Corrupted by the culture

An indictment of the Church in America

This one is going to ruffle some feathers, and to a degree, that is the purpose. For too long, the Church in America has been asleep and in need of a wakeup call. I wrote previously about why we gather:

Why do we as Christians gather?

That article got under the skin of some because I stated that the gathering of the Church is not a place for unbelievers, thus they should not be invited. I stand by that statement, though as I clarified to some who took issue with the statement, I was not saying that unbelievers should be kicked out should they show up - 1 Cor. 14 tells us that regardless, we should be conducting ourselves as normal, as we are expected to by God. My assertion is that the gathering is intended to be a gathering of the body of Christ, a time of week when we truly separate ourselves from the world. This is similar to when Jesus Himself would withdraw from the crowds with His disciples. This time is important, as it is a time of refreshing, a time of mutual edification, and a time of corporate worship and fellowship. Seeing as the world has no part in this, it is not appropriate to invite unbelievers to join these assemblies.

There is more to my assertion however. What if I told you that what we call “church” today is nothing like what first century Christians experienced? What if I said that what is generally practiced today looks far more like the world than it does the first century Church? Think about this: in the first century, a handful of men who spent time with Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry turned the world upside down. These few men, despite persecution and threats of death, empowered by the Holy Spirit, quickly reached thousands with the gospel and the Church, the body of Christ on Earth, grew with dramatic rapidity. How was this possible? Consider also that, in twenty-first century America, despite incredible freedom to worship and practice one’s religion according to one’s conscience, millions of people who claim to be followers of Christ have comparatively little impact on the culture around them. Why? I’ll tell you why: the culture has crept into the congregation, and the body has grown anemic. Instead of seeking God and behaving according to the examples given us in Scripture, we have become the church of me. I know, this is quite an indictment. No, I’m not Christ nor am I perfect so that I stand in judgement over the Church. We all as Christians have a responsibility to speak the truth, regardless of our state of imperfection, even if it appears judgmental. God has always used everyday people to call His people to return to Him.

With all that now laid out, I’d like to discuss some of the ways in which the Church has turned from its calling and why this turning has led to failure.

Corporatism vs. Christianity

One of the major issues that plagues the modern American “church” is that of being a legal state-endorsed entity. Churches file government paperwork to become tax-advantaged 501(c)(3) corporations. Part of this process involves creating a corporate charter, drafting by-laws, and organizing a board of directors, among other things. When this is done, the “church” obligates itself to abide government dictates for tax-exempt organizations. In order to maintain this protected status, some requirements levied by the IRS are described in the following excerpt from the IRS website:

To be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, an organization must be organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes set forth in section 501(c)(3), and none of its earnings may inure to any private shareholder or individual. In addition, it may not be an action organization, i.e., it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates.

Thus, there are restrictions placed on the free speech of the organization as well. I do not know when registering religious organizations as tax-exempt corporations became a wide-spread practice. The only “benefit” I see to this is that donations are tax-deductible, but that should not play into the decisions Christians make regarding giving. Even Jesus said, “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.” I understand the appeal of taking advantage of this law, and perhaps it does encourage parishioners to give more, but I see such registration as a detriment. As a corporation, the “church” ends up run as a business, which it is not - it is the body of Christ, and trying to treat the body of Christ as a business is something God never intended.

Billboards go up to advertise, often depicting the “pastor” of the church. Millions of dollars are spent on buildings. Tremendous budgets are drawn up to cover the costs of construction, employees, maintenance, utilities. All of these are necessary to appease the church of me. But where in Scripture do we see example of any of this? For anyone thinking, “well, the temple was pretty expensive,” just remember Jesus’ words when the disciples stood in awe of it: “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down” (Mk. 13:2). While clearly prophetic about the coming destruction of the temple, this passage also shows that, to Jesus, to God, the building was not important. This is likely why we never see in Scripture the early Church erecting any buildings. As long as there are buildings and staff, there will always be budgets to meet; and as long as a church is run as a business under tax-exempt status, it will remain a servant to the government. Whether beholden to budget or bureaucracy, as Christ said (though specifically regarding money it still applies): one cannot serve two masters (Mt. 6:24). When the church must serve the government or the building (or both), service to God suffers.

