10 Concerns About the Church in America

15 "'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked."

-Revelation 3:15-17 ESV

Okay, I have some concerns about the church in America. Do you?

Yes, there are many good things that the church in America has contributed to the advancement of the kingdom of Christ. However, there are some troubling things we've contributed as well.

These concerns are anecdotal. I haven't researched it extensively and uncovered all of the facts. Some are based on my experiences. Some are based on my wife's experiences. Some are based on my friends' experiences. Some are based on the experiences I've read about in books. Nevertheless, they seem to be prevalent, and they seem to be true among many churches throughout many states.

It struck me as I was writing this blog, that many of these concerns seem to mirror American culture as well. Perhaps, sometimes, we are like a fish in a bowl who can't see the water in which he swims. We swim in the water of American culture so it makes sense that the culture would shape us. But it's troubling when we don't look much different than our surrounding culture. It's troubling when the church looks just like the world.

To be clear, I'm not just pointing my finger at everyone else here. I have seen many of these things in myself, and it has troubled me. Thankfully, I'm a sinner saved by God's grace. He's refining me and sanctifying me, as he does all of his people.

With that being said, here are 10 concerns about the church in America.

10 Concerns About the Church in America:

1. Workaholism | There seems to be a similar view, among Christians, about work as our surrounding culture. Should Christians work hard? Absolutely. (I'm told that Colossians 3:23-24 and Ephesians 6:6-8 are good on that subject.) But it is not a godly thing to sacrifice one's family for the church or as a worker for Jesus. Sometimes it can be spiritualized to sacrifice one's family for the church. Some churches consider workaholics "leaders" and tend to give them influence. Then the idea is simply modeled and perpetuated throughout the church. However, there are many Spirit-inspired passages about family relationships which assume that we will be spending a significant amount of time with our families. Paul lists managing our families as a qualification for being an elder: "He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?" (1 Timothy 3:4-5).

2. Celebrity culture | We tend to elevate certain people to celebrity status. Sometimes conferences, movements, ministries, and even churches can become personality-driven. At times, it can seem like it's more about a personality than about Jesus. (One time I was at a large church when, mid-service, many people discovered that the primary teaching pastor was not there that day, and they left in the middle of the service.) There is a level of narcissism that can lead certain people to desire the platform. Sadly, we have recently heard of many shocking stories where private lives did not match public lives. Let's keep the focus on Jesus.

3. Inability to rest | We seem to be allergic to rest. Perhaps it is the desire for success that drives us. Maybe it's the push for numbers that can get spiritualized. Maybe there are some deep, embedded reasons (such as fear or trauma) that drive us. Whatever it is, God has demonstrated rest from the beginning of creation. Further, when he delivered his people from pharaoh, he reminded them to rest (unlike pharaoh who abused them with cruel overwork). Jesus said God made the Sabbath for us (not the other way around; Mark 2:27). Sometimes I'm concerned that we have become so overly programmatic in churches that it requires us to forsake rest in order to make the organization work. And, to make it work, it is often volunteers who must do the work (while they are seeking to manage careers, families, etc.). I'm not suggesting removing volunteering altogether. Instead, I'm saying we must recognize our limits personally and as a church. We must lead people in our churches to develop healthy rhythms of work and rest. If our church system is set up where the people who attend cannot take a day off to rest, something is wrong. Recently, I heard a credit union say, "The members are the mission." That is true for the church. In fact, technically, the "church" is the people. Sometimes the people are gathered or scattered, but the people are the church. They are the body of Christ. The church is not the building or the organization. As a counselor friend of mine reminded me: Even Jesus took a day off to rest, and he did not have a family.

