The simple truth, America’s Church is failing to firmly influence our culture. Most Christians know there is a real battle between good and evil going on but do not know and are not trained that they are the soldiers of Christ who are to stand against and expose this darkness. The straight forward reason they are not standing and speaking as clergy unknowingly and others knowingly have put up pretentious guardrails preventing the American church from focusing on making hundreds of thousands of disciples to go out and influence our culture with the truth of Christ. This is the foundational reason the church is not influencing our culture!
When did making disciples, stop being a priority? Did it happen around the same time many churches started sponsoring consumer Christianity or did it happen when the church put up imagined guardrails stopping themselves from influencing our culture? Maybe Clergy think they are making disciples but they are not. The truth is making disciples over the years changed into seeking more attendees because now the number attending church is seen as success vs. the number of disciples going out to make new disciples? The big net approach is thinking the bigger and more inviting the lure, the larger the possibility of catching fish. However, if the catching is not for the purpose of making disciples, the lure catches mostly consumer fish from other churches.
Regrettably, this big net idea birthed the guardrail stopping the American church from its primary purpose of equipping the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:12). Now many pastors just want people to come in, feel loved, and get their needs met. This birthed consumer Christianity which is people seeking to be served, and watching other people do things. When at the end of the day, the body of Christ exists to glorify God by forming believers into an unshakeable body of disciples who boldly share the gospel into their culture to make more disciples. However, the big net idea brings clergy to focus on pleasing the consumer fish or they will leave, rather than making them disciples. Pleasing people, is not teaching Christians the truth that they must deny themselves to follow Jesus (Mark 8:34). The Apostle Paul denounced pleasing men when he wrote, “…do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10).
The pleasing result is what Dietrich Bonhoeffer defined as “cheap grace.” Bonhoeffer, a pastor killed by the Nazis fighting oppression, defined “cheap grace” as the preaching of forgiveness with an emphasis on love rather than the result of giving sacrificial love, which is bravely obeying Jesus Christ. Baptism becomes an event of acceptance and communion exists with little or no confession. The importance is now on the benefits church attendance brings, other than producing disciples by teaching them how to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20).
When churches start focusing on attracting people by worldly means, why are they surprised people stay for worldly reasons? Worldly reasons cause the church to produce better theater and enjoyment. Improved light shows, singing, combined with dynamic speakers now become the goal. This of course is not focusing on making the body grow as it builds itself up in the sacrificial love of Christ (Ephesians 4:16). Builds itself up is the true result of the body learning to go out and make new disciples. It is not pleasing or attracting new attendees through church benefits.
The truth is these churches unknowingly are prioritizing the GOATS. When Christ’s church is a pasture for equipping the saints for the works of ministry. History shows once teaching the works of ministry is downgraded, the church took on the primary responsibility for bringing people to Christ. This lessens the effect of the Great Commission. Now instead of training hundreds of thousands of disciples to go out where they work, play and live to bring the lost to Christ, the attendees are taught to bring people to a church and let their leadership bring them to Christ. This is a dream come true for Satan, because now pastors and teachers are sponsoring the guardrail that has greatly deterred and diminished the making of new disciples. Sadly, this is where most American churches are today.
Let’s step back, and claim disciples today are taught righteous grace versus cheap grace. The result would be disciples would be using “…the weapons of our warfare, (that) are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). Scripture tells us a stronghold is a fortified place that can be physically or mentally where the enemy feels safe. This refers to entrenched patterns of thought, behavior, or cultural norms that resist the truth of God’s Word. God, to affect these strongholds has emboldened His disciples with the power to tear down every fortress that opposes Christ (Acts 1:8). If disciples were being trained to tear down spiritually evil fortresses, then the church would be making itself heard throughout our culture, correct? No, most churches do not show up for the fight, they have lost their courage. They keep their heads down and their tongues tied but will surely criticize those who will stand for Christ in the fight.
The main reason churches are speechless and critical is, without true biblical discipleship education, silence becomes rationalized ignorance, focused on self-protection to not be persecuted for Christ’s righteousness’ sake (Matthew 5:1-12). When, Christ’s righteousness’ sake is the very reason Christ created prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers. Then, without standing for righteousness’ sake, lukewarm clergy invent white lies to spare someone’s feelings versus with grace, speaking the power of the word of truth into people’s lives. This unknowingly sets the standard for the rest body of Christ to fear offending by overlooking being a false witness (Exodus 20:16).