Reversal of roles

Jesus went to the people and preached. He did this often, He commanded His disciples to do this, and He often stated this was the purpose of His ministry (Mk. 1:38, 3:14, 16:15; Lk. 4:18,43; Acts 10:42). He ate in public with sinners. He spoke to large crowds. As many “churches” today proclaim, Christ met people where they were. He and His disciples walked in the world and there preached the gospel. As a side note, the word gospel is translated from the Greek εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion - pronounced yoo-an-gell’-eeon), from ευ - good and αγγελιon - message. Literally translated, the word means “good news,” and what Jesus and the apostles preached was truly good news, the good news of the kingdom of God and His salvation.

When time was appropriate, to refresh and recharge, Jesus and His disciples withdrew alone to pray, talk, sing, break bread, and for discipleship. They did not invite the crowds to join them.

This same example was followed by the early Christians after Jesus’ ascension. Paul regularly spoke in synagogues, as did Christ before Him. He went where the people were to preach to them the good news. For worship and fellowship, the early Christians separated from the world and came together.

This should provide a picture for us of how the church today should behave. In the New Testament, small groups of believers met in homes and the larger body gathered in public places. Then they went out into the world and made a difference. We have reversed these roles.

We want to retreat to our “church” buildings to go to the gym, to find entertainment, to have playgrounds for our kids, to sit in cafes, and to participate in other activities throughout the week. These activities would be better engaged in the world where we would have opportunity to preach the gospel. We can’t impact the culture if we refuse to interact. Then, when it is time to withdraw and refresh with worship, song, and fellowship, we invite the world to join us. This is nowhere seen in Scripture, and this should not be how we conduct ourselves! Why has this become the norm? One reason is, we are failing to make disciples.

Diversion instead of discipleship

While they cannot bear sole responsibility for this issue, leadership within the Church is largely to blame for the decline. Discipleship begins with leadership. In the New Testament, it began with Jesus who discipled His close associates. These apostles went on to disciple other leaders who in turn discipled yet others. In the modern American “church,” the word “discipleship” is rarely uttered, and the work is almost never undertaken. Jesus didn’t exhort us to go out and make converts of all the world - He said to go and make disciples. This goes beyond just preaching the gospel.

Because leaders often haven’t truly been discipled themselves, they do not understand how to disciple. Many go to school to obtain degrees in ministry, but don’t receive discipleship along the way. Instead, they are taught methods developed by psychologists, marketers, “church growth experts,” and others, but not those expounded in Scripture. Then, in order to reach the masses, they turn to entertainment. Money is spent on lighting, sound systems, and projection systems. Music is chosen for its entertainment value, or because it makes people feel good, rather than its theological soundness. Dramatizations are staged for the congregation. The focus becomes posteriors in pews rather than significant spiritual sustenance. These are symptoms indicative of the church of me.

Sure, there are Bible studies, but they are more often than not watered down, especially when it comes to younger congregants. Young adult Bible studies more closely resemble social clubs than serious Scriptural surveys. Youth groups spend more time playing games and having outings than learning to live a life of faith. The most damaging aspect of this is in its similarity to trickle-down economics. The primary place for children to be discipled is in the home. If parents are not discipled, neither will be the children. Children may grow up in a “Christian” home, but if they are not discipled, they will not necessarily know how to walk with Christ nor will they necessarily develop faith. If the parents are not walking by the Spirit rather than the flesh, there will be no example set. God gave a command to the Jews regarding His word:

You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deut. 6:7-9 (cf. Deut. 11:19-21)

Only if we disciple our children will we see the fulfillment of God’s promise that if you “train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6).