4. Obsessive numbers focus | Though I'm thankful for the Evangelical impulse and recovery of the emphasis on evangelism, I'm afraid sometimes we put so much pressure on people that they feel beat up and discouraged (pastors, staff, volunteers, and members alike). It can quickly evolve into works-based righteousness. I've met many people who have felt like they aren't good enough Christians. I've heard some stories from pastors and church planters where expectations of producing numbers were placed on their shoulders. I simply don't see this emphasis in the New Testament. You and I cannot convert anyone. We can pray and share the gospel, but we can't regenerate hearts and produce numbers. Sure, some have a spiritual gift of evangelism, but God is the one who regenerates hearts. To think that we are the ones "producing numbers" will only lead to pride (when it's going well) or despair (when it's not going well). Instead, I see the emphasis being on faithfulness to share the gospel, a sovereign God who regenerates, and belief. (John 6 is an interesting case study where Jesus's faithful preaching actually drives away a crowd.) When we get this backwards, I'm afraid we may end up in a situation where we need to entertain false converts in order to keep the crowd.

5. Doing good works to be seen | Good works are sometimes used to market churches. But I've wondered at times: are we doing good works to be seen? Listen to Jesus, "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you" (Matthew 6:1-4). In the age of social media, it is very easy to advertise our good works. Let's probe our hearts for why we share our good works publicly (evangelism, serving/giving to the poor, etc.). God will reward what's done in secret.

6. "Chronological snobbery" | C. S. Lewis popularized this phrase which basically means the arrogant attitude that everything that is newer is better. However, as we dig through the old treasures of church history, we find ourselves challenged and helped by people who lived hundreds and even thousands of years ago.

7. Leadership Issues | I could go on many tangents here, but I'll list some of the most common ones.

   1. To name a few:

      1. Harsh, domineering leadership style

      2. Spiritual manipulation

      3. Power abuse

      4. Lack of accountability

8. Entertainment | Is it wrong to enjoy Jesus? No, not at all. I'm a Christian hedonist. I think we glorify God when we primarily find our happiness in him. (Check out John Piper's book Desiring God for more on that subject.) However, as we add in more entertainment into churches, we can distract from Jesus and create a consumeristic culture. This is happening in our wider culture, and as some have observed, it is reducing our ability to follow discourse and intellectual arguments. (I would recommend Neil Postman's book Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business.)

9. Anti-intellectualism | Perhaps this one goes hand-in-hand with the last point. Many churches think that an intellectual approach to Scripture, theology, and church history is somehow a threat. Often it is viewed as a threat to our emotions; but God made minds and emotions. Some see it as a threat to evangelism, but Scripture doesn't shy away from rigorous theology and thinking (examples: Romans and Hebrews). Occasionally, I've seen anti-intellectualism turn into a skepticism of seminaries and education. Some have rejected seminaries to create church-based training programs. While I applaud church-based training, the reality is that we do not live in the biblical culture and we do not speak the language they spoke. We need to learn these things. It is also a blessing to learn from academics who have devoted their life to seeking the truth in their particular field. Moreover, Christians have thought deeply about theology and practices for 2,000 years, and we can benefit greatly from them. Seminary has been an incredibly helpful part of my pursuit of these subjects. If a pastor doesn't have the opportunity to go to seminary, then I would recommend reading a good systematic theology book, historical theology book, biblical theology book, church history book, Bible-interpretation type of book (i.e., exegesis), preaching and pastoring book, buy some good study Bibles and commentaries, and take some Greek/Hebrew classes. That should be quite a bit cheaper than paying for a full seminary program. However, if you have the opportunity, then go for the full seminary program! (If you can only get one book, then you can't go wrong with the ESV Study Bible.)

10. Lack of prayer | We are very busy. Sadly, the way we live and the way we do church often seems to communicate that we can do things in our own strength. We often think we just need to work harder, longer, and more productively. Again, working hard is not the problem. Overwork and neglecting other aspects of life are the concern. Notice how prone we are to work more and more hours to get more done, but yet we struggle to pray 5 minutes without being distracted. But can't God do more in one minute than we can do in a lifetime? If we really believe that, then surely we would pray!