Hammer on Anvil '

There is an epidemic in this country.  It goes largely unnoticed, although many have tried to increase awareness of it.  Most people, it seems, would rather hear a thousand convincing lies before one inconvenient truth though.

This epidemic has nothing to do with physical health.  It has everything to do with the spiritual reality of the American church.  We are raising entire generations of spiritual teenagers.

Consider the average American church.  On Sundays, adults and children go to Sunday school before joining together for worship.  Sometime during the week, the adults may get together for a Bible study, and the children may get together for a social/Bible event.  About once a month, there is a large social gathering (It probably fits within one of these three P’s: potlucks, parties, and play.).  There is a general push to serve, but mostly only within the church as a greeter, a teacher, or running the sound/lights.  Occasional special collections are taken for the church’s front-line Christians: the missionaries overseas or those meeting needs here in our own backyard.  And once in a blue moon, there is an opportunity for the average church-goer to give back to the community through some kind of service project.

Think I just described your church?  I probably did.  This description fits almost every church I’ve attended since I left the Catholic church after high school (and in most ways, it fits the Catholic church too).

So what’s the problem?  Here it is: The ultimate goal of the average American church is for its’ members to become spiritual teenagers.  Spiritual teenagers study the word and sometimes help teach the word, but, much like physical teenagers, rarely exercise the true duties of adulthood.  Teenagers lack the sense of personal responsibility that requires them to be doers of the word.  They display rebellion against the true authority, God.

“The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.” – Isaiah 29:13

Imagine a scenario.  Let’s say a man told you he was a pilot.  He knew all of the regulations, airspace, aerodynamics, etc. and he could tell you the detailed specifications of several types of aircraft.  There’s just one problem; He’s never flown (or even been a passenger on) a plane.  Would you call this man a pilot?  By the same logic, would you call a man who studies about Christ but does not live out His commands a Christian?

“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” – James 2:26

We have fallen victim to a watered-down theology in which we have been encouraged to make a truce with God when what we truly need is to surrender.

Jesus showed us the example to follow.  What did He do?  He served needs in local communities and He told people about God along the way.  He showed God’s love to people personally.  He submitted to God even when He didn’t want to (Matthew 26:39).

Aren’t you glad Jesus didn’t just spend time with other like-minded people and socialize?  That isn’t God’s ultimate will for His Church.

“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance.  The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” – C.S. Lewis

It’s time to end the truce.  Surrender.  Embrace the spiritual adulthood that God longs for you to step into.