All of this requires strong leadership. If leadership in the Church does not establish the foundation, the rest will crumble. No one promised that Christianity will be easy. On the contrary, Jesus said that in this world, we will have tribulation (Jn. 16:33). This is why discipleship is necessary.

True discipleship is close and personal. It requires being a participant, not a spectator. The body cannot function without its parts, and we are its parts - each of us given gifts and made a part of the body by the Holy Spirit according to His will (1 Cor. 12:4-27). Though congregations may grow large (there is nothing unbiblical or inherently wrong with having a large congregation), there must be enough men, “full of the Spirit,” to disciple small groups of others, who can in turn disciple small groups. Faith thrives in small groups. Jesus closely discipled a small group of men. Each of them discipled a few others who then went on to disciple others. This is the importance of small groups. The overall size of a congregation is unimportant. The spiritual health of a congregation is paramount. With spiritual health comes proper evangelism and natural growth.

Lazy laity

It should come as no surprise then that, with a lack of discipleship, Christians have become lazy and ashamed. Though it should be exciting, most find it uncomfortable to share their faith, and comfort is king in the church of me. So, instead of preaching the gospel, those who claim Christ invite unbelievers to the gathering of the body. Those words, however, are quite indicative - it is a gathering of the body. Unbelievers are not part of the body. They do not function as part of the body. As stated earlier, it is not unreasonable to think that unbelievers may at times end up in our gatherings, and even Scripture allows for such a possibility; however, it is not the biblical norm. You will not find in Scripture a single instance of a follower of Christ inviting unbelievers to join the meeting of believers. What you will find is believers preaching the gospel to unbelievers, the Holy Spirit convicting those unbelievers, the unbelievers becoming believers and then joining the meeting of the saints. This is God’s way. The apostle Paul writes for us the following:

For the Scripture says, “whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” 

Rom. 10:11-15

There are two major points to note here:

• Paul talks about believing depending upon preaching

• Those who preach are sent and bring the good news (not an invitation to a gathering)

This model can also be seen in what is said (and not said) in Acts 5:

At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s portico. But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem. And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number

Acts 5:12-14

Some will argue that non-believers would not join the gathering of the believers because of what had transpired in the previous verses regarding Ananias and Sapphira. The issue with such a position is that these further verses use language that indicates an ongoing state, not just what immediately followed. “Many signs and wonders were taking place among the people.” Are we to believe this only occurred in the hours immediately following Ananias and Sapphira being struck down by the Holy Spirit? “All the more believers in the Lord…were constantly added to their number.” Is this language that sounds like it was restricted to a particular day or even a few days? No, they met regularly, and “multitudes…were…added to their number.” How could this be if unbelievers would not join their meetings? It is quite simple. Believers went out from the gathering and preached the gospel to unbelievers. This is the model God instantiated. Who are we to think we can do better? It is absolutely arrogant to think that we can come up with a better way to reach people than that which God Himself instituted. Thinking that there is something we need to do in order to convince people of gospel truth denies God’s power and sovereignty in salvation.

It is incredibly disheartening to see the rapid growth of other groups who go out and preach their gospel, which is no gospel at all. Though they do not hold to biblical theology, they shame the body of Christ in their dedication to employing God’s stated method for spreading the good news to promulgate their false beliefs.

Entertainment over exposition

We have witnessed the rise of those who love pleasure rather than loving God, and who hold to a form of godliness but deny its power; people learning, but never coming to a knowledge of truth (2 Tim. 3:1-9). Before our eyes, the Scripture is being fulfilled that ”people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Tim. 4:3-4). Paul here describes the church of me. People want to be entertained rather than taught. Pastors canvass neighborhoods to find out what would get people to show up for church on Sunday. Teachers want to avoid difficult, controversial, or simply uncomfortable passages. Preachers flat out say they will not teach on sin or hell; the excuse given is that people are beaten down enough, so it’s better to preach a positive message. What ends up being extolled instead of biblical Christianity is the power of positive thinking. It is far more Norman Vincent Peale than Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

This is not how early Christians behaved, nor should any Christian. God doesn’t want worshippers looking for a quick fix or a half-hour high. God seeks worshippers who will worship “in spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:23-24). People argue that making “church” interesting and entertaining is necessary to get the message across or to keep parishioners coming back. Some say we need to make the Bible, or services, relevant. None of this is true. The Bible is relevant - God made it so. Entertainment is a focus on the me, not on God. This goes for preaching the gospel to the lost as well as the gathering of the Church. Paul himself argued against such tactics:

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.”

