The Enemy :: Monday E-Devotion

Today's devotion is ripped off from Pastor Mark Batterson of the National Community Church in Washington, DC.  I recently attended a conference he hosted and have continued to be challenged in big ways by what Batterson says and writes.  Read his article and then I will leave you with a couple more thoughts...

“The Enemy Is Us” by Mark Batterson

One of my passions is reaching emerging generations.

I said something yesterday that I'd never said before. And it wasn't in my notes. But something crystallized for me.

I cited a study that found that 58% of college grads who grew up going to church stop attending church for one reason or another. I've actually seen studies that peg the number as high as 86%.

These are church kids. And we're losing at least six out of ten. That attrition rate is going to kill us. It's like we're losing a generation. It's Judges 2:10: "After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel."

I felt such holy conviction when I was speaking yesterday. I said, "I'm not in the camp that says what's wrong with them. The real question is: what's wrong with us."

If the church was doing it's job--incarnating the gospel in relevant ways--I honestly don't think we'd see so many twenty-somethings leaving the church. They long for community and authenticity and meaning as much as any generation. There is a spiritual hunger. But evidently they aren't finding what they're looking for in the churches they grew up in.

As the infamous Pogo once said, "We have seen the enemy and he is us."

Irrelevance is Irreverence!

(from http://blog.theaterchurch.com/2006/05/enemy-is-us.html)

My Personal thought

We have so much responsibility as churches and believers to put out there for the lost, the hurting and the discouraged the awesome truth that real belonging only comes from Jesus.  My prayer is that we will come to know what being authentic and relevant is as we do what God has called us to do.

"If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that.  If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.   In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."   Matthew 5:46-48 (MSG)