Sidney UMC - Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 09/03/23 - Sermon - “Take Up Our Cross and Follow Jesus!” (“Why are some churches shrinking and closing?” Series: Part 1 of 6)

                                Sunday 09/03/23 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title:        “Take Up Our Cross and Follow Jesus!”               (“Why are some churches shrinking and closing?” Series: Part 1 of 6)                     

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c                            

 New Testament Scripture: Romans 12:9-21

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 16:21-28

          So, I recently read a great little book that was published back in 2014, called “Autopsy of a Deceased Church” by Thom S. Rainer. Maybe you have heard of Tom S. Rainer, as he has written many influential books about Christianity, The church, church growth, etc.

          To be honest though, I was really struck by the title of this little book “Autopsy of a Deceased Church.” At first, I thought, “Well this is a morbid book title!” Especially since there is literally a picture of scalpel on the cover of this book. When someone dies and there is an autopsy of the body, there is sometimes things like cutting with a scalpel.

          Why then would Thom S. Rainer compare a church that died or closed to a person that died and got an autopsy? Well, the reason for this is when a person dies and gets an autopsy, you can discover the cause of death. Sometimes a family just wants to know how the person died, or sometimes the autopsy is done due to potential foul play.

          In a similar way, when a church dies or closes, if we did an autopsy on the closed church, we could probably determine some good reasons why the church closed. I have rarely heard of a church just waking up one day, having a meeting, and for no good reason saying, “We should close our doors forever!” Most churches that die or close in fact, are churches that have been declining for years or even multiple decades.

          Why then am I discussing this book with you “Autopsy of a Deceased Church” by Thom S. Rainer? Well, for the next week 6-weeks I am preaching a sermon series partially inspired by this book called the “Why are some churches shrinking and closing?” series, and today is part-1 of this 6-week sermon series. I am sure if we think about it, we all know of churches that have closed in recent years, or maybe even years and years ago.

          We all know for example, the painful closing of the Congregational Church here in Sidney, which had been open for over 200-years. How is it that there are churches, some of which have been open for hundreds of years, that are declining and or closing? I will admit that the answer to this question is multi-faceted. It is far more than just sports on Sundays, and it is far more than just young families and young people that don’t come to church anymore.

          In next six weeks I am going to go through some of the common reasons for church decline and church closure, knowing at the same time that we have a church that is growing. Given this, I want our church to keep growing and flourishing, but at the same time, I want us to understand why some other churches are not growing and flourishing. By us understanding how churches grow, and how churches close, this sermon series will hopefully better equip us all to continue to further grow and flourish as a church.

          As a disclaimer, as well, I am not saying that any of the things that I will be preaching on in the next 6-weeks apply to a specific church that has declined and or closed. Instead, we can think about why churches are shrinking and or closing, and why some churches we may know shrunk and or closed. Further, we can be better equipped to reverse the trend of decline and closure. Before getting into my first part of this 6-week sermon series though, I want to give an example of statistics on church closures.

          According to an article I found online from NPR or National Public Radio, from May 17, 2023, it says this:

Estimate: In 2019, the year before the pandemic, more Protestant churches closed than opened in the U.S.

2014: 4,000 churches opened and 3,700 churches closed. 2019: 3,000 churches opened and 4,500 churches closed.

Churches opened Churches closed 2014

4,000

3,700

2019

3,000

4,500

NotesLifeway Research's analysis is based on data from 34 denominations and groups representing 60% of Protestant churches in the United States, extrapolated out to estimate openings and closures across all Protestant churches in the country.

Source: Lifeway ResearchCredit: NPR

(https://www.npr.org/2023/05/17/1175452002/church-closings-religious-affiliation#:~:text=Estimate%3A%20In%202019%2C%20the%20year,opened%20and%204%2C500%20churches%20closed).

