As I traveled to mother's house yesterday for Thanksgiving I passed a church in the area that I hadn't been by in a good while. They usually have a thought provoking phrase listed on the sign in their front yard. The one yesterday was about being thankful, and surely we should, but it stirred my memory of a phrase they had listed a couple of years ago.
At one time their sign read, "When all is said and done, there is a lot more said than done." I have thought of that many times since and was reminded again yesterday. In fact those thoughts were on my mind as I went to sleep last night.
Would we not have to admit that in the typical Baptist church, and very likely most others as well, that there is a lot more being said than there is being done? We are well aware that masses of humanity are lost and undone without Christ, in desperate need of salvation. We talk of the need for their salvation, but what are we doing to reach them? We talk about church attendance being down from years gone by, but what are we doing to increase attendance? We talk about our concern for the generation of our young people. We will even complain about the music they listen to, the clothes they wear, the attitudes they have, and yet we are doing very little to influence them or make a positive impact in their lives. Talking and complaining about the needs of our day simply isn't getting the job done!
And while I am here, I might as well address this problem among preachers as well. To my own shame I will have to admit that many times I have done a lot of talking, but very little doing. The Lord has spoken to me in this regard. Pastors love to talk about Sunday School attendance being up from a previous time, but what are we doing to maintain those numbers. We love to talk about great services of the past, but have we spent time in our prayer closets with a burden for this Lord's day? We can get real passionate when we discuss the modern movement of liberalism that is sweeping through our churches, but other than a passionate discussion, what are doing about the need for our society and nation to return to the Lord? We like to talk about messages that we preached in the past and even how the Lord used it, but is there a message burning in our hearts for Sunday morning? Do we genuinely feel as if we have a word from the Lord and a burden to share that word? I fear, that even among the average pastor, there is a lot more being said than there is being done. I don't want to be a talker; I want to de a doer! I will have more about this later, but consider that thought today. "When all is said and done, there is a lot more said than done."
James 1:22
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Preacher Chris
At one time their sign read, "When all is said and done, there is a lot more said than done." I have thought of that many times since and was reminded again yesterday. In fact those thoughts were on my mind as I went to sleep last night.
Would we not have to admit that in the typical Baptist church, and very likely most others as well, that there is a lot more being said than there is being done? We are well aware that masses of humanity are lost and undone without Christ, in desperate need of salvation. We talk of the need for their salvation, but what are we doing to reach them? We talk about church attendance being down from years gone by, but what are we doing to increase attendance? We talk about our concern for the generation of our young people. We will even complain about the music they listen to, the clothes they wear, the attitudes they have, and yet we are doing very little to influence them or make a positive impact in their lives. Talking and complaining about the needs of our day simply isn't getting the job done!
And while I am here, I might as well address this problem among preachers as well. To my own shame I will have to admit that many times I have done a lot of talking, but very little doing. The Lord has spoken to me in this regard. Pastors love to talk about Sunday School attendance being up from a previous time, but what are we doing to maintain those numbers. We love to talk about great services of the past, but have we spent time in our prayer closets with a burden for this Lord's day? We can get real passionate when we discuss the modern movement of liberalism that is sweeping through our churches, but other than a passionate discussion, what are doing about the need for our society and nation to return to the Lord? We like to talk about messages that we preached in the past and even how the Lord used it, but is there a message burning in our hearts for Sunday morning? Do we genuinely feel as if we have a word from the Lord and a burden to share that word? I fear, that even among the average pastor, there is a lot more being said than there is being done. I don't want to be a talker; I want to de a doer! I will have more about this later, but consider that thought today. "When all is said and done, there is a lot more said than done."
James 1:22
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Preacher Chris
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