A Pilgrim's concerned thoughts of the American Christian Church

I would like to open with a passage taken from the timely work of Dr. David Wells titled “No Place for Truth: Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology?”

"The disappearance of theology from the life of the church and the orchestration of that disappearance by some of its leaders is hard to miss today, but, oddly enough not easy to prove.  It is hard to miss in the evangelical world in the vacuous worship that is so prevalent for example, in the shift from God to the self as the central focus of faith, in the psychologized preaching that follows this shift, in the erosion of its conviction, in its strident pragmatism, in its inability to think incisively about the culture, and in its reveling in the irrational.”

Resolved: If left to itself and in disregard for consistent reform back to, and the constant practice of Scriptural authority and historic Truths and doctrine, the assembly and worship of today will inevitably erode the presumed spiritual condition of its members, leaving them weak and fragile in the hand of an always underestimated enemy who will easily confuse and destroy an over inflated faith built on religion rather than theology.  It will be our pride that assists him.

Church should never be about “having a place where we can feel the warmth of fellowship and the sense of belonging and of reverence”, nor should the atmosphere neglect to teach doctrine with the hope of preserving life or a false congregational harmony.  I want to know my God and I believe it to be the imperative duty that my leaders; all those appointed into higher positions in the church and responsible for all the disciplines that the Word affords, are to communicate clearly, and without shame the whole Word of Truth both doctrinally and systematically.  These, of course, come after the regular scheduled reading of the Word which is to be the primary course for genuine worship.  If there are those who oppose or wish to communicate preference for a more self appeasing service that will draw spectators and that could potentially and arrogantly hinder the moving of the Spirit, gracefully bid them farewell if they refuse to repent and submit to the authority of the Church.  Since Jesus is the Word and the Word became flesh and that flesh had to shed blood unto death to satisfy the demand for atonement and the quenching of the Father's wrath, than we should revere the Word as highly as humanly possible to ensure we aren't presuming upon the Holiness of God.  Christ's death and resurrection purchased eternal life for all who will believe.  Worship is about the decrease of man and the exaltation of God who mercifully saves.  The precious blood that was shed and the life that was given for the Church are far too valuable to attempt to add anything else to the Word.  Today's Church doesn't understand brokeness, or humility, or continual repentance when we assemble under a banner of celebration as if we have entered into rest, free from the sins that so easily beset us.  As long as we are alive we are still sinning so we should always approach with boldness in Christ and humility as men.  Jesus is very much alive in His person and as The Word which gives life to all who will be empowered to hear.  Why would we forsake the Word?  Why would we abandoned the revealed Truth of the Word that our ancient Church fathers have written down in confessions and creeds as if we needed a new wheel?  It will always be the Word that calls us, justifies us, and leads and empowers us through sanctification until the Word is ready to bring us Home.  We are to offer ourselves wholeheartedly to the Word.  The Word is freely given to us yet, at the highest price to the Giver.  We will never understand the full extent of that transaction between God the Father and God the Son but we can pray that our worship is received in honor of such an event in redemptive history.  The Word demands obedience and has sent us the Power to ensure that obedience.  Anything less than total devotion to the Word would cheapen or take advantage of that transaction.  Our duty is to discipline ourselves in the consistent hearing of the Word as we are conformed into the image of our Savior.  The Word feeds our faith as we continue our journey through the land of the enemy and will be our strength as well as our shield as we encounter various test, trials, challenges of life, and attacks, all of which are only against the Word and His sovereign will for our lives, in hope that we will abandon the Truth.  As new creations in Christ Jesus, we are vulnerable and need to feed the appetite for the holy; the Truth, that the Spirit within us requires.  It is the Church that has been authorized to nuture new souls in the Kingdom , and to teach them the doctrines of their faith, the disciplines their faith demands, and the methods of being a disciple, so later on, they too can pass on this wisdom to those they are responsible to.  There is nothing as important in life than this, and this is the essence of taking up your cross and following Him.  It is all for His glory and the fulfillment of His sovereign will. 

Discipleship of Christ requires comittment and proper discipleship is to be taught so the Church continues to grow as we reflect the Gospel through love toward our neighbors.  It is not our job to pour wrath on our neighbors or ignore their hell destined condition.  It is the Church's duty to lead it's members through the and equip it's members to lead their neighbors to the Word.  The assembly is to be for the believer and their disciples (family members) not an amusement park where all are welcome and loved by a one dimensional God who loves all and overlooks their sin.  The Word commands one day out of the week to be set apart from the others for rest in God; a day dedicated to the worship of God, and time to nurture the believer's Spiritual nature.  A day dedicated to separating the believer from the world- because that is the believer's mission field or place of work; field to harvest.  How long do you think one would survive when your output is greater than your intake?  Without sounding legalistic- you would be foolish to think that you can run the race of faith in this world while starving the Spiritual nature.  That just simply wouldn't happen because if you are genuinely saved- God the Holy Spirit would not allow it.  I guess now would be a good time to interject my caution statement:  If you are struggling, or have not changed, or are too fond of the world and are only a "Christian" because you know with your intellect that Jesus died for you but still dabble in the sins of your past- than you are not who you say you are.  The Cross still calls to all- even you, and the message of the Cross will always be "repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ fo the forgiveness sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit".  The Word wants to be depended upon because it is His Way, His Life, His Truth, His Power and He knows what we need, when we need it, and how much of it we need.  We must reverse what is common in the churches of today, deny the worldly flow, and refuse to get trapped by the desires of our flesh.  Today’s church, by way of negation, is teaching undisciplined worship, both in the individual life of the congregant as well as the local assembly when it 'worships' devoid of the Word.  The danger is that if this is left unchecked, most local assemblies will lead many directly to apostasy; fooling many into thinking that they are assured of the Kingdom while delivering them into the hand of grave disappointed.  As long as people assemble under the banner of self rather than the genuine worship of the one True God in Spirit and Truth, I will take leave of absence from these so called "Christian" gatherings so as to not be “carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own (my) stability” (2Pet3:17b).  Yet will I consistently and confidently pursue God with an ever mindful prayer that I would continue to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”.   We are called to holiness; we are called to be different and our cause to weep should always be for the lost and the possibility of insufficient time for them- not for the Spiritual condition of the Church.  If this is the direction that we, the so called American Christian Church is going, than we have lost our Way and we are in desperate need of reform.