08/25/2019
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What are the biggest challenges today’s churches face?
How can they overcome them?
1. Biblical Illiteracy. Biblical literacy is a huge problem in the American
church, and it makes many of the challenges on this list all the more
challenging. Quite simply, people in churches (and even more so those not in
churches) may pay lip service to the importance of the Bible, but by and large
they do not read it or know it. Almost 1 in 5 churchgoers say they never read the
Bible—essentially the same number who read it every day. Research found that
while 67 percent of Americans believe heaven is a real place, 45 percent
believe there are many ways to get there—including 1 in 5 evangelical
Christians. More than half of evangelicals (59 percent) believe the Holy Spirit
is a force and not a personal being—in contrast to the orthodox biblical
teaching of the Trinity being three Persons in one God. As a whole, Americans,
including many Christians, hold unbiblical views on hell, sin, salvation,
Jesus, humanity, and the Bible itself. It’s embarrassing, and there is much
work to do. Preaching the TRUTH of GOD will bring people into a better
understanding of God and give them the desire to want to know more. Ministers
need to be more like Paul’s example in 2
Corinthians 4 and 2
Timothy 4:2-8.
2. Presence.
Christians ought to be people of presence, connected to God and to one another through the inhabiting,
unifying power of the Holy Spirit. But today’s world busies our lives and
distracts us so that every moment pulls us away from presence. The church must re-prioritize its vocation as presenters of God’s presence in the world, and to do so we
must cultivate habits and liturgies that create the space and contours for that
presence to be felt and known. Romans
12:1-2 encourages believers to present themselves as living sacrifices for
the world to see and know that we are in this world but we are not of this
world.
3. Lacking Power. The “church”
demonstrates no power anymore therefore people have no need to attend. Throughout
the Bible we read that God gives us POWER when we follow HIM and keep His commandments.
The “church” today has become the PORTRAIT of 2
Timothy 3:1-5 which says, “But understand this, that in
the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come
[difficult days that will be hard to bear]. For people
will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled
by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful,
unholy and profane, [and
they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and
inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control
[intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, traitors,
reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although
they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith].
Avoid such people and keep far
away from them.”
4. Disembodied Tendencies. The trajectory of technology is away from
incarnational presence and toward disembodied experience. We live our mediated
lives via windows and boxes. We chat with multiple people at a time, post one
fragment of our lives here and another there, consume visual media in one
window and read the Bible in another. All of this makes it easier to fracture
our lived experience into disconnected compartments, a process that wreaks
havoc on our spiritual formation. Integrity is wholeness (integer = whole
number), all parts of our lives integrated and reflective of the Lordship of
Christ. Churches today must work extra hard to cultivate this. We increasingly
live our lives via screens, streams, apps, phones. Our relationships are
digital. This exacerbates existing Gnostic tendencies (a cerebral rather than
embodied faith) and subtly de-emphasizes the crucial physicality of the church,
the “body of Christ” in the material and not just theoretical sense. Churches should
find ways to encourage physical gatherings, the practice of the Lord’s Supper,
meals together in neighborhoods, bodily movement in worship, shaking hands and
hugging each other, whatever it takes! Anything to re-sensitize people to the
fleshly reality of the church in the world. We must live our lives according to
the new and living way found in Hebrews
10:19-25.
5.
Boredom. We are an
antsy culture. Everything is fast-paced and harried; we can hardly remember
which Netflix show we loved last month or which restaurant was the rage last
year. We have short attention spans and get bored easily, and this poses a huge
challenge to the church. The values of routine, tradition and stability that
define the church are distasteful in our fidgety age. Churches are naturally
tempted to use gimmicks and trendiness to solve this problem, but this is
ill-advised. The task of the church is to lead people to awe, wonder and worship
without watering things down or constantly reinventing the wheel. The boredom
challenge leads to this challenge, to “rethink” church every couple years. The
problem is endemic in American evangelicalism. It is exhausting to read the
scores of books that come out every year that provide a new paradigm or
prescription for a revived church. The evangelical church should become a bite
more trusting; trusting a bit more in continuity rather than seeing every
cultural change as an invitation to reinvent the wheel. According to Hebrews
13:8-9, “Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always]
the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not
be carried away by diverse and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart
to be established and
strengthened by grace and not by foods [rules of diet and ritualistic meals],
which bring no benefit or
spiritual growth to those who observe them.” In this know that through
the TRUTH of the WORD, the POWER of GOD will be revealed through the HEALING
POWER of JESUS CHRIST brought to you through the HOLY SPIRIT moving through the
PREACHING of the WORD.
