Have you ever anticipated something only to be disappointed because it was out of commission, down for repairs, or temporarily closed? When Donna and I were dating, I had told her little brother and sisters about an amusement park I went to quite often as a kid. We loaded the car and went south to Chattanooga. As we were getting close to the location of the park, I stopped at KFC to get a picnic lunch for us all to be eaten at the picnic area of the park. As I drove into the parking lot anticipating the rides and attractions, there was a closed sign. The park was closed for a year to make renovations. It was “out of commission.” My wife’s sister reminds me of the mistake of not checking ahead of time.

The above verse is what we refer to as “The Great Commission.” It is where Jesus told us to go and make disciples. You’d be hard pressed to meet a dedicated Christian who doesn’t say the greatest work on earth is evangelism. But most of us simply give lip service to evangelizing and discipling. Statistics show that while the American population has grown 9.7% from 2010-2020, nationwide church attendance has dropped by four percent. Somehow there is a disconnect between the priorities we claim to hold and the actions we take. There is little winning of souls in most churches and may have not won a soul to Christ in years. Much of the time we are distracted by good projects while overlooking the most important – winning the lost to Jesus.

It appears, that the church may be out of commission which is a result of many Church members being out of commission. We are not carrying on “The Great Commission” as intended.

Bro. Larry