1 Cor. 1:17-19

We don’t need to be clever. We do not do this in our own power. Thinking we do is hubris; it is attempting to supplant the Holy Spirit, and as Paul says, it makes null the sacrifice Christ made for us. God’s word is enough. We don’t need marketing moguls to tell us how to grow a congregation. Their wisdom is foolishness in God’s eyes:

Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

1 Cor. 1:20-21

We don’t need to resort to the worlds methods. We war with different weapons:

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.

2 Cor. 10:3

The world’s ways are not necessary for evangelism nor the building of the body; they are contrary to God’s ways. God warned us of this:

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9

Paul admonished Timothy to preach the word (2 Tim. 4:2) because it is sufficient for the Christian life (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Yet in man’s feeble attempt to build what he perceives to be God’s kingdom, teaching is dumbed down and emotion trumps truth. This is now especially evident with regard to praise music.

Mindless Music

In Scripture, we are taught of using music to praise God. Further, we are told to sing to one another, “Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” as a way to both uplift and educate (Eph. 5:18-20; Col. 3:16). In recent history, different titles have been given for those who lead the congregation in song. From choir, to praise leader, to praise band, the terminology continues to evolve. More recently, these titles have morphed to “worship band” or “worship leader,” neither of which is accurate. Biblically, worship is bowing down in reverence, not jumping around like you’re at a concert. These people are not leading the congregation in worship. Worse, the music in which they do lead the congregation is generally shallow and repetitive, and more often than not, theologically flawed. How have we arrived here? This goes back to people wanting to be entertained. This too, dumbed-down repetitive music either devoid of theology or downright erroneous, is a product of the church of me - the music style needs to fit what moves me, what makes me feel good.

In addition, with the change to a desired style, music in the congregation has become more performative than participatory. We are all called to sing. All of the voices in the assembly should be heard, they should not be drowned out by microphones and instruments. That notwithstanding, as part of the dumbing down, song books are now frowned upon as archaic; instead, projectors illuminate words, with no music, on screens. No longer do congregants need to read from a hymnal, nor to worry about complex harmonies or melodies or lyrics with profound meaning. Granted, the first century Church didn’t have Zondervan publishing sheet music for them, but they took time to learn songs of substance. Nevertheless, psalms and hymns have been deemed no longer worthy of our time. The emotion du jour demands we vocalize repetitive cliches following simplistic chord progressions that allow even the uninitiated to maybe imitate the leader; that is, when those “leading” the music aren’t straining to hit the high notes or going off-script so that those being led are unable to follow. But…feelings. It feels good, therefore, it is “worship.” Except that it is not - it is a travesty.

Mixed up missions

Any secular organization can perform charity. It happens all the time. What they don’t have is the good news, and what they can’t do is reach the lost with the message of salvation. This is our calling. It may sound selfish, but for the most part, charity should be focused inward on the body of Christ, while evangelism should be focused outward. This is reversed in most churches today.

Today’s “missions” are entirely unlike Paul’s missionary journeys, wherein he went preaching the gospel and collecting offerings to aid the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. While Paul never refused a charitable opportunity that presented itself, it was never his purpose. Paul’s charity was focused internally, on the church.

