Church Alive: Check Your Enthusiasm Level

What would it take to create a church where the enthusiasm level is contagious?


Houston Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy faced a similar problem. (Read this article about the Rockets Rowdies and their effect on the team's performance at Toyota Center.)


During our message series "Church Alive" we will be focusing on the passage Acts 2:42-47, a vivid description of life together in the early church. Read the passage from the translation The Message.

Notice the phrase "people in general liked what they saw." This tells us that what was going on among the people could be perceived by others from the outside! They could tell that something exciting was happening.


I once heard about a bumper sticker: "Hey Christian, if there's joy in your heart, please notify your face!" In other words, if you really believe what you say you believe, it ought to show! The same is true for churches. If what the Bible says is true, then it should be perceivable to others by our behavior.


I have a book called Building a Contagious Church. (You can read a shorter article by the same author at this site.) As I read, it occurred to me that EVERY church is contagious. Every church has a spirit that either lifts you up, or brings you down. But ALIVE churches have a contagious enthusiasm.


So what is the opposite of a church alive? A church dead? Maybe. Maybe not. Revelation 3 suggests that there is something that might even be more dangerous for churches.

In this passage, the message of the Holy Spirit to the church at Laodicea is quite eye-opening:

I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16)

There really aren't that many cold or dead churches. But it is very easy for a church to grow lukewarm in our faith. And the Bible reminds us how dangerous that is!


Did you know that Methodists were once widely known for our enthusiasm? In fact, we were once called "shoutin' Methodists!"

Read this article - "Shouting Methodists" by Winthrop S. Hudson - for some historical background on this phenomenon!


Some will try to argue that Sunday is simply a time for the believer to be close to God and not to worry about what impression we might make upon anyone else. Paul's words to the Corinthians might suggest otherwise, as they remind us that even non-Christians may be drawn closer to the Lord by what they encounter upon walking into a church worship experience:

If some unbelieving outsiders walk in on a service where people are speaking out God's truth, the plain words will bring them up against the truth and probe their hearts. Before you know it, they're going to be on their faces before God, recognizing that God is among you. (1 Corinthians 14:24-25, The Message)


You can make a difference! 50 Rockets rowdies helped turn around the atmosphere at the Toyota Center. Last year the Rockets were 3-12 in their first 15 games at home. This year they went 12-3! Someone will say church is NOT a ball game. I say "Amen" to that. We ought to be MUCH MORE enthusiastic for the Lord than for any ball team!



Is there some missing passion in your walk with Jesus Christ? You may find these words from Pastor Mike Slaughter helpful:

"The stronger and more compelling the purpose, the greater the passion, focus and creative flow of faith and energy that will come through your life. You know there are so few people in the world who are enthusiastic. You can go by people every day and it's like they are just existing. They never feel up and they never feel down. They are just flat lining through life. On an EKG, that's called dead. Enthusiasm comes from two Greek words - en theos, in God.

One thing that we have learned from the Taliban since September 11 is that there is a difference between what we believe and our convictions. Convictions are your passions, what you really care about. I can believe things that I am not passionate about.

Every one of us needs a God-sized initiative. A God-sized initiative is a life cause that is more than you can accomplish in your own strength and resources. A God-sized initiative is something that is large enough, broad enough, and Christ-empowered enough to live beyond you into the future generations for the honor of God."