
And I just pray God that you'd help us to do
So help us as a congregation never become indifferent towards our church here
and when that happens may we take the necessary steps to correct it and
Lord there's churches that are dying out there and I feel like they just need to die
They've had their chance. They need to die and it's just a result of the candlestick that's being removed from that congregation
Help us Lord to shine brightly and to burn for you and in Jesus name we pray. Amen