Text: Colossians 4:5

Topic: How to make your church one that reaches people for Christ

Introduction:

• Illustration: May quotes an unnamed church leader and J. Edgar Hoover, both testifying that the "golden days" of church attendance were years ago.

• Illustration: May quotes statistics that show while interest in spirituality is at an all-time high, church attendance is at an all-time low.

• The overwhelming majority of people in this country have been to church enough to develop an opinion about it, and the opinion most often isn't flattering.

• The top three reasons people don't go to church are: the services are boring, the sermons are irrelevant, and the people are unfriendly.

• We live in a generation that believes the church has nothing to say to the world.

• What is our message? Jesus Christ can give you life to the fullest. (John 10:10)

• There are three things that I am going to recommend we do in order to give this church more impact in our community—three priorities we should adopt in order to be the church God has called us to be.

• Illustration: May quotes comedian Gallagher: "Growing up, church was the weekly reminder that there is something in life worse than school."

• If people find our services boring it's not God's fault—it's our fault.

• In order to reach the world with the good news of the gospel, we must speak the language they speak, and express it in terms to which they can relate.

• This is the litmus test of every aspect of every service and ministry of this church: does it help us help people connect with Christ?

• Colossians 4:5

• The fact is that most people don't look forward to hearing a sermon.

• Illustration: May tells briefly of a pastor who was chosen to speak at a community event because he was times to have the shortest sermons.

• Most people don't expect a message to be uplifting, but we have been called to preach good news.

• Our message to the world is not one of doom and gloom, but one of hope.

We must make the effort to connect individually with people.

• Colossians 4:5-6

• Illustration: May tells his story of looking for a church when he was in his twenties, and struggling to find a church where people would even talk to a visitor.

• You can single-handedly show the world that this is a friendly church.

Conclusion:

• The real key to our success as a church requires more than just entertaining people for an hour.

• Big Idea: We must connect with people and help them make a life changing connection with Christ.