Why Church Pews Are Empty: A Study of Nehemiah 11

We often wonder why so many pews are empty in the church. We have nice buildings, padded pews, good music, good fellowship, and above all, the church is the place where we go to worship our Creator and hear the Word of God.

This problem is not new, Nehemiah faced a very similar situation in his time.

By the time frame of Nehemiah, chapter 11, the Temple in Jerusalem had been rebuilt, spiritual and civil law and order had been restored to Jerusalem, and the wall surrounding Jerusalem had been rebuilt.

The Holy City, Jerusalem, was a large, secure, safe and peaceful. Since the Temple was located there, it was the center of worship of the Jews, it was the place where God had chosen to put His name, yet few Jews wanted to live in Jerusalem.

One would think that after having been in Babylonian captivity for several years and not having access to Jerusalem, not having their own Temple to worship in, not having a secure place to live that was their own, that the Jews would be lined up and waiting to live in Jerusalem.

That was not the case in Nehemiah's day, nor is it the case we face today in the Church.

With all the problems in the world, with all the problems in our own personal worlds, it seems that people would be lined up to get inside the Church doors on Sunday. Church is the place of peace, security, of restoration, the place where God's name is, yet the Church pews are empty, much like Jerusalem was empty during Nehemiah's day.

The same things that kept people from wanting to live in Jerusalem then, is the same things that keep people from wanting to come to Church today-

Living in Jerusalem then meant the person would have to start a new life. Give up their land outside of the city, give up their business, and start anew. Coming to Church today means giving up anything that is contrary to the Word of God in our lives. The Bible says when we are saved, we have a new life in Christ Jesus- giving up the old for something new scares people, but how is the 'old' working for you?