The question posed in the title of this article must be asked on a congregational level. “Is the congregation of which I am a member stagnant?” When something is stagnant, it is sluggish, motionless and inactive. A congregation can become an assembly of run of the mill, pew warming, keeping the lights on, non-active Christians. Jesus rebuked the Laodicean church, which had become like many churches today—lukewarm in service to the Lord (Revelation 3:14-22). That ought to be a clarion call to modern Christians. Clearly, God has expectations for His churches that ought to be our goals and objectives, too. Consider some reasons for stagnation, results from stagnation and remedies for stagnation.
Although each situation and every Christian are different, let us be so bold as to suggest a few things that could easily cause stagnation. In the first place, laziness very well may be the cause for many inactive members of the local church. It is much easier to let someone else do the work! Paul spoke of the lazy man as being one who was undeserving of food (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Is the lazy Christian any different than the lazy man who was afraid of the cold and would starve in the harvest (Proverbs 20:4)? Sadly, many lazy Christians are the very ones who wonder why the church isn’t growing today as it once grew.
A second problem may be apathy. The Laodiceans seemed to be apathetic about their service, and as a result, they were very distasteful to our Lord (Revelation 3:15-16). A third reason for stagnation may be doubt in our personal abilities and talents. Surely there is always someone who could do a particular job better than we can, but is that a valid reason for each one not doing his best? A fourth reason for stagnation is sin. Too many are still active in Satan’s kingdom and are like the Israelites of Elijah’s day, “faltering between two opinions” (1 Kings 18:21).
A stagnant church will be ineffective and unproductive in God’s work (Titus 3:14). Our Lord would have us bearing fruit (John 15:5-8). When we are actively engaged in Jesus’ work, our Father is glorified (Matthew 5:16). Motionless Christians should take a lesson from deserted houses in our communities. When a house is neglected, the roof leaks, the ceilings are damaged, the floors decay and the home becomes unlivable. The wise man wrote, “Because of laziness the building decays and through idleness of hands the house leaks” (Ecclesiastes 10:18). Another inevitable result of stagnation in the local church is that a few are forced to do the work of the many. Very little is accomplished, and Satan is pleased by the lackluster efforts.
How may such a situation be remedied? We must wake up! “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11; Ephesians 5:14-16). Let us be renewed in dedication and in action for the greatest work ever given to man (Psalm 51:10-12). One has said, “A better church begins with a better me.” If the congregation of which you are a member needs to wake up and get moving, why don’t you wake up and get moving? Let us never become so distracted or discouraged that we fail to be about the King’s business. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 3:22).