Thankfully, others try not to be dishonest and once they train themselves to be on the side of Christ, they learn they are His empowered witnesses to all the realities of Christ’s ministry. They are personally commanded to use the sword of the spirit to speak the word of God, as they ought of speak. Now, as Christ’s embolden ambassador’s they can speak freely into the darkness of humankind that calls upon the Holy Spirit to save the lost (Acts 1:8 & 26:18 – Ephesians 6:11-20 -Titus 2:11). It is at this time; disciples become liberated and freed from the bondage of silence and rejoice in the liberty of acting through God’s great grace (Acts 4:33). This is one of the most wonderful and powerful experiences Christians can have.
Strongholds in America are the guardrails keeping the body of Christ from influencing our culture. They have entrenched themselves in thought, behavior and in the cultural norms of our nation guarding and standing against every truth of God. They are spiritual, religious, educational, public, and political antichrist dogmas that the churches through lack of purpose and conviction have failed influence. The church today has little sway over the public murder of the unborn, secular humanism, sexual immorality, pornography, identity confusion, etc. etc. that is marketed through demonic intellectual arrogance. Then consider the churches inaction regarding social media that has become a life destroyer for our youth, combined with the antichrist indoctrination present in schools and colleges. In all of this we see the destruction of our youth and the perfect storm of devastation on humanity with many of the body sitting on the sidelines, silent and hoping Christ will return.
America is living in the age of misinformation, when the only truth is biblical and people are starving to hear God’s truth, but the vehicle God has commanded to speak into darkness is not living up to its calling. Maybe the church has forgotten, “Whatever Christ tells you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, shout from the housetops” (Matthew 10:27).
Today some churches have great attendance but still fail to build people who will go out and make disciples in our culture. Rooms are full, services feel strong and the momentum looks real. However, studies show most of those attending remain unchanged. The reason, many of the unchanged learn church environment so they can claim divine motivation for self-serving reasons while showing visible piety if their needs are met. Did the Apostle Paul reveal this danger when he wrote? “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5).
What does the Holy Spirit of God desire? The Spirit always desires Christians to go and do what Christ has commanded them to do (2 Cor 2:9). The power of the spirit teaches, guides, comforts, informs, and intercedes for those who live in the Spirit as the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit (John 14 to16 and Romans 8:5-16). The Holy Spirit is gracious; while making our eyes see and our ears hear the word of God (Isaiah 30:20-21). Jesus said: “…I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged” (John 16:7-12).
Some churches create an illusion of what the spirit desires, but the spirit desires unshakable followers. Jesus set a high bar when He said, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Mark 8:34). To deny oneself while carrying your own cross is to sacrifice for Christ. Then Christ said, “…and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). When Jesus said “make you fishers of men.” Making is teaching and Jesus revealed how. “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. …If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” (John 13:14-17). Jesus did not entertain, He focused on teaching His disciples to “…be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). Jesus did not teach doers standing behind a podium. He taught face to face in a special way that even the Pharisees acknowledged. “Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth” (Luke 20:21-22).
Today’s church needs to hear and accept the following! There is none, without exception, any successful teaching program where the students just listen. If there were, the best sales teams of major corporations would be trained by listening. The best at almost anything, (disciples) are personally coached. New sales people (converts) must learn the product (biblical truth) they are selling (witnessing). Then they must learn how to successfully communicate, read body language, start conversations, ask and answer questions, and enlighten the customer (confession) to bring the sale to a conclusion. Then it is paramount for sales men and women (disciples) to learn everything about their competitors (the darkness in our culture) and how their competitors (Satan) succeed so they can counter the competition (his lies). Then, they (the disciples) are tested, by being sent out and as they return, they are critiqued. This is how the first disciples were armed (educated) by Jesus and sent out (Luke 9:1-6). They went out preaching the kingdom, and authenticating Christ’s message by declaring His truth. Then in v. 10 is the first recorded debriefing by Jesus after being sent.
The above are some of the guardrails created by churches that enables them naively to hang out with the evil. This causes the body of Christ to fail to witness the power of Christ into the darkness of our culture. Just imagine the number of people who could be saved in America if just a third of the ninety million church attendees were being educated on how to actively go out and make disciples by “…teaching them to observe all things that Jesus the Christ has commanded you.” There would be millions of new converts across America influencing our culture.
Redemption for the American church is plan to see. The church must start focusing on educating disciples to speak Christ truth into the darkness of mankind, so they can not only bring people to Christ but make new disciples in our nation, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit!
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2). And “Therefore, …be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that our labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
May God bless you to righteously serve and do your duty for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
David Howard, Foxhole Ministry