When the Church Loses It's Way
Albert Einstein once said that the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result”.
My experience would suggest most non-Christians view the Church as a crutch for emotionally deficient religious hypocrites. They believe Christianity is just another religion of laws and rules, and the building with the cross is the Church. While this view may be somewhat uninformed, little in my view would argue against the truths within the opinion. Non-Christians don’t distinguish one church from another because the differences are insignificant, with only style and format changing. This is true even if we compare denominations at opposite ends of the denominational spectrum. Why, is the Church viewed with such indifference, and why has Christianity reached the point where those who need it most, see nothing in it at all? Maybe the Church lives in a bubble, deluded by its spiritual indifference and consumed by the demands of a religious enterprise. Perhaps it doesn’t seek the adventure and suffer the persecution of the early “ecclesia” (people of the word), or demonstrate the life vitality and anticipation enjoyed by them, before the existence of the Church.
"The ecclesia" of the New Testament, and "the Church" of today, seem to me entirely different representations of Christianity, both in meaning, form, and function. So different in fact, that it's difficult to find anything today that resembles the fundamental life of the early Church. From very early on, the authority of Christianity within the cultural landscape was a counter-culture, wholly unacceptable, threatening, and problematic for those competing for religious authority. This problem was solved by institutionalizing the Christian faith, as a state religion, and introducing pseudo-Christian laws and regulations, to keep power, where power could be controlled. The same politics behind the control of power remains evident in many leadership structures, rituals, and doctrines, of all modern Churches today. These political structures are supported by doctrine designed and created to control the intellectual and political property of Christianity.
Over time this misrepresentation of the body of Christ has become toxic, self-consumed, and irrelevant as cultures moved away from the moral authority vested in the Church, and rejected the spiritual axioms on which social structures were judged. As a result, we’ve seen a general decline to a total collapse in many denominations. This cultural disconnect with the Church will increase significantly over the next ten years. Although this is not unforeseen, of greater concern is the spiritual state of the body of Christ itself. Many Churches refuse to see beyond their own learned rhetoric, and most seem content to live with the way things are, keeping to the traditions taught by those who went before them, even though most would acknowledge that something feels seriously wrong. Unfortunately, we now have the added influence of sectarian splinter groups who would describe themselves as emergent or progressive Churches. Without examining these groups further, it suffices to say the current state of the Church is fertile soil for the influence of liberal theology.
The whole point and purpose of the Church can be found in Ephesians:
Eph 4:11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,
Eph 4:12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
Eph 4:13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining the fullness of Christ.
Eph 4:14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
Eph 4:15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
Eph 4:16 From him the whole body joined and held together by every supporting ligament grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Nowhere in this picture do we find a Church of brick and mortar, with fashioned traditions, rules, rituals, and an organizational structure THAT PRIMARILY SERVES its own self-designed MISSION STATEMENT. While the advent of buildings is not an issue, what we’ve done with them is. While structure should assist us, it now consumes and rules over us.
The ongoing refusal to seriously question the causal issues has produced a depressed environment of legalism and idolatry, which is evident in every denomination today. It might be argued that God can’t use the institution we’ve created. It might indicate that many have lost their way, or that God has left us to our own devices. Most denominations are governed like business corporations with a presiding ruling class which demonstrates little relevancy to real life and tends to inoculate parishioners from the purposes of God, by being a god to them.
Rather than nurturing individual maturity, the Church has often deceived the body into serving the institution and the building itself. We’ve produced an institution of sectarian proportions, where most professing Christians are simply drones in the hive, working for the greater good of the brick and mortar. Let’s be very clear about what’s happening. Most churches are dying through natural attrition; it’s getting old if nothing else. Over the next ten years, many will close their doors for the last time. Despite this, the causal factors are never confronted, and the delusion is passed down from generation to generation. Many leaders have little more than an occupational view of the Church, and it's more about the institution that provides their employment than the people for whom their employment exists. In saying this, most Christians are willing slaves to the institution of the church, projecting little that indicates adventure or active participation in the purposes of God. The institution is burdened by consumption, justifying its existence rather than building the kingdom. Does the current state of the Church reflect God’s heart for the body of Christ? Does it redefine the meaning of living a Christian life? By and by traditional teaching has become accepted as truth, and the lie has become doctrine.
