Not the Church for Everyone

A certain amount of naïve optimism is a prerequisite to longevity in pastoral ministry. As silly as that may sound, I assure you a recurring childlike hopefulness is an essential trait (for the sanity) of church leaders. There are times when those of us who stand behind a pulpit week after week, just have to hope against hope, things will turn out the way we prayerfully plead. Candidly, I have been divinely blessed with more than my fair share of unrealistic anticipation and unlikely expectations. For example, I wish when Sunday mornings rolled around, our little building would be packed out and the pews overflowing, so much so, we’d have to knock the dust of our old metal folding chairs just so everyone could have a seat. I wish we had standing-room-only at every worship service. I wish every service was brimming and bursting with people all eager to hear more of God’s Eternal Goodness to underserving sinners. These things haven’t happened yet, but I’m still hoping.

However, and quite honestly, I am somewhat surprised anyone ever comes to hear me preach! If only these people lived with me, they’d better understand what a rotten egg I really am. Therefore, I am thankful for the ones who do attend Memorial Heights. Who, year after year, faithfully file in to worship Christ, glorify God and lovingly endure their long-winded preacher.

But even with my God-given overabundance of naïve optimism, even I realize, Memorial Heights is not the church for everyone. We’re just not.

Don’t get me wrong, don’t misunderstand what I am saying, and please don’t stop reading. Let me explain what I mean.

First, as I have already mentioned, I wish we had even more people attend our church. We want to grow. We want to see God add to the church as it pleases Him (Acts 2:47). So, when I say MHBC isn’t the church for everyone, don’t think for one minute we don’t want visitors, we do. In fact, I have been told by several people, that we are the friendliest church they’ve visited. Come see for yourself.

Secondly, and for the sake of absolute clarity, everyone is wanted and welcomed at Memorial Heights. Regardless of your background, past mistakes, political affiliation or the amount of melanin in your skin, you are warmly invited to attend any or all of our services. I sometimes jokingly say, there are only two kinds of people welcome at our church; broken people and sinners. Does that describe you? If so, we’ve got room for you.

My main point in explaining what I mean when I say, we are not the church for everyone is this, we are who we are, and we are not going to change in order to draw crowds. I don’t say that with an ounce of flippancy or disregard. I love souls, and want to see people come to know more of Christ. Yet, it is not the role of the church (this one or any other) to try and replicate the world in order to gain attention or garner attraction.

It grieves me to write this, but ask any pastor in town and they’ll tell you the same thing; the average American Evangelical approaches church, not primarily like a Christian, but like a consumer. If you don’t offer the product they want, then they’ll shop somewhere else. It’s sad, but it’s true. What most often determines whether someone will commit to this church or that church, is not based on spiritual discernment, nor on what would most please God, but on what satisfies the flesh. Frankly, folks ought not come to church seeking to find the same satisfaction the world offers.

We at MHBC strive to stand firm in the apostle’s doctrine. We seek to conduct ourselves in accordance with the belief and practice of the first churches. Anytime anyone attends here, they will quickly learn, we are not focused on entertainment, high-dollar productions or grand architecture. We simply don’t offer what the world offers. We can’t. Not should we try. The world is better at art and amusement than we will ever be. However, it would be hard to convince me, the church that Jesus built gave a second thought to any of these temporal things when seeking to win souls!

If you’re looking to belong to a church that doesn’t invest in your spiritual well-being by holding you accountable, then we are not the church for you. If you want to come and go as you please, or not come and go as you please, then we are not the church for you. We at MHBC believe in covenant responsibility, personal discipleship and spiritual accountability as a means to grow in grace.

Once I invited a man (who attends another assembly in town) to visit our church. He asked what time we start, and I replied, “worship is at 11:00 on Sundays.” He dropped his head and chuckled. I asked him why he laughed and he said, “Brother Lewis, on Sundays my church has 15 minutes of announcements, 15 minutes of singing and a 15-minute message. By 11:00, we’ve already been to church, had a late breakfast and are done for the week.” Well, there’s much that could be said about that … but maybe it isn’t necessary for me to explain everything wrong with that kind of carnal approach to Christianity? Contrary to what pastors are being told, we don’t have an attention disorder in America, we have a spiritual problem. If children can binge-watch Netflix for hours, and adults delight when sports events stretch into overtime; then it isn’t unreasonable to expect disciples of Christ to delight in a worship service that takes as long as it takes to rightly divide the Word and proclaim Christ! If you want in and out of church ASAP, then we aren’t the church for you.

Well, I could go on, but perhaps you get my point? It is my desire for MHBC to be a place where the Bible is clearly proclaimed, the Gospel is central and the message of the cross is essential. That is far more important to me, than a vibrant youth program, having a senior’s luncheon or an adult softball league. Sure, those are good things, and can be edifying things. But they are not the most important things.

At the risk of making either myself, or the church I pastor sound smugly superior, let me say this: if you’re tired of cotton candy sermons and powder-puff preaching, come on over to MHBC. If you’re sick of sermons that are sizzle and no steak, come on out. If you want more from the pulpit than political rhetoric and feel-good philosophy, then come visit us at 521 Courtney Hodges Blvd. If you want to learn the Bible, come visit. If nothing else, you will hear God’s Word read, taught and explained. Without apology.

If you want to be part of a family, if you want to be loved, if you want to be fed the whole counsel of God – then MHBC is the place for you. If you are serious about growing in the grace and knowledge of the Great I AM, then we are the church for you. If you have questions about what it means to be a Christian … if you want to hear more about the amazing grace of God, come see us. We would love to tell you more.

One final disclaimer before I close: I am not suggesting there aren’t any other good Bible-preaching churches in town, there are. I know for a fact there are some solid pastors who work hard to declare the whole counsel of God. While we don’t agree on every point of doctrine, if you attend these assemblies, you will hear the Gospel preached in purity and be sanctified by the preaching of the Word. But Christian, life is too short and every soul to precious to devote your spiritual life to something with little to no return on investment.

I hope we are the church for you. Perhaps it is naïve of me, but I choose to believe this article is going to reach the heart of someone(s) and cause them to come check us out.

Maybe that’s you?

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