I.        INTRODUCTION

A.      The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come” (2Tim. 3:1).

                                                             1.      In the verses that follow (2Tim. 3:2-9), Paul gave a description of the coming difficult times.

a.       This was not a prophecy of the end of the world, but rather it was a warning to Timothy of things that he would experience in his lifetime, probably without the help of Paul.

b.       Paul did not describe men who would bring physical violence or persecution against the church, but rather he described a culture of apostasy that would create tremendous difficulty for teaching the truth.

                                                             2.      Yet Paul did not leave Timothy without hope, but he gave him directions to combat and endure the difficult times.

a.       Paul instructed Timothy to stay the course despite the difficulties.  When the times changed around Timothy, he was to remain constant.

b.       Central to these instructions was reliance upon the word of God (2Tim. 3:10-4:5).  Even when men turned away from sound doctrine, Timothy was to preach it just the same.

B.      As we consider our world today, we must realize that difficult times are here.

                                                             1.      In Paul’s description of the difficult times, we read words that could very well describe the culture in which we now live.

                                                             2.      Therefore, we must also heed the directions that Paul gave Timothy for dealing with difficult times – “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (2Tim. 4:2).

C.      Presently, let us consider a series of lessons dealing with the current difficult times for Christians.

                                                             1.      One goal of this series is to gain understanding of the current culture around us and within us that is making it difficult to save souls.

                                                             2.      The other goal is to encourage and motivate Christians to press forward through the difficulty with patience and endurance from God.

II.      CHURCH MEMBERSHIP IN DECLINE

A.      Persons in the United States who have been familiar with the churches of Christ for several years have probably noticed that membership appears to be in decline.

                                                             1.      Many churches have significantly fewer members than they had in the past, and some have even ceased to assemble and have disbanded.

                                                             2.      Not every congregation has declined in membership, but many of those that have grown appear to have done so mostly as the result of members joining from other congregations rather than by converting lost souls to Christ.

                                                             3.      Other congregations that have grown significantly have done so by abandoning many of the Scriptural traditions that made them distinct from the denominations.  Now they have more in common with the denominations than they do with the New Testament church.

B.      Consider a recent report from The Christian Chronicle entitled “Population Outpaces Church” (2/1/07).

                                                             1.      Let it be noted first of all that this reference does not constitute an endorsement of The Christian Chronicle.  It is simply a citation of the relevant information presented in this publication.

                                                             2.      The report states that the growth rate of membership in the churches of Christ in the United States was much less than the growth rate of the general population.

a.       Specifically, a study found that in the nearly 13,000 churches of Christ that do not use mechanical instruments of music in worship, membership grew 1.6% between 1980 and 2006.  This compares to a growth rate in the general population of the nation of 32.2% during that same time period.

b.       In Tennessee during this same period, membership in the churches actually declined 3.1%.

C.      As we who are Christians notice this downward trend regarding church membership, we must be careful how we allow this information to affect us.

III.   LET US UNDERSTAND

A.      The facts stated above are troubling for Christians, and they motivate us to take action.  However, before we act, let us understand.

                                                             1.      We may be justifiably alarmed about the declining membership in the churches, but this is not a time for panic.  Panic leads to rash, poorly-considered actions that often result in disaster.

                                                             2.      Instead, let us carefully consider the Scriptures and the situation within our own congregation and community so that we may understand and act wisely.

B.      It is important that we attempt to understand the reasons for declining membership in the churches.

                                                             1.      We need to look within our community and the culture of today so that we may understand why fewer people are becoming part of the church.

                                                             2.      We also need to look within the church today to understand whether we are doing all that we can to teach people from without and maintain our members from within.

                                                             3.      All Christians need to look at themselves individually to understand whether they doing their parts to bring their families, friends, and acquaintances to Christ.  The Scriptures demonstrate that Christians working individually have the greatest effect on other individuals.

C.      More importantly, we must understand what the real problem is – souls are lost.

                                                             1.      It is easy to become distracted with the numbers of attendance figures and membership rosters for the local church.

                                                             2.      However, building a large church is not our concern.  Rather, our concern is for saving souls.

a.       If we desire only to attract large numbers of people into the congregation, then there are many means that we could use to accomplish that purpose.

b.       Yet our purpose is to lead souls to salvation, and therefore we must use the only means we have to accomplish that purpose, which is the gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16).

c.        Therefore, we must resist the temptation to compromise the truth of God in order to appeal to the world.  By compromising, we may gain great numbers, but we would lose the whole church.

IV.    LET US ACT

A.      Once we have gained an understanding of our culture, the church, and ourselves individually, then we must set a course of action according to the Scriptures.

                                                             1.      We will consider the New Testament pattern and the workings of the early church, especially in the book of Acts, to determine how we may best carry out the work of preaching the gospel in these difficult times.

                                                             2.      We will also return to 2Timothy throughout the series to encourage us that the preaching of the word of God is still the right course of action, whether the church grows in membership or not.

B.      Most importantly, each individual Christian must take action.

                                                             1.      As important as it is for us as a church to study, discuss, and plan what needs to be done, these things are ineffective unless individual Christians take action.

                                                             2.      This may require a change in mindset for us.

a.       We have always considered evangelism to be a work of the church, which it is.  Yet we must understand that evangelism is not carried out by the church collectively, but by Christians individually.

b.       Rather than thinking of evangelism as something the church does, think of it as something you do.

c.        Also, each of us must think of evangelism not only in terms of what we say but also what we do.  The power of our examples may be the most effective tool we have to gain the attention of others.

                                                             3.      This will also require a prayerful attitude.

a.       The apostles prayed and sought prayers for boldness, opportunity, and direction in their preaching (Acts 4:29-31; Eph. 6:18-20; Col. 4:2-4; 2Thess. 3:1).

b.       If they needed the Lord’s help, then surely we do, too.  Remember that He said, “Lo, I am with you always” (Matt. 28:20).

V.      CONCLUSION

A.      Do not be dismayed: the Lord’s church is not endangered.  The Lord said Himself, “…I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it” (Matt. 16:18).

B.      However, this series is designed to impress the necessity for each of us working diligently in these difficult times to ensure that the local church will maintain its own and make every effort to reach out to the community around us.