Failure of the Western Church


There is no debate that the western church is alive.  She is active.  She is well.  That being said, some would debate those statements.  What I say here, to some, will be offensive and harsh.  That is not the intent.  The intent is tha
t it is time for us to be honest with ourselves and the people of God.  1 Peter 4:17 states that “it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God.”  Now you may be thinking, “Who are you to judge?”  I am of the household of God and throughout Scripture it tells us to examine ourselves, so I am examining. 

Within our culture, here in the west, we have allowed those who are clubs to maintain that they are churches.  People gather at these clubs to hear what they want to hear, to be entertained, and to set their own agenda.  Men and women of God, we should be aware of these places, and we should stop calling them churches.

Here are three ways you can tell if your “church” is a club:

1. Lack of full biblical teaching

These places take passages of Scripture out of context.  They rarely, if ever, teach through the Old Testament.  They do not share the gospel weekly.  The overarching theme of the Bible is God’s redemptive story of humanity.  Every passage, every text must be taught correctly and a bee line to the cross of Jesus must be presented.  Scripture says what it says, not necessarily what we want it to say.

2. No personal accountability

These clubs claim community, and they may have a social community.  However, living in biblical community includes, may I say it is primary, personal accountability.  We need others to speak into our life.  We need the encouragement that comes with friendship when things are going well.  We need the comfort that comes from a confidant when we are struggling.  We also need the confrontation that comes in love when we messed up.

3. Everyone has a voice...except God

The preacher, deacon, trustee, treasurer, member, visitor all talk about what the “church” is, does, what they like, and what they don’t.  God’s voice is silent in these places.  The Holy Spirit is not active.  Salvations are not happening and the baptismal waters are not stirred.  It is a mountaintop experience to be at these places.  The same type of mountaintops where the Baals and Chemosh and Molech were worshiped. They are dead places.  God’s voice is covered up by man’s shouts.



The church of the living God is alive and on the mission that Jesus commanded.  Find a gospel preaching, grace living, God exalting church. They may be small, not have everything you want, but they do have everything you need:  Full biblical teaching, personal accountability, and the presence of God who speaks and

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