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There’s Members And Then There’s Attenders

There’s Members And Then There’s Attenders

Every church has some of both. Dedicated people carry the load of the church while too many others enjoy a free ride all their life. Some live for God with all their heart while others live on the fringes.

Solid church members are the ones faithful to prayer meetings. They are the worshipers, the participators, and the tithe payers,

They say amen.
They are always at church.
They are faithful in their living and their giving.
The standards of the church are not “grievous” to them.
They love holiness.
They love the pastor.
They love God.
The love the lost and they love one another.
They are always willing to do what they are asked to do for the Lord.

Those are the Members.

Then there are the Attenders.

They may never become Members because for them the price is too great. Their reason is similar to “…Don’t buy the cow if you can get the milk for free.” They really do not wish to be pastored.

The come to church when they feel like it.
They won’t pay the price of faithfulness.
Their life is all about them.
They are only willing to participate at their own comfort level.
Attenders never fully cooperate.
They will never get on board.
They never buy the whole package.
Most of them struggle with authority.
They like the worship and the people.
But they struggle with the standards.
Or maybe it’s baptism in Jesus Name that holds them back.
Maybe it’s the necessity of the Holy Ghost speaking in tongues that bothers them.
Some are Attenders because they are God robbers and will not give Him the tenth of their increase.
Others just have a problem with any kind of authority and do not wish to be pastored.
They just follow for the loaves and the fishes.

Jude explained these kind of people. He wrote pointedly about those that didn’t want a pastor. Over 2,000 years ago there were those that tried to pastor themselves.

Jude 11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

Jude 12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

Jude 13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

“feeding themselves” literally means “pastoring themselves”….

Attenders aren’t in the same class as Members. Attenders may be “Added” in some fashion to the God’s Tree of Righteousness, but they are certainly not “Joined.”