Think About This – Two Huge Flaws
There are two basic flaws in out current Christian paradigm and practice that have allowed America, and by extension the world, to slide closer and closer to moral rot and decay. This post will be short. I just want you to think deeply about what you see as you participate in or observe the contemporary Christian church. These flaws are so severe that they must be totally reversed if we are ever to see the renewal or revival or restoration of our nation. The problems are spiritual, not economic or political and the slippery slope deepens almost daily.
Flaw number one is the paradigm that the members of the church exist to equip the pastors for the work of ministry. They are do this by bringing their tithes into the “storehouse” and building ever larger and more ornate storehouses. The beautiful storehouses will attract the lost and they will want to come visit the beautiful storehouse and be saved. The lost will become saved and then will help the building of even more ornate storehouses. This paradigm is exactly backwards from the true model which says that the pastors and leaders are given to the Church to equip the members to do the work of ministry as they “go into all the world.”
Flaw number two is that the Church needs to bring the current culture of the world into the church rather than taking the Church into the culture of the world. Again, exactly backwards from reality of Biblical model and truth. Christians are to be “salt” and “light” not sponges.
These maladjustment’s have produced a compromised and powerless church. Think not? Get a grip. Read on.
I know that many of you will be saying; “Yes, but what about the wonderful mega-churches that are growing and prospering? Aren’t they they way of the future? Isn’t the “emergent church” the new way of doing church.”
Is it? Think about this – if we were to add together all the attendees of all the mega-churches and emergent churches together I doubt there would be a total of a million attendees. And if we use George Barna’s statistic to measure the true believers (those having a Christ-centered worldview) out of the total attendees we end up with a fraction of those who attend, say 10% . Statistically this says that there are less than