Top Ten Reasons Why The Church Is Broken

note:  I'm amending the blog based on point ten.  No where in the New Testament is tithing required.  There are examples of the Chuch giving of its means, but not a strict tithe.  I feel that giving to missions, the local church, and to anyone that God lays on your heart to give to is the right thing to do in following the Holy Spirit's leading.  Too many in the Church hoard their money, not realizing that it does not really belong to them.


The Church seems to be exploding in third world countries today. Part of the explosion is due to persecution. According to Tertullian, “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” I agree with Tertullian, but see another reason why the church is exploding in third world countries. Charles Spurgeon said, " The Word of God is like a lion. You don’t have to defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose, and the lion will defend itself." Coupled together, the Church has found great success throughout history. But, what seems to be hindering the Church in the West, and more specifically in the United States? I would like to offer ten reasons for why the Church is broken in the West.

10. A lack of giving - The Church need to give of its financial means that God has blessed it with. Your giving is dealing first and foremost with your income. The primary passage used is Malachi 3:8-10. The sad fact of giving is that so many individuals simply do not trust God. Malachi 3:10 asks believers to trust God in order to see what he will do. There are other ways to give, such as your time, but many times giving has been understood from the standpoint of giving of one's means. Ephesians 4:28 seems to imply the reason we work is to share with those who are in need.  Ultimately, all belongs to God, so individuals should give with a grateful heart as God moves them to give.

9. Denominational fighting and legalism - This may not be a huge factor, but some groups (even those who claim to be non-denominational) seem to fight only for the denomination or local church. Legalism as defined by dictionary.com is, "adherence, or the principle of adherence, to law or prescription." The religious leaders of Jesus day-the Pharisees- were notorious for a legalistic form of worship (see Matthew 23). Legalism hinders an individuals relationship with Christ and others by causing the individual to focus solely on laws, as opposed to one's personal relationship with Jesus.

8. Church hypocrisy - Hypocrisy is "when you profess something that you do not really believe."[1] The main problem with the American church is, in many ways, the Christian's life doesn't match his/her beliefs or profession of beliefs. There is very little difference between the lifestyle of the Christian and the non-Christian. In the book, Unchristian, data was given to show that 85% of non-Christians could see no difference between their non-Christian values and their friends Christian values.[2] In the same book, a staggering percentage of Christians saw nothing wrong with activities such as: cohabitation, sex outside of marriage, using profanity, getting drunk, and viewing pornography.

7. A lack of knowledge - Hosea 4:6 states, "my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. " One of the major problems in the West today is the Church's inability to articulate and defend the Christian worldview. Christian apologetics is desperately needed in the Western Church. The essential Christian doctrines are being left by the wayside and the typical American Christian is not only spiritually illiterate, but unwilling to do his/her own study concerning God's word.

6. A diminished view of sin - Sin literally means, "to miss the mark." A sin is a transgression of God's law. Cornelius Plantinga defines sin as, "the smearing of a relationship, the grieving of one's divine parent and benefactor, a betrayal of the partner to whom one is joined by a holy bond."[3] It seems in the Church today sin is minimized. Too many are willing to justify sin, as Christians in America conform more and more to a worldly viewpoint. When sin is pointed out, there is actually a resistance by some in the American church that you are being judgemental without a realization that you might possibly be offending a holy God. Sociologist James Hunter points out the minimizing of sin by saying, sin "now finds its home mostly on desert menus. 'Peanut Butter Binge' and 'Chocolate Challenge' are sinful; lying is not. The new measure for sin is caloric."[4]

5. A lack of prayer - Simply put, when God's people don't pray, God will not act. 2 Chronicles 7:14 states, "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." Prayer is integral to the foundation of the Church. As stated in second Chronicles, God's people must be willing to cry out to him. It seems the only time some pray is when they need something from God or they are at the end of their rope. Prayer is a critical component to a healthy church.

4. Judgmental - One of the common themes expressed toward the Church today is that it is too judgmental. The compassion of Christ seems to be lacking in many ways as the Church is too quick to condemn others. A survey of non-Christians finds that 87% of them believe the Church is too judgmental.[5] Jeff expresses a common sentiment by saying, "Christians talk about hating sin and loving sinners, but the way they go about things, they might as well call it what it is. They hate the sin and the sinner."[6] Suggestions for creating dialogue include: 1. Listen to the other side before speaking, in other words, be willing to dialogue., 2. Don't label individuals., 3. Don't be a know it all., 4. Be empathetic., 5. Be genuine., and 6. Be friendly without preconceived motives.[7]

3. Too accepting of post-modern philosophy - By far the most dangerous philosophy of post-modernism is the "rejection of objective truth."[8] If truth is not objective then it is up to community or individuals to construct their own truth. So, what may be true for me, may not be true for you. This view is know as relativism. The bible presents itself as a grand meta-narrative. A grand meta-narrative would be an all encompassing view that the whole of the bible is objectively true and speaks of necessary truth for all humans. Unfortunately, this view that truth is relative is being accepted by some in the Church today, more specifically with a movement called the "Emergent Church." Not all who belong to this movement would espouse the view of post-modern relativism, but a segment exists, none the less, that seems to adhere to post-modern philosophy. If truth is relative to individuals or cultures, then ultimately the bible as God's word can't be trusted.

2. Idol worship - As the saying goes, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." Today's Western culture is saturated with idols, they may not be the personal idols of old, but idol worship continues even within God's church. Herber Schlossberg wrote an excellent book describing the problem of idol worship within the American Church called, Idols for Destruction.[9] In his book, he lists five categories of idol worship: 1. Idols of humanity, 2. Idols of Mammon, 3. Idols of nature, 4. Idols of power, and 5. Idols of religion. The over arching problem with idol worship is that it promotes humans as gods. God no longer receives the the place that he rightfully deserves. Schlossberg says, "Humanitarianism was the term originally applied to the followers of a group of eighteenth-century theologians who affirmed the humanity but denied the deity of Christ. It was later used when speaking of the Religion of Humanity, and it carries the subsidiary meaning of the worship of the human race."[10] Today's idols are wreaking havoc on the American Church, from pornography, to an increased appetite for money and power. Schlossberg adds that, "the anarchy of humanism (ultimately) brings enslavement"[11] ; enslavement not just to the individual, but enslavement of the church to the world.

1. Spectators - From my viewpoint as a pastor, the American Church is far too apathetic and willing to participate only as spectators. Not all American Christians are like this, but many are far too willing to sit on the sidelines as opposed to following the great commission. Part of the problem is that pastors are simply not disciplining and training the church in a proper way, but again, there seems to be a spirit of apathy within the Church. Other problems that exist could be strongholds of Satan that the local church needs to be in prayer about, or possibly the Church in America is just too comfortable in its lifestyle to get involved in the Lord's work. From my perspective, much of the problem lies on an individual mindset within the Church that sees the Church as a ticket booth. Some see the Church as their way of punching a heavenly ticket and nothing more. Jesus said "Go and make disciples," not, "Come to church." The principle problem with the broken Western Church is that we have forgotten our mission here on earth. Christianity, rightly defined, is an action word, and not as many would have it being, just operating as a club for members to act as spectators only.

Not all is bad with the Church in the West or America. The United States has always been at the forefront of helping others around the world. The United States has also provided the world with an abundance of missionaries worldwide, and as a result, the Church is growing at its fastest rate ever[12], due in part to the efforts of Christians in America with God's help. The Church in the West, with all of its problems has done and continues to do much good.

The ten problems listed are by no means exhaustive. Many would not rank them in order as I presented. This is not meant to be a bashing of God's Church, but a realization that if we don't address these problems, the Church of the West will be further weakened. God's Church will survive and thrive until His return as promised by Jesus, " I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. (Matt. 16:18)" Finally, as Christians we all need to remember the advise of the Hebrew writer, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2);" for when we do so the Church will truly see with clarity the task of the bridegroom (John 3:29).

[1] Kinnaman, David and Gabe Lyons, Unchristian, p. 41
[2] Ibid, p. 48
[3] Plantinga, Cornelius, Not The Way It's Supposed To Be, p. 12
[4] Hunter, James as quoted in Not The Way It's Supposed To Be, preface-p. x
[5] Kinnaman, David and Gabe Lyons, Unchristian, p. 182
[6] Ibid, p. 181
[7] Ibid, p. 194-95
[8] Moreland, J.P., Kingdom Triangle, p. 67
[9] Schlossberg, Herbert, Idols for Destruction
[10] Ibid, p. 51
[11] Ibid, p. 87
[12] Ibid, Moreland, p. 166-68

The Effects of Sin

Galadriel, a character of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series, remarked that, "The world has changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it."[1] Similar to the perilous times of the change in Tolkien's Middle-Earth is the change that took place in our world when sin entered the garden of Eden. The world has changed dramatically as a result of sin. How exactly has this world changed, and what has been lost? Have the effects of sin rendered our situation hopeless?

Before exploring the changes that resulted from sin's entrance, a definition for sin is in order. The Apostle John explains that sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4). In this definition, sin is seen as a transgression of law, more specifically, God's law. Wayne Grudem defines sin as "any failure to conform to the moral law of God."[2] while Cornelius Plantinga gives a more detailed defenition, "Sin is not only breaking the law but also the breaking of covenant with one's savior. Sin is the smearing of a relationship, the grieving of one's divine parent and benefactor, a betrayal of the partner to whom one is joined by a holy bond."[3] I believe Plantinga's definition fully captures not only sin but the effects that resulted when sin entered the world via man's conscious choice to rebel against a holy God.

Working off of Plantinga's definition, what exactly changed as a result of sin? In order to answer this, the fall of man, as found in Genesis, needs to be examined. It is here that the change can be clearly seen. The change in man's vision was followed by his realization of his nakedness and fright (Gen. 3:7). Ultimately it was man's relationship that was broken and left beyond repair unless God intervened. Man's perfect relationship with God, along with his relationship with his fellow man, was shattered. Sin changed the world of man from the inside out and upset the balanced harmony that existed between God and man. Sin's entrance brought forth an alien world opposed to both God and man.

After man's rebellion, the first thing to change was his vision. Genesis 3:7 states that, "the eyes of both of them were opened." The opening of their spiritual eyes revealed a world gone wrong. In a sense, man's eyes were opened, but clouded. Sin revealed to man that his relational fall obscured the beautiful vision he once had. But how much obstruction had taken place? Did man totally lose sight of his capacity to see God? I believe John Calvin had it correct in saying, "there exists in the human mind, and indeed by natural instinct, some sense of deity."[4] In other words, our vision is clouded concerning God, but not to the extent that we can't know him or find him. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God, "has set eternity in the hearts of men." Underlying man's fuzzy vision is an unshakable realization of God's existence. Concerning Romans 1:20-21, Calvin further states, "God as presented to the minds of all the means of knowing him, having manifest himself by his works, that they must necessarily see what of themselves they seek not to know that there is some God."[5] Though our eyes have been opened to a cloudy and dark world, we are not without excuse in knowing God and the world that He truly intended for us.

Following man's clouded vision was the realization of his nakedness (Gen. 3:7). Nakedness implies man's loss of God's holy covering. Man was able to see his isolation from God's perfect standard. Being uncovered in his relation to God next brought about man's fear. In Genesis three, we see man trying to hide from God, and when found, man replied, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid. (Gen. 3:10). The sting of sin had produced fear in the heart of man as he clearly saw a new world of danger in his isolated state from God. The perfect relationship that God had produced was broken by man, causing guilt to enter his heart (Rom. 5:12). Man knew, as he does now, that something was awry. The world had forever changed.

Much more had changed in the world, including physical aspects of life. Life would no longer be easy for mankind. Physical pain was brought to woman along with subjection to man (Gen. 3:16). Man was also given to pain and suffering as a result of his sin (Gen. 17-19).

The physical change, along with the emotional, relational, and spiritual change filtered down trough history. Man could not escape his sinful nature after his choice to rebel (Ps. 51:5; Rom. 3:23). The initial harmony that once existed had been severely damaged, but not to the point where divine repair could not take place. Man's sin brought a permanent death sentence, and without Christ, results in eternal, "weeping and gnashing of teeth," in isolation from the presence of God (Matt. 8:12; Rom. 6:23).

Sin upset the good world that God created, but the biggest change that resulted was the broken relationship with God. Isaiah sums up the relational problem by saying of man, "your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you (Isa. 59:2)." Sin marred this once harmonious relationship that existed. Sin's ugliness put man in a position where he could not fully please God (Ps. 14:2-3). Man finds himself running and hiding as opposed to walking with God in the garden's past. His nature as the image-bearer of God was upset, but not unrecoverable. The spiritual mirror no longer revealed God's beautiful image, but reflected instead the disfigured vision of man's corrupt heart.

Man's relation with God was tarnished, but also his relation with humanity. The history of the Bible is full of sin's divisive nature starting from Cain and spanning the corridors of time. Not only were relationships damaged, but sin, left unchecked, unleashed a fury of negative results. Like a snowball running down hill, sin has the capacity to utterly destroy as it picks up momentum when left alone. Sin unchecked and uncontrolled leads to deception, lust, lying, envy, pride and a host of other demonic outcomes (Gen. 4:7; Rom. 6:12). Pride, the original sin, produced idol worship, and more specifically, worship of self. The unbridled sin of pride leads right down the path to outright rebellion against God. The effects of sin are observable through such atrocities as murder, rape and the actions of Hitler.

Sin, however, does not start with action, but with mind. It is the mind where the seed of sin is watered (James 1:15). Sin that is birthed in the mind is not only rejection of God, but can bring about devastating consequential actions. Sin brings about separation and ultimately total destruction of the individual (John 10:10). Sin breaks down the world for which man was originally made.

Given the bleakness of sin, what hope does man have? In the garden, we find that hope emerges right after the entrance of sin into the world. God assured man early on that sin and evil will be overcome (Gen. 3:15). In fact, before the creation of the world, God's plan was in effect to provide a way of escape from the problem of sin (Eph. 1:4-5). God's plan was not a plan B to be put into effect by a desperate God, but instead God foresaw man's need for redemption. The darkness of sin was rebuffed in the light of Christ (John 8:12). The devastating effects of sin can be overcome by following the light of Jesus. Man brought about sin's entrance into the world through his free choice to rebel against God's perfect standard, but he was not abandoned to the grave as an eternal slave of sin. One transgression is all it took for man's condemnation, but one man's perfect sacrifice brought about the redemption of all mankind that comes to God (Rom. 5:18).

The horrific results of unchecked sin will one day be defeated. The image that was lost can be regained through God (Col. 3:10). The relationship that was severed can now be restored. Sin's curse was broken by the shed blood of Christ (Heb. 9:14). What once appeared to be a world without hope has been restored to hope through the perfect sacrifice of God's Son.

C.S. Lewis remarked, "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."[6] The world that was lost through sin's entrance into the garden has been regained by God's entrance into our sin-marred world. This world of sin is not our home. It is not the world for which we were created. One of the final prayers of Jesus here on this earth reminds his followers that "they are not of the world, even as I am not of it (John 17:16)." We were made for another world. We were made to live in harmony with God. Our choice to rebel and unleash the ugliness of sin was not the end of the story, nor the way God intended it to end for us.

[1] Tolkien, J.R.R., The Fellowship of the Ring
[2] Grudem, Wayne, Systematic Theology, p. 490
[3] Plantinga, Cornelius, Not the way it's suppose to be, p. 12
[4] Calvin, John as quoted in Norm Geisler's, Encycopedia of Christian Apologetics, p. 541
[5] Ibid, p. 541
[6] Lewis, C.S., Mere Christianity, p. 40-41