6. Consumer Christians. The ubiquity of consumerism in late capitalism has
fully infiltrated the church, to the extent that “church shopping” and “what I
got from the sermon” are things we say without thinking anything of it. People
go to Sunday services to “get something.” They choose churches that “fit them”
and match their checklist of preferences, just as one would choose a car or a
new pair of jeans. But churches must challenge rather than cater to this
mentality. Church is a place where members of a body come together for purposes
beyond themselves. It’s an invitation to join Christ in what he is already
doing in the world, not an invitation for Christ to affirm our
self-actualization. Be careful to stay away from the churches {such as the mega
ministries} that have become breading grounds for those who want nothing more
than their ears tickled on Sunday by FALSE MINISTERS who cater to the their
earthly needs {2
Timothy 4:3-4}. There are many of the FALSE MINISTRIES that tell people what
they want to hear with a big smiles on their faces as they rob the people blind
to support their own personal wealth goals to satisfy their earthly desires {Matthew
7:15-20}.
7. The Temptation to Homogeneity. The consumerism of contemporary Christianity has
unsurprisingly led to churches that are more homogeneous than ever. When we go
to churches that fit us (how we look, talk and worship) we will naturally be
surrounded by people who look, talk and worship just like us. But homogeneity
is not the biblical ideal. The power of the gospel is that of unifying diverse
groups of people, breaking down the walls of hostility that naturally divide us
(race, class, culture, gender, music preference, whatever). At a time when
social media allows us to curate feeds and surround ourselves with people who
agree with us and confirm our biases, this work becomes even more difficult. In
the eyes of God we are ALL the same who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord
and Savior therefore we should NOT separate ourselves from one another {Galatians
3:28, Hebrews
10:25}. Let us learn to love one another according to John
13:35 and live in harmony with one another according to Psalm
133:1.
8. The “Authenticity = Brokenness” Fallacy. At the heart of it is an unbelief in change and a weak
theology of sanctification, a problem that leads to claims of “this is just who
I am” essentialism and immutability. Aren’t we a people of resurrection and
hope? Isn’t the Spirit who raised Christ from the dead within us now? Our
anemic belief in change is coupled with a fetishizing of brokenness, and it’s a
toxic combination. Many Christians today are quite simply more compelled by sin
(though we call it “brokenness”) than we are with holiness, and that is a
significant problem the church must address. True brokenness can be found in Luke
9:23, And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My
disciple], he must deny himself
[set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross
daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may
come] and follow Me [believing
in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps
dying because of faith in Me].” TRUE HOLINESS means set yourself APART from
this world {1
Peter 1:15-17}.
9. The Idol of Autonomy. Little poses a bigger threat to the church in western
culture than the pervasive mindset that individual people are the sole arbiters
of their identity, morality and destiny. The “be and do whatever feels right to
you” philosophy of expressive individualism is fundamentally at odds with
Christianity, which calls us to bow to the lordship of Christ. Churches must
counter this and disciple people to submit their convictions about themselves,
however sincere and authentic they may be, to the authority of Jesus Christ as
revealed to us in Scripture. As followers of Jesus Christ, the body of Christ,
known as the “church” we must submit to the authority of God according to James
4:7-10.
10. Aversion to
Commitment. We live in a culture that is commitment averse.
Millennials are the FOMO (“fear of missing out”) generation, that prefers to
keep options open rather than committing to something or someone and
foreclosing other possibilities. We are the generation that has rendered
RSVP-based party planning a futile endeavor. We are the generation that is
opting to own homes at a far lower rate than previous generations did. 91% of
us expect to stay in a job less than 3 years. We are far less likely to be
affiliated with a religion or a political party than previous generations were,
and we get married at lower rates and later in life than our parents and
grandparents did. Naturally, this leads to weak (if any) commitment to the
local church, which makes discipleship and true “long obedience” formation
difficult. Against this backdrop, churches can be relevant not by reinforcing
unencumbered individualism but by challenging people to connect and commit to
the body of Christ. Proverbs
16:3 tells us to, “Commit your works to the Lord [submit and trust them to Him], and your
plans will succeed [if you respond to His will and guidance].” Hebrews
10:25 encourages believers to assemble together to exhort and comfort one
another.
11. Social Media. There are some positive
things social media offers, but there are many things about it that pose
challenges to the contemporary church. Chief among them is the challenge of posturing, a
performative obsession that feeds pride and hypocrisy. But social media (and
texting too!) also can complicate pastoral situations and make existing
problems worse. Closely associated with social media, the allure of celebrity
and “platform” has become pervasive and can destroy a church, particularly when
pastors and leaders become more interested in impressing their “audience” than
tending to the flock of God {Matthew
7:15-20, 2
Timothy 3:1-9, 2
Timothy 4:3-4}.