          So, when we do the math, in the 2019 before the pandemic 4,500 churches closed, while 3,000 opened, meaning that the United States lost 1,500 churches in 2019. For some churches that were already struggling, some closed during the pandemic. Most churches that I know in this area and in general are getting smaller and smaller. We also, in general, have a shortage of pastors and priests. This is one of the many reasons that I have been helping some of our Sidney area United Methodist Churches, as some of them have no appointed pastors. Recruiting called people to ministry is also a continual challenge, as well. We also have a preaching circuit of Lay Speakers and some clergy preaching at these churches every Sunday, for which we are immeasurably grateful.

          It is true that we have had some decline here at the Sidney UMC, as well, but we have also had some growth too. Given this, friends, our churches can grow and can thrive, and in the next 6-weeks of this sermon series called “Why are some churches shrinking and closing?” based on the book “Autopsy of a Deceased Church” by Thom S. Rainer, we will look at ways for churches to grow and to flourish. I think, once again that our church is doing well. Do I think we could be doing better? Of course. I believe that God has called me to help this church to grow and even to thrive, despite living in era of strong church decline and church closures.

          All of this said, my first sermon in this series for this morning is called “Take Up Our Cross and Follow Jesus!” What this title means, is that we are called daily to give our lives to Christ and to follow him. Churches that are growing and even thriving are rooted in deep faith in Jesus Christ. Churches that growing and even thriving have people in them that are deeply committed to following Jesus, to his gospel, to serving Jesus, and to sharing Jesus. Growing and thriving churches are ones where our Christian faith is very much part of the identity of who we are. We want to share with people about Jesus. We want them to know Jesus, and we want them to be part of community of faith in Jesus. We are the church, we are followers of Jesus Christ, and we want the world to know this.

          You see, even if a church had Rev. Billy Graham as the pastor, without the faith and lived gifts and graces of the people within the church, the church can only grow so big. A pastor alone, especially in 2023, cannot grow a church on their own. For some of us, we have sometimes had sadness and worry about the future of our churches, as some churches have slowly declined and declined some more. Thom. S. Rainer calls this “Slow Erosion”. Many of our churches, like Sidney UMC were huge at one time, yet we are not as huge now. Are we growing? Praise be to God we are, but can we really grow and thrive like we haven’t in a long time? We can, but it requires us to be very intentional. In the second chapter of the book “Autopsy of a Deceased Church” by Thom S. Rainer he talks about how “The Past Is the Hero.” Many of us went to church and Sunday School, and many of us didn’t have a choice. I know I didn’t have a choice. If we could go back to how church was when we were younger, would we change anything, or would we keep it exactly the way it was?

          The reality then my friends, is the growth and the ability of a church to thrive is more than just whether we sing hymns or have a rock band with modern and Contemporary Christian music. The church is us, and in the next six weeks I hope to further help equip us all to reach further and climb higher. I have a God sized vision for this church, and the book “Autopsy of a Deceased Church” by Thom S. Rainer explains this vision well.

          We all know that many churches like ours do not have the number of young people and young families we would like to see. What can we do about this though? I think we are seeing some of good things here at Sidney UMC, and in connecting this to our scriptures for this morning, I believe that this can continue.

          In looking at our scriptures for this morning, we hear in the Psalm 105 reading in 105:1-2, once again:

¹ O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples. ² Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wonderful works                                  (Ps. 105:1-2, NRSV).

          If this is true and good, which I think it is, how do we get this message to Sidney and the world? How do we live it? Further, if someone does repent of their sin and then come to Christ as Savior and Lord, then what do we do next? Is the church an extension of our families. Are we loving each other like Jesus loves us?

What if our faith was so strong and such a part of us that the world saw this and were changed by this? What if out witness to Christ and what he has done in and through us was shared in a variety of ways, and lives where changed? When we “Take Up Our Cross and Follow Jesus!” we can truly be changed, and truly change others. If we “Take Up Our Cross and Follow Jesus!” people will see this. They will see our love, our care, and desire to be in community with one another.

