Do You Want To Know Why The Church Is Losing This Generation?

As Christians we have become more religious than showing Christ. Non-believers will shout out all the time that “Church folks are the worst folks”, is this to be true? I pondered on that statement that we hear all the time as believers and I came to the realization that it is. Millennials will not come to church because they know they will be ridiculed, judged, and talked about either for their appearance, their sexual orientation, or having a child out of wedlock, the list can go on and on. Instead of us judging people and yelling at them about what the Word of God says without showing them IN LOVE their wrongdoings, let’s be more like Christ and love them back to Him.

In Mark 2:17 Jesus said “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” As Christians, we are called to be witnesses to non-believers. Our lives should be a living testimony and testament to what God has done for us. There is a distinct difference between being a religious person and having a relationship with Christ. Religion will tell you about the Ten Commandments and what you should and shouldn’t be doing, but will not help you because they do not want to be associated with “a certain type of sin”. Those who have a relationship with Christ will show non-believers the truth about what God says as well, but will walk with them through their journey; not leaving them behind to just figure it out. We should be getting in the valley with them because we understand at one point we were living in the valley as well. We can’t preach down to someone and then expect them to want to know the God we serve. Instead we should be lifting them up! We have to bridge the gap between the younger and older generation.

We must first do this by losing our religion and showing non-believers the beauty behind having a relationship with Christ. LOVE them until their ways change. LOVE them until they repent and cry out to The Lord. LOVE them when they are unlovable, and watch how God, NOT YOU, but God will do a marvelous work within their lives. Matthew 18:15 says "If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.” Be the sister that you needed when you were younger or the brother that you needed, and love on this generation. Do not chastise them because their sin is different from yours because in Romans 3:23 it says “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Therefore, lose your religion and show them the Christ that is dwelling within you. Your walk is your ministry. Your talk is your ministry. What is your ministry showing for itself? Are you hindering this generation from pursuing Christ? If so change your actions and show them the right way in LOVE! Your life is the greatest example you can set for this generation. 1 John 3:18 says “Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions."