What's Wrong With The Church ?

We are getting lazy.

 

I believe the church though battered and abused is strong. Most christians DO realize their helpless estate. It is the unsaved membership for the most part that is damaging the church. We have let down our guard. How many empty suits will really be left in the pews?

 

Too many goats in the church. we get in a hurry to get them in the baptistry and on the roll, but fail to disciple them in much the same way.

Maybe we should be slow to put them on the roll and see if there is a true conversion.

 

I think you are right. The sentries are not doing their job. Although it is not for us to judge someone elses salvation, it is important to make sure new folks are discipled and transfers are interviewed to screen out false doctrines that could creep in.

There is nothing in the bible that says we have to let people in that can't explain how they know their standing with Christ. We are also warned to beware of wolves in sheeps clothing.

 

What we can judge is their fruits. Do these so called new believers show evidence of spiritual fruit. Jesus said in reference to false prophets "you shall know them by their fruits".

But of course of we did this our conventional campains to baptize a million in a year would be greatly hampered.

 

This is what is wrong with the church.

 

Jesus is on the outside trying to get in (Revelation 3 - Laodicean Church). What else needs to be said if the Head of the church isn't even welcome inside the church.

 

I believe tithes has a lot to do with it. To increase membership churches are letting down the bar. The Baptist are even removing their name Baptist so as to increase membership and this could only be because of "tithes". No wonder the Bible says "the love of money is the root of all evil". It is hard to watch a TV ministry because of the constant "begging". To go so far as remove the name "Baptist" is to be willing to give up one's own principles I think. peace,

 

Revmitchell writes:
"Maybe we should be slow to put them on the roll and see if there is a true conversion."

I wholeheartly agree, but just try to get a Baptist church to do it. Increasing the rolls is so important in Baptist churches that they refuse to update the rolls even if they know a "member" has not attended in years.

While this may be minor compared to some other problems, one thing wrong with the church is that it has no integrity when it comes to reporting how many members they actually have.

 

another problem with it all is that these churches decide to tell people they are saved because they said a prayer some time ago.

 

Sloth, according to scripture!

 

We are more concerned with numbers than with people's needs. We set goals as any secular business would. Churches are filled with members who have never experienced the new birth. When I have moved to a new church, I give them a questionair, mostly about the church. One of the questions I ask is "Are you a Christian, how do you know?" The replies are very revealing.
Many churches, most in my area I must say, are not discipling their members. Most churches have Sunday School and other programs that are designed to disciple their members, but these usually are very shallow.

 

"Are you a christian?" will bring answers that are often meaningless as being a 'christian' means different things to different people!
Tell me about how you came to know Christ and what He has done in your life! This might bring in something significant.

The gospel is what we're about, not peoples needs! We're not 'seeker sensitive' but God sensitive, God honoring! God sent His Son to save sinners! Have you ever been aware that you're a sinner? Do you know that you have great need of a Savior? You must be reborn, anew, life changed! Has that happened to you?

This dialogue/monologue might cause one to consider that without Christ as Savior they are forever lost!

 

It's kinda easy to point out what's wrong. A agree with pretty much every thing else that has already been written. But, I think we also need to point out what's right.

Yes, there's a lot of holes in this old ship, but it's the only boat afloat.

 

I believe it is the church in America which is doing poorly because it has hidden itself and not reached people with the gospel. I have talked with foreigners who know what it is like to have lived where Christians are persecuted and they are shocked at such weakness in America. People do not care about the building or the finances but about being loved and growing.

Being dunked does not equate with being a disciple who follows Jesus Christ.

 

Well ...

If this is the only boat afloat*, holy -full of holes and all, then what do we need to do in order to get the American church vibrant like the persecuted church?

How do we lead self-centered, weak, undisciplined, rich Americans to become Christ-centered, strong in the faith, discipled, rich in the Spirit Christians that are ready to let God change the world through us?



* I believe that this is the only boat afloat - I used this figure of speech because it was already in use.

 

ever since i professed to be a christian - about 6 years ago - i've been saying the above quote.

but since the beginning of this year - i've heard it changed - and am trying to incorporate it into my speach - that we must ask people:

"are you aware that you have done nothing but sin?" - we shouldn't be telling people that they have sinned but rather that they havn't done anything but sin.
---

we warn them of the wrath to come.
present the gospel to those that are humble - get them to measure themselves up against God's standard of morals - show them the milk of the word - and disciple them in Truth with help from The Truth.

though we can lead a horse to water - but we can't make the horse drink - but what we can do is salt its oats - then the horse will long for water and desire to drink it.

 

What I think the top 3 problems are:
The lack of discernment and apathy about being discerning.

Undermining scripture with the wrong way to read it -- thinking we read the Bible to see "what it means to me," rather than first discovering what the objective meaning is. Along with this is a lack of undertanding about the importance of objective truth.

Making the importance of holding to sound doctrine secondary to other things that are less important.

 

Mr

We see this problem manifested on many of the threads of the Baptist Board. Many reject the need for fruit to verify salvation. The buzz words today are Grace only by faith only. Any call for evidence of being born again as Jesus preached is called salvation by works. The movement has led to an emphasis on easy believerism and a de-emphasis on decipleship. Beyond that the theory of eternal security causes churches to always consider those who have turned their back on Christ and the Church Christians and therefore they should never be removed from their roles.