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Myth #1 -Understanding the People in the Churches.
I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. …Because you are lukewarm…I will vomit you out of My mouth. Revelation 3:16
Have you ever wondered why "Christians" don't behave like Christians are supposed to? The Myth is that Christians are supposed to act in a particularly moral way. The reality is that few uphold that high standard.
The reason is that Christians mature over time – there is not a sudden change in most people the day that they call themselves a Christian.
People who call themselves Christians fall into four categories:
- Ethnic Christians - People whose parents or grandparents were believing Christians, yet who never attend church except during an occasional Easter or Christmas service. About two-thirds of self-described "Christians" fall into this category.
- Attending Christians - People who attend church on a regular basis, but appear to do so out of habit rather than for religious reasons. "Attendees" are seen in Sunday morning services or Saturday evening Mass, but almost never visit the church at any other time. Although they may have become believers, they do not do anything with that belief. To them, church attendance is a duty, a social club, or a habit - not a religion. About 80 percent of church-attending Christians fall into this category.
- Believing and Growing Christians - These people are true believers. I'll explain in a later chapter what that means. They are involved in their church. Many of them serve the church as teachers, deacons, committee chairs, youth group leaders, choir members, etc. (Note that it is possible to do these things and still not be a believer!) About 15 percent of a typical church's attendees fall into this category.
- Mature Christians - These people are not new to the faith. They have learned many things about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. They have a reputation for wisdom within their church. They teach the deepest classes on Sunday mornings and on Wednesday evenings. They often become missionaries or found new churches. Only a handful of these people are found at any normal church. (Many churches don't have any!) People talk about them in reverent tones and use words like "godly", "Christ-like", and "wise" to describe them. They only represent about 5 percent of church attendees. Less than 1 in 50 people who call themselves "Christian" fall into this category.
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think people move from one maturity category to another category?
- Are you an Ethnic Christian, an Attending Christian, a Believing Christian, a Mature Christian, or a non-Christian?
- Think about other people you know. Do you know a Mature Christian?