To Be or Not To Be: Relevent?

A Lost War?

I don't think that I am overstating the issue when I say that we have an emergency in the church today that pastors all across the country better take seriously. In fact, I believe (in part at least) that this issue has been the cause of America's turning away from the true living God over the past 50 years.
If it doesn't change, our culture will continue to spiral down further into the abyss if the leaders in the church do not address this emergency. What is the emergency you ask? Well it is very simple really: we have a church that doesn’t read their Bible. And if we have a church that doesn’t read their Bible then we have a church that doesn’t know how to study their Bible and practically apply its wisdom and instruction and it’s call to “make Disciples”. The church has been disarmed.

What Happend?

Regardless of the 'fantastic' sermons that are preached on Sunday's all across this country, if we have a church that isn't wrestling with the text of Scripture then we have a handicapped, impotent church. Because of this truth, our culture has shown signs of our handicap. Homosexuality is widely accepted as normal. Pornography has gone mainstream. Abortion is practiced as birth control. Up is down and black is white. Why? Because the church has stopped engaging the culture with truth. It makes sense, if we have a church that is unsure of what the truth is, how can they go out and share it with anyone?
The sad thing is that this trend started in the church when leaders, afraid of losing their tax-exempt status, stopped engaging the culture-war and retreated back into their air-conditioned churches satisfied for the 'few' that remained faithful in attending.
Not willing to fight modern thought coming from the state run universities, they even began to 'lighten' their messages, taking out Bible based truths and replacing them with man-centered storytelling and entertainment. Church became a show, a distraction from the stresses of life. For some, church became about positive thinking and motivation. Churchmen all across America abandoned the truth of the Scriptures in the name of being relevent with the changing 'post-modern' culture. Somewhere, the Son of Perdition is smiling at what he has been able to accomplish through the church. The Enemy has been successful in getting the leaders of the local church, to put down their swords (the Bible) and the sad thing is it doesn't even appear there was a battle.

Solution: Dust Off Your Bible and Study; Then Apply

This really is a topic that is worthy of a book (maybe I will undertake that). But until one is written all I can say is this:
Leaders: Return to Bible-Centered preaching. Teach the Word. Forget about top-ten lists and wanting people to like you for entertaining them. Pick up the 'sword' and don't be afraid to engage the enemy on his turf.
Congregants: Demand that your leaders lead. Demand they teach the Word. Open up your Bibles and learn. Go out into the world and make Disciples. Pick up the 'sword' and don't be afraid to engage the enemy on his turf.