12. The Need for Racial Reconciliation. The
church should be no haven for racism, and yet too often the church has let racial
wounds fester and prejudice (whether explicit or implicit) goes unaddressed.
The church must not be on the sidelines in the work of justice, healing and
reconciliation; she must actually lead these efforts. The most vibrant
centers of global Christianity are not in western countries these days, and the
face of western Christianity is becoming much more diverse. Churches that
celebrate, embrace and embody this reality in their communities will thrive,
while those that resist diversity and cling to their ethnocentric privilege
will falter. The “American” Church needs to be reconciled with God according to
2
Corinthians 5:17-19.
13. Religious Freedom. Churches must
disentangle from the government to the extent that they can (return to
house-churches?), or else figure out how to deal with inevitable
legal/legislative challenges. We read in Acts
5:29-32, Then Peter and the apostles replied, “We must
obey God rather than men [we have no other choice]. The God of our fathers rose up Jesus, whom you had put to death
by hanging Him on a cross [and you are responsible]. God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior and Deliverer, in order to grant
repentance to Israel, and [to grant] forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy
Spirit, whom God has bestowed on those who obey Him.”
14. Demilitarization
of the Church. The church has allowed this world to do away with
its God given authority as God’s military against the forces of evil
controlling this world. Lies and deception have caused the people of God to
cower in the face of diversity instead of standing up in the POWER of the Holy
Spirit against the forces of evil. We need to put on the Armor of God and be
the warriors God meant for us to be {Ephesians
6:10-18}.
15. Distrust of Authority. For many (very valid) reasons, younger generations
today have a real distrust of authority. This makes church inherently
challenging for them, not only because they have a hard time trusting leaders
but (more importantly) they struggle with submitting fully to the authority of
Christ and the authority of Scripture. Yet churches must lean into the
“transcendent authority” of Christ, counterculture as that may be. We learn
from scripture {Matthew
28:18} that ALL AUTHORITY in heaven and earth have been given to JESUS
CHRIST therefore we must teach our younger generation to have full faith and
trust in HIS authority. As Christians we must humble ourselves in the face of
authority and live peacefully with all of mankind {Romans
13:2-7, Titus
3:1-3}
16. Entanglements of
Allegiances. This has
been a struggle for the church since her earliest days. In what sense does a
person’s allegiance to empire or nation or some other secular community
interact with their allegiance to Christ and his church? Today we’re seeing
this play out in the messy entanglements of Christians in politics, to the
point that we have to say out loud that trickle-down economics and the right to
bear arms are political, not biblical values. Today’s focus on identity
politics makes this even more challenging, as any given member of a church may
see their Christian identity as secondary to some other identity (gender, race,
political affiliation, nationality, etc.). Churches will have the messy task of
acknowledging and respecting multifarious identities while also challenging
people to prioritize them in the right way. Read 2
Timothy 2 to learn that a GOOD SOLDIER for CHRIST does NOT get entangled in
the affairs of this world.
It is more
important now than ever before in history that the “Church” of God rise up in
the POWER it has been given through CHRIST JESUS and the POWER that comes from
the HOLY SPIRIT guiding us against the rulers of darkness in this world. In order for the Church to overcome the challenges is faces today, it MUST get back to basics and that would be TEACHING THE TRUTH of THE WORD of GOD and NOT what MANKIND has INTERPRETED as the TRUTH. It is time for the MINISTERS of GOD to KNOW the HISTORY behind the written WORD and TEACH it to the people so they will have a better understand of God's love for His creation.
You
adulteresses [disloyal sinners—flirting with the world and breaking your vow to
God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend [that is, loving the things
of the world] is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the
world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:4
Do not be unequally bound together with
unbelievers [do not make mismatched alliances with them, inconsistent with your
faith]. For what partnership can righteousness have with lawlessness? Or what
fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony can there
be between Christ and Belial (Satan)? Or what does a believer have in common with
an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and Idols? For we are the temple of the living God: just as God said: “I will dwell
among them and walk among them; And I will be their God,
and they shall be My people. So come
out from among unbelievers and be separate,”
says the Lord, “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will graciously receive you and welcome you [with favor], and I will be a Father to you, and you will
be My sons and daughters,” Says the Lord Almighty. 2
Corinthians 6:14-18
Do as the Word commands and "Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15
Forever in Christ Jesus Service,
Rainbow Pastor David
Do as the Word commands and "Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15
Forever in Christ Jesus Service,
Rainbow Pastor David
