John MacArthur Letter #3 - Part 1

This comes from a recent ministry newsletter sent by Grace to You, headed by Pastor John MacArthur.  We listen to his broadcast sermon just about every night, and have benefited much from his teaching.

Many years ago, our ministry received a piece of advice that, while not followed, we've never forgotten.  Someone with experience in fundraising cautioned us about the topics I address in the letters we send to friends like you.

The advice?  Avoid talking about the church.

At face value, that suggestion is shocking.  The pastor of a church, writing to Christians, most of whom belong to a church, informing them about a teaching ministry that serves the church, shouldn't focus too much on . . . the church.  (emphasis in original)

But in a troubling way, the advice makes perfect sense.  The conventional wisdom was that, for Christians far and wide, the church doesn't pass the "felt need" test.  Church doesn't resonate at a level that grabs their attention, motivates them to want to know more, or moves them to action.  If that was true decades ago, the trend is even more pronounced today.

Of course we all have real spiritual needs that are deeply felt.  People have questions about the Bible and the Christian life.  They need pastoral care and counsel.  They want biblical support and encouragement.  Every true Christian has a God-given love, hunger, and need for divine truth, and a desire to be useful to the Lord.

It's just that many people simply do not connect all that to either the church universal or their own local congregation.  They don't associate their relationship with the Lord, the meeting of their spiritual needs, or the use of their spiritual gifts with the church.

There are many reasons for that.  Some associate the church with what they see on religious TV.  Who would want to be associated with a pyramid scheme cloaked in gaudy, ecclesiastical robes?

There's also a consumer mentality that downplays the body dynamic of the church.  People approach church as if they were shopping for a health club or a dentist, with no sense of attachment, loyalty, or duty to anything bigger than their individual needs and desires.

To be continued...