12/04/16 AN OLD CHURCH
People mistakenly look down on a church because it has so many old people and not enough young people. The church could be at fault for failing to reach and keep the young (though not necessarily). Instead it may be a sign of a good ministry that there are so many seniors still faithful to God and His church. The problem is not the presence of the elderly but the absence of the young. I hope you read my note.
NOTE...A FAILING GENERATION
QUESTION...
Why does there always seem to be so many old people in the church instead of young people?
RESPONSE...
Well, this analysis is not always true. I have had (and seen) congregations that were primarily young adults and young people. Sometimes that came about after an established church was led into renewal, thus reaching the unsaved and unchurched younger generation. I have also seen a young congregation develop during the formative years of a new ministry. But my observation is that those young people will age as time goes by, and those who remain faithful to God will continue to be a visible and important part of a mature church.
CHRISTIANS ONLY
I am addressing this question in relationship to godly, faithful believers, though it is true that non-Biblical religious groups also have larger numbers of elderly members. However, large numbers of elderly believers is a good thing, not a bad thing. Think about it. Wouldn't it be strange for a church not have a relatively large number of older people? Shouldn't the young believer and the middle aged believer still be a believer when he is older?
VALID INSIGHT
Still, the observation is valid for Bible believing churches. And don't forget, just because the older people are the larger part of a church or the more active part of a church does not mean that salvation and being part of God's church are not intended for younger people. It means that the young people have either been neglected in that church, or they have chosen to reject God, or they are being drawn away to other groups, whether the groups are Christian or not.
CONSIDER THESE POINTS
People come to salvation at all ages and therefore it is expected that a large percentage of those who follow Christ in a local church should eventually be part of an accumulated older group.
It is normal for children who hear the gospel of salvation to enter into a faith relationship with God. Sadly, it is not unusual for a large percentage of those who get saved at an early age to also turn from God and go back into sin. This is not surprising, since the parable of the seed indicates that only a few will remain faithful. Most of the backsliding takes place while people are still young, because they are drawn away by the desires of this world, and other young adults backslide because they are overwhelmed by the troubles of this life, thus depleting the youth presence and influence in a local church.
Some of those who come to Christ as children and as young people will continue as believers throughout life.
Then there are those who come to Christ later in life, during middle age or later. This of course raises the average age of a congregation.
LAST DAYS FACTOR
Now, in these last days, we are seeing fewer and fewer young people and young adults come to Christ, because there is so little Biblical evangelism and because the "modern church world" has gone after another (a false) Jesus, another (a false) Spirit and another (a false) gospel, and because the world is following after the false gods of Humanism, Statism, Academia, Spiritism, Materialism. Just read what God's word says concerning the affections and priorities of people during the Last Days.
Now, with the numbers of young people coming to Christ dwindling and with all believers getting older, it is reasonable to see "old congregations."
AND IT AIN'T JUST THE AGE OF THE PEOPLE, IT IS THE QUALITY OF THEIR COMMITMENT.
We should rejoice to see large numbers of older Christians in a church. It indicates a vibrant and stable ministry and a faithful seniors group in that church.
Yes, we want to see large numbers of young people and middle aged people as well.
We should love the older group and we should not despise the younger group in a church.
However, in the end times we are not going to see the great influx of young people that we have seen in earlier times.
As a result, more and more people will think of salvation and body life as something for the old and infirm and confused and uninformed, rather than for children and youth and young adults.
Then there is the problem of the younger ones getting older, but not actually following the old paths, not actually living in the power of the Spirit. Younger believers that have a form of godliness, but have denied the power of the Spirit in their lives. Younger believers that say the right words, but do not have the same love, peace, joy, conviction that comes with spiritual maturity.
A CALL TO ACTION
This should stir the local church to action. While it is true that young people and young adults tend to discount the counsel of the elderly, we must not surrender our young people into the hands of devil without a fight.
Just because the world is turning against God, does not mean that we should quit trying to rescue our young people.
Just because young people and young adults are more quickly influenced by other young people does not mean we should sit back and watch them go to hell.
NOW IS THE ACCEPTED TIME.
IF NOT YOU, WHO?
IF NOT NOW, WHEN?
THIS IS THE BATTLE FOR A WHOLE GENERATION.
