The State of the Church

As I write this it is 8:40 pm Eastern Standard Time and in roughly 20 minutes the President of the United States will be giving his second State of the Union address. Instead of watching tonight I decided it was time to put some of my effort and time into an area of God's calling that I have been neglecting since January 1st. So here we are on the verge of a Presidential address and the blog is up and running once again.

So as President Trump gives us his thoughts during the State of the Union I could not help but to think; What if Jesus came back every year and gave us a State of the Church address? So I thought that I would take a look at the State of the Church and some of my thoughts on how we can survive as a Church in today's world.

I am not sure how the President can be open and not talk about the cultural divide that is happening in our country today. Unfortunately, this divide is happening in our churches as well. There is a clear contrast between the "traditional" churches of our parents and the current "contemporary" churches popping up all around us. The young people want better music and a more laid back approach to ministry where the older generation still looks to church for the structure they are used to. While one generation is turning churches into buildings that look more like coffee houses than churches the other generation moans in anguish as they try to hold on to the look they are used to. While one generation feels that there is nothing wrong with the music that is sung every Sunday another generation is looking for something fresh during their worship experience. Churches bicker and argue over these issues to the point that splits happen and life long relationships are ruined. As a pastor I love once said let's stop focusing on the little rocks. Let's focus on the big rock. Is Jesus still the center of your worship experience? Are you still preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and respecting it as it should be respected (feared). Just as Americans should be able to see the our collective success is more important than being right over the little issues; churches and church members have to start finding a way to move forward together or they will all fall.

I am not a conspiracy theorist but I do think we are one day closer to the end than we were yesterday. As churches in today's society seek to survive it seems that some have sadly chosen to turn a blind eye to sin and that my friends is the "State of the Church" as I see it. We hear terms like seeker friendly and casual to describe churches today but the reality is that many churches today are relaxed. I am not talking about a relaxed dress code or even a more relaxed style of worship but too many churches today have relaxed where it matters most: THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. Churches today have decided that instead of risking offending someone with the Gospel that they will just relax their views on Scripture and the interpretation they hold. Churches have stopped calling sin, well sin. There is no conviction or need for salvation. There is only goodness and happiness.

Friends, the devil comes dressed in sheep's clothing and if we are not careful he will devour us. I once read a devotional on that verse and it mentioned that instead of the devil coming like a wolf dressed as a sheep that it is possible that verse meant the wolf would be dressed as the shepherd since the shepherd normally wore clothes made from the sheep's wool. I firmly believe that the devil will use the pulpit to draw more people away from God then he will use drugs and alcohol. If the devil can convince us to follow him through a pulpit then why would he ever have to put on the ugly cloth of sin. These churches that are turning off sin and turning on the comfort christianity will survive and continue to grow but I can tell you one thing they are not doing and that is growing the Kingdom of God.

Now, do not get me wrong I am all for the church opening it's doors to sinners, if they weren't I would never get in. What I am saying is that preachers and churches can no longer be afraid to call out sin and its consequences without the redemption of Christ. No longer can we shy away from the tough topics because they might hurt someone's feelings. We have to preach The Gospel, the whole Gospel, and nothing but the Gospel. The bottom line is simple; there can be no salvation without repentance. It just does not work; if we are not in need of repentance then simply put, salvation is not necessary. However, Salvation is necessary and we must repent of our sin and turn away from it in order to receive that Salvation.

As Christians it is time we open up our Bibles and start looking at what is being preached to us. Measure it against Scripture and you will know if it of the Truth or not. As the President discusses his vision for America and it's future I believe that if the Church is going to survive then we must get back to our roots and get back into being Scriptural based congregations. If the Church is going to survive we are going to have to be reminded that we are all created in the image of God and no one deserves to be treated without dignity. If the Church is going to survive then we must WAKE UP and pay attention to the struggles within our communities. If the Church is going to survive then its members must live lives that showcase its values.

As I wrap up let me apologize for the long post, actually no, I am not sorry for any of this. What I am sorry is for pretending that I have been too busy over the last 30 + days to sit down and write. I am sorry that I have allowed the devil's voice to creep in and tell me that this is not important and that no one reads this anyway. I am sorry that I listened when the devil told me that I had no business writing a blog. I am sorry for those that have looked for the blog and not seen an update; I am sorry I let you down. I am sorry the devil took a victory but the that was just a battle; the War is already over and was finished on a cross on hill called Calvary. The War was over in the empty tomb. So it is great to be back to writing and please pray with me as we continue this journey that I not shy away from tough subjects when God places them on my heart. Pray that I consistently seek God and put Him first in my writing.