We hear of churches sending people on “mission trips” to other states, perhaps to build homes for the poor, or rebuild homes for people affected by a natural disaster, or for any number of purposes. Others go out of the country, many to provide medical care, build homes, or to perform other charitable activities. What is rarely heard in relation to missions is the preaching of the gospel. It does get mentioned occasionally, but it takes a back seat to charity. “We hope by helping we will earn a chance to share the gospel.” Again, this is unscriptural.

The Church would do well to remember: charity without the gospel is like paving potholes on the road to hell - the ride may be smoother, but the destination remains unchanged. We are called to do good to all men, but we are not called to go out of our way to provide charity to the lost. Performing charity for the lost may make us feel good - again, the church of me - but it is not the end goal, and it is accession to the worldly idea that we must somehow earn the right to share the gospel with the lost. Christ never instructed His disciples this way. He commanded, as discussed at length above, to go and preach the gospel to the ends of the earth.

Cult of personality

In chastising the Corinthians for misusing and abusing spiritual gifts, he also gives some explanation of what gatherings of the body should be like:

What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must interpret; but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment. But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church. Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only? If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment.

1 Cor. 14:26-37

Some of this is difficult and people are averse to what it teaches. Much like singing, we are all meant to participate in our gatherings. Instead, we tend to gather around a single leader or preacher, and that person becomes the focus. There is certainly nothing wrong with a gifted preacher preaching a sermon - this is similar to instances evidenced in Acts as well as Paul’s instruction to Timothy. What is wrong is when that person becomes an idol. Paul warns against this in 1 Cor. 3:4-6. These preachers, unlike Paul who came “not in cleverness of speech,” follow prescriptions, devised by psychologists and professional public speakers, that tell how to get congregants to listen. Open with a story. Focus on three points. If there are sub-points, make sure there are three. People will remember better this way. So the experts say.

This also leads to shortened services. When Christians enter the building, the question on the mind of the multitude is, “when will this done so we can beat the line to the buffet?” In the Bible, believers didn’t rush away from preaching or ask for sermons to be short. Orations lasted as long as the speaker spoke, sometimes, as with Paul, long into the night (Acts 20:7-9). Preachers now seek to ensure the message isn’t more than 30 - 45 minutes, lest they lose the attention of the congregation. For many Christians, this is their only time spent in the Bible each week. Is it any wonder then that the vast majority of those who claim the name of Christ, despite countless translations and print formats available to which early Christians had no access, are biblically illiterate? They may be able to repeat what a teacher has related, but citing what Scripture actually says is beyond their ability. It is no surprise that this happens when someone is attracted to services because of a face on a billboard or a name that was broadcast on TV or radio. This is the church of me.

Conclusion

It is easy for “churches” to fall into the trap of thinking as the world does. In preparing to write this article, I did some reading and came across an article published in the New Yorker that struck a chord with me. The focus was largely the background and growth of a particular organization in California, but one insight the author had into the current state of the Church is chilling in its recognition of what is actually happening:

Churches, like any large voluntary organization, have at their core a contradiction. In order to attract newcomers, they must have low barriers to entry. They must be unintimidating, friendly, and compatible with the culture they are a part of. In order to retain their membership, however, they need to have an identity distinct from that culture. They need to give their followers a sense of community—and community, exclusivity, a distinct identity are all, inevitably, casualties of growth.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/09/12/the-cellular-church

Though this description is not in any way biblical, it is an accurate depiction of many congregations across the country, the church of me.

I do not exempt myself from these accusations. I am making known my observation to call us all back to biblical practice. If as a body we are to thrive, and we truly wish to impact the culture, we must move away from viewing the Church through a worldly lens. We are called to have a biblical world view, not to have the world dictate our view of the Bible. We need not seek miracles nor heed the advice of advertising afficionados. We are called to be the body of Christ, to be in the world not of the world, to be separate - just as God originally commanded the Israelites. We are to remember that we are strangers in this strange land, citizens of another kingdom (Heb. 11:9). We must return to God’s ways. I leave you with the words of the apostle Paul:

For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

1 Cor. 1:22-25

May we in our weakness find our strength in God.