I was up at 6, fixed breakfast for Mrs. Gray, quiet time, 3 miles on the treadmill, showered, and dressed. Spent some time working on outlines for new books and then went over the Sunday school lesson along with the Sunday morning sermon.
I had a special treat this Sunday because I was able to drive to where I was scheduled to preach. I drove to Leesburg, Texas, and preached at the Leesburg Baptist Church. This church is pastored by Pastor David Jackson. He has been their pastor for two months although having filled the pulpit since last October. The town reminds me so much of the little town in Arkansas that I was born into. Roe, Arkansas has 124 population and this town is not much larger. We had one trust Christ for salvation at the invitation time.
I meet the pianist, Mrs. Jean Gunn, who is an 82 years young. She has been playing the piano at church for 68 years. God bless this dear lady! What a testimony! She reminds me of my dear Mama who is 98 and played piano for church up until a few years ago.
America has just under 400,000 churches of all kinds and types. 95 % of those are not in metropolitan areas in our nation. The average membership is 125 with an average attendance of 75. God bless these dear saints of God who are faithful witnesses in their part of the world.
We are too mega-church and mecca-church oriented in fundamentalism! If God raises up a mega-church and it does not compromise then AMEN! However, that does not mean that every church in America is supposed to be a mega-church! This is so tantalizing and so alluring to the ego of a man that he will do just about anything, if he is not careful, to have one of those ministries. Thus, enter the fascination of the “EMERGING CHURCH” movement. These little Rick Warren “wannabes” with their Hawaiian shirts, goat tees, rapping with the people, with the Beach Boys in the background, with a little rap beat to follow, and utilizing skits while extolling the virtues of the latest Hollywood movie that saw. No holiness! No separation from the world! No old fashioned preaching! Bill Hybels himself said it in the final analysis it did not work. “It produced the crowds but did not produce the Christians!” So, to go ahead and pursue this “EMERGING CHURCH” means you too want to produce the “crowds” and not “Christians.” GOTTA LOVE THE OLD TIME RELIGION!
