The Autopsy of the Local Church
Matthew 28: 18-20
Corinthians 13 5 (a)
2nd
Text Scripture:
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath
been given unto me in heaven and on earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit:
20 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with
you always, even unto the end of the world.
2 Corinthians 13:5 (a) Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own
selves…
Intro:
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I have a strange sermon topic today
I want to preach on: The Autopsy of the Local Church
In the text scriptures we see two things:
1: Jesus’ Great Commission to all Christians – “Go” – (Acts 1:8) into Jerusalem, (home
town) Judea, (state) Samaria, (United States) and the uttermost parts of the world.
2: Paul’s command to the church at Corinth (that still applies to Christians today) to:
EXAMINE YOURSELVES.
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There is an undeniable – very real - cycle to life
Everything has a beginning
And everything has an ending
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No exceptions
ILLUSTARTION:
Scientists (botanist) teach us that the very instant a tree or a plant stops growing – it starts
to die.
There is one choice – grow or die!
So it is with us Go (grow) or die!!!
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ILLUSTRATION:
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Growth and change are part of life
Consider the lobster — they must shed their shell in order to grow!
This process is called molting.
It takes about 20 molts over 5-7 years for a lobster to become an adult
When it is in warm water and the conditions are right, the lobster begins to
literally shrink as it expels seawater and the old shell begins to split in half where
the main body meets the tail, and it crawls out.
Growth has risks - After going through this grueling process, it
emerges with a new soft shell and it is forced to stay in hiding for a
week or two until the new shell is fortified against predators. (To
grow - you must risk failure!)
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Just as growth and molting are an important part of the development of the lobster
- so it is with us! Without molting, the old shell would become the
lobster’s coffin.
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The shell he refuses to shed – becomes his coffin!
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So it is with us!!!
Without personal development and growth — and the inevitable shedding of what
no longer works for us — we, too, would eventually suffocate and die.
I wonder today - what shell some of us will die in? – Tradition? (Never done
it that way before) or unforgiveness, or perhaps complacency?
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Instead, today could be your time to break out of your shell and become the
Christian God made you to be!
ILLUSTRATION:
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In June of 2007 the Southern Baptist Convention met in San Antonio, Texas
The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest Protestant Denomination in the
United States
We have 16 million members
Yet, on any given Sunday, only 6 million are in church
The question that begs an answer is: Where are the other 10?
LifeWay says 89% of our churches are either plateaued or dying
In the most recent year Southern Baptists averaged nine baptisms per church
And if stats from the top 100 churches are omitted, it’s “even worse than that.”
The sad truth is - the vast majority of SBC Churches are dying!!!
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Today, I want to perform an autopsy on the local church and determine why it died!!!
First – let me state that there are 4 tale-tale signs of a sick, anemic dying church:
1. They don’t take the Great Commission SERIOUSLY (Good idea but not
necessary!) (My 4 and no more)
Church I used to pastor – I had some folks leave – They made this statement:
“Preacher, there’s more folks here on Sunday morning I don’t know – than I do
know. I like a small church atmosphere.” – Good! Grow this one until it’s too
big – then find another, and another – BUT DON’T HINDER THE WORK OF
GOD HERE!!!
2. They don’t take the Great Commission PERSONALLY (It means somebody else
should go – not me – I don’t spell GO – G.O.!
3. They don’t take the Great Commission ENTHUSIASTICALLY (How long
since you’ve been enthusiastic about winning somebody to Jesus?)
4. They don’t support the Great Commission PRAYERFULLY (How long since
you lost a night’s sleep praying and crying out to God over some lost soul?)
These are the warning signs!!
But today I want to do as Paul said and “examine ourselves” to “do an autopsy” to
determine the actual “cause of death” for the local church:
1: The PREREQUISITE for an Autopsy
Somebody or something must have died!!!
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
So, the first thing I can conclude as I perform this autopsy on the local church is: SIN
WAS INVOLVED!!!
Indeed, Romans 6: 23 means “physical death” when it speaks of the wages of
sin --- but I submit to you tonight that it’s more than that – much more!!!
When sin enters – there are MANY victims!
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Friendship & Relationships
Trust
Joy
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Peace of mind
Marriage
Families
Health
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And yes – EVEN CHURCHES!!!
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I FIND THAT SIN IS THE LEADING CONTRIBUTOR TO THE DEATH OF
THE LOCAL CHURCH!
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You see – somebody or something has to die for an autopsy to be performed.
An autopsy has never been performed on a living person
1: The PREREQUISITE for an Autopsy
2: The PURPOSE of the Autopsy
The purpose of the autopsy is to reveal the actual cause of death
Sin is the overarching cause of death in the local church – but like diabetes – it affects
specific organs that cause death – Today let’s examine the specific organs sin shuts down
to cause this demise.
Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (2 organs: Heart & Mind)
A: Many churches die of heart trouble – there heart just isn’t right with God!
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can
know it?
Acts 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy
Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
B: Many die because their mind isn’t right with God!
Many churches have mind problems:
Paul said in Philippians 2:5: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Our minds aren’t right:
Jesus said in Matthew 23:27: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are
like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of
dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
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The brain contains two halves – logic and emotion
All logic kills a church
All emotion kills a church
God said “all thy mind!”
1: The PREREQUISITE for an Autopsy
2: The PURPOSE of the Autopsy
3: The PREVENTION of the Autopsy
Do you know the only sure-fired way to prevent an autopsy from being performed?
DON’T DIE!!! – LIVE!!!
Do the things that cause good Spiritual health!!!
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your
mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
1. Have a healthy diet by feasting on the Manna from God’s Word
2. Exercise your faith
3. Let go of your grudges
4. Say I’m sorry
5. Forget other people’s failures & shortcomings
6. Make sure your tongue gets plenty of rest
7. Be sure to shield your eyes
8. Laugh!
9. Love
10. Forgive
11. Do something you’ve never done – TRY SOMETHING NEW!!!
12. Rest in the Spirit
13. Talk daily with your Heavenly Father
14. As much as lies within you – live peaceably among all men!
15. And Don’t miss the wonder of life!!!
Lord – let me live while I’m alive!!!
How do we prevent death?
Do what Paul said: EXAMINE YOURSELF!!!
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Close:
1: The PREREQUISITE for an Autopsy
2: The PURPOSE of the Autopsy
3: The PREVENTION of the Autopsy
It all boils back to this: Sin caused the death of the church
We allowed it to enter when we no longer:
Took the Great Commission SERIOUSLY – PERSONALLY - ETHUSIASTICALLY
or PRAYERFULLY
As Paul said: Examine yourselves!
Preached: 7-15-07 @ Franklin Road Baptist Church LaGrange, Georgia
Preached: 5-30-08 @ Osanippia Baptist Church Huguley, ALA