          Some of the people that have started attending this church regularly or who have even joined this church have told me that this church is loving and welcoming. Some people have told me that getting welcomed by people, called or visited from the pastor of the church and or others was not something that they had experienced much of. Yet, this lived faith of “Taking Up Our Cross and Follow Jesus!” connects up with people in such a way that they felt our love and care. Since they felt our love and care, they felt the love and care of our whole church. Some people that I have talked to did not always have the best experiences in one or more churches in the past. Some people have old me that they attended a church when they were young, because they had too, but now they don’t have to, so they don’t go. Churches in 2023 must be the best we have ever been. Not fake or pretend, but we need to love each other. People don’t want to be in an unfriendly, unkind, and unwelcoming church. Brothers and sisters, well done on doing this well! Even so let’s keeping doing it even better. Make sure a visitor gets a greeting, a visitor bag if we still have then, make sure people feel loved, and make sure that “Take Up Our Cross and Follow Jesus!” so that everyone knows the love of Jesus Christ in us.

          In fact, we hear in our reading for this morning from Romans 12:9-21, starting in 12:9, once again:

⁹ Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; ¹⁰ love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. ¹¹ Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. ¹² Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. ¹³ Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. ¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. ¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. ¹⁸ If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ¹⁹ Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ ²⁰ No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Rom. 12:9-21, NRSV).

          This is quite a list from the Apostle Paul about how we are to behave and to treat each other. What is sad though, is that I have been to a couple of churches that were not welcoming, loving, and that seemed generally unfriendly. I have been in churches were no one talked to me, and it was as if I wasn’t even there. Churches in 2023 that are growing must “Take Up Our Cross and Follow Jesus!” For if we do not, for this reason and for others, some churches will continue to decline.

          In fact, when I went to seminary, especially my second seminary that I graduated from in Ohio, United Theological Seminary, it specialized in Church Revitalization. We were told from day one, that churches in our culture were, in general, declining. As a result, we were trained differently to address and help reverse this trend.

          My sermon title for this morning comes from Matthew 16:21-28, where Jesus tells us what kind of faith we need in his time, 2023, or anytime. Looking at Matthew 16:21-28 for this morning, it says starting in 16:21, once again:

²¹ From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. ²² And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’ ²³ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things’ (Mt. 16:21-23, NRSV).

          Knowing that this was the gospel reading for this morning, and knowing that I misspoke last Sunday, as I said that Jesus only got angry when he cleansed the temple of the money changers, Pastor George had a chuckle. So yes, Peter getting called Satan by Jesus, for reference, is not a good thing, and it would seem that Jesus was not too happy with the Apostle Peter this morning when Peter told Jesus that he not be crucified! As Sarah Pressler would say, Jesus told Peter “Where the cow eats the cabbage”.

          Instead of contradicting Jesus however, Jesus instead encourages the disciples and us to trust him. Picking up in Matthew 16:24 it says, once again:

²⁴ Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵ For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. ²⁶ For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? (Mt. 16:24-26, NRSV).

 

          How deep is our faith in Christ, and how much of it is central to who we are. Are we all, myself included, daily, “Taking Up Our Cross and Following Jesus!”

          Our gospel lesson then ends for this morning with Matthew 16:27-28, with Jesus’ eluding to his second coming to earth. It says, ending with Matthew 16:27-28, once again,

²⁷ ‘For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. ²⁸ Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom’ (Mt. 16:27-28, NRSV).

          So, my sermon series called “Why are some churches shrinking and closing?” is not always an easy question to answer, but a good place to start and to continue is for us all to “Take Up Our Cross and Follow Jesus!” When we do this, we love more boldly, act more like Jesus, and we become more welcoming, more loving, and more like Jesus. This is what the Apostle Paul was talking about in Romans 12:9-21 for this morning, once again. We will pick up next Sunday, with discussing “The Culture Of The Church!” Until then though, may we this day and always “Take Up Our Cross and Follow Jesus!” Amen.