“With independence comes responsibility, and without responsibility, freedom becomes slavery”
The modern-day Church faces many challenges, and it is quite challenging to determine which ones pose the greatest threat. However, based on my experience working within and being a part of the Church, I would say that the most significant obstacles that the Church faces usually boil down to three main hindrances. As pastors and church leaders, we constantly strive to overcome these hindrances.
Struggle One:
COMPROMISE is a major one in the body of Christ; not all, but most of us, struggle with the moralities of the world. Unfortunately, the modern Western Church seems to have been more influenced by society or association rather than society being affected by the Kingdom of God, aka the Church. Recent Gallup polls show that most Americans profess to be Christians, but our nation's general spiritual condition has never been worse. The fact is, although many of our churches have focused on techniques of getting people in the doors, we have not always been successful in refining their spiritual condition. Apostle Paul said, "...beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" ~ 2 Cor. 7:1.
There is a widespread absence of the essential elements of Christian character, ethics, and morality. In contrast to past generations, recent counseling stats show that the ratio of moral dysfunctions among professing Christians closely matches secular society. Domestic abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, sexual immorality, and promiscuity are regularly found within the body of Christ, aka the Church, aka the Ekklesia. In the 1980s, our Christian divorce rate reached the same deplorable level as that of secular marriages; today, more than 50% of all marriages, including acknowledging Christians, result in dissolution - (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Today our pulpits are virtually silent on the issue of "sin." We, the Church (Ekklesia), have become more and more like the world. We have sought to be popular and acceptable to society, and in doing so, we have compromised our morality and holiness standards. Scripture warns, 15 Don’t set the affections of your heart on this world or in loving the things of the world. The love of the Father and the love of the world are incompatible – 1 John 2 15 TPT
Revelation of the scripture: Stop loving the world system, aka THE WAYS OF THE WORLD!
Struggle Two:
LAZINESS toward its mission in the world. By and large, the modern church world has become accustomed to what God can do for us rather than remembering our mission to reach the lost and hurt for Christ. We live in a very self-centered society and rarely see churches and believers laying aside their selfish interests to serve the Lord's interests. Let’s READ: "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves... lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" ~ 2 Timothy 3:1-2,4 NKjV.
The scriptures make it very clear that every Christian must take on helping to bring people to the saving message of Christ (2 Cor. 5:17-18). But unfortunately, the statistics show that only a tiny percentage of Christians ever attempt to share their faith with others. This laziness is inexcusable and has contributed to our society's distress, which can only be corrected by the recent birth of Christ in the hearts of sinful men and women. Let’s READ: 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost ~ 2 Corinthians 4:3 KjV
Struggle Three:
RIGHTS & INDEPENDENCE. As a black man, I have enjoyed rights and independence that many people in other parts of the world can’t even consider possible. Sadly, the organization of rights and freedom has begun to crumble around us into a constant, all-inclusive demand for everything under the sun to fall into the categories of rights and liberty. With independence comes responsibility, and without responsibility, freedom becomes slavery. But when our demands for independence compensate for our surrender to the cross, our self-satisfied expectations of rights keep our eyes from the liberty that only Christ will bring if allowed.
My Summation: Christians today display unprecedented biblical illiteracy despite owning dozens of Bibles. According to statistics, 60 percent of confessing born-again Christians can’t name five of the Ten Commandments, 81 percent don’t believe (or aren’t aware of) the Christian's fundamental creeds faith and 12 percent think that Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife (Relevant Magazine). I'm not going to lie; I laughed about Joan of Arc being Noah’s wife, lol.
Early Christians (The Saints) eagerly soaked up the word of God like a sponge; we now soak up what Google, Wikipedia, or YouTube says. The early Church (Acts) took seriously Jesus’s statement that people can’t live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the Lord’s mouth (Matthew 4:4). And when Jesus told His disciples to go and teach all nations, “all that I command you,” they obeyed (Matthew 28:20). So, what Are We Teaching Today?
The early followers of Christ lived as if the same God who breathed stars into reality also breathed out His Word for us to value, memorize, and read over and over and over. They would be baffled by our modern ability to own, read, and yet neglect the priceless written word.
I’m going to say this and be done with it. I dread that our desire to return to the early Church would require a rather extensive examination of contemporary gatherings' shape.
Acts Church + Kingdom Principles = The SUPERNATURAL
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