James4-1-4, “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure”.
In terms of the environment, structure and tradition, nothing in the Western Church represents the biblical example. From the pews to alters, from leadership to sermons. All are the leftover traditions of men who sought to control and manipulate an emerging faith. Christianity was hijacked for religious/political reasons, and has never, NEVER broken free of the shackles that bound it over to irrelevance. The fruit of this control today is testimony itself. We need to change; we have to change. If we want to see maturity in the church, we might start by confronting the teachings below.
The following is a list of False Teachings emanating from the early Roman Church
False - The words “Church and Worship” reflect the activities of early Christian assemblies
False - The Church saves the lost and builds the Kingdom of God.
False - The Church leader is God’s anointed representative, through whom God speaks.
False - Hierarchical levels of church government are supported by scripture.
False - The word "Pastor" describes a person with governance, and often singular authority, over a Church. (Matt 20:24-27, 2Cor 2:20:21).
False - A person said to be a "Senior Leader”, has overall authority in the affairs of the body of Christ. (Matt 20:24-27).
False - Elders have authority over the five gifts of Eph 4:11.
False - Apostles and Prophets no longer exist, and/or, their authority has changed between the Old Testament and the New Testament.
False - The titles of Apostle, Prophet, Pastor, Teacher, and Evangelist are only terms to describe general gifting but are not given to specific individuals and ministries. They are only general terms, applicable to all believers.
False - Believers cannot be real Christians unless they belong to a recognized "religious institution”, thus being a real Christian is judged by the institution they submit to. (Rom16:17-18) (Gal2:6).
False - Christians who attend a Church must also be "registered members" of that church. In some cases, they must pass an appropriate course to participate in decisions of that Church. (Gal2:9).
False - Unbelievers must be baptised by full water immersion to be saved, and unless they are baptised by full immersion, they’re not Christians, and cannot be members of the church, or participate in decisions of the church. (Acts9:17-18) (1Pet 3:21) (Matt23:16-22) (1Cor1:17).
False - Christians, should not judge the actions of each other, or judge the actions of the Church, and its leader. They should be in submission to the Church (1Cor2:15) (1Cor5:3) (1Cor5:12) (1Cor6:2).
False - All true believers speak in tongues. Tongues are a spiritual prayer language that only God understands, not first and foremost the gift of speaking human languages for edification and to benefit those who don't understand.
False - Believers must come under the covering authority of a Church, a Pastor, or any person, said to have authority over them. Christians must be accountable to human authority above them. (Acts9:20) (Gal1:11-12) (Gal1:15-24).
False - Submission to leaders is a commandment, in the same manner as a law, and implies “absolute submission”. We are required to submit to those whom “the church” institutes as leaders, even where this authority contradicts the New Testament example (Gal6:12-13) (Gal2:11-14) (Gal2:6).
False – That tithing is a New Testament directive, standard, or commandment. Christians must "tithe" at least 10% of their gross income, and this must be given to the church. (1Tim6:3-5) (Gal3:10-11).
False - The church must be tolerant, liberal and inclusive. (1 Cor 5:12).
False – That claiming the blood is an ongoing spiritual requirement for “redeemed believers”, insomuch as proclaiming the blood is needed to instigate spontaneous spiritual protection, power, and authority for prayer and healing.
False - The use of “any oil” is required for spiritual anointing (for healing, commissioning, or exorcism). That it has any NT support or evidence for its use. Or that it imparts any authority and power in its use.
False – That the term “Intercessor” describes a gift or any special person with higher authority in prayer, as a specific ministry, authority, or office.
False – Christians must pray for the removal of demons, strongholds, principalities, and powers, from within or around buildings, lands, districts, and/or objects, to cleanse the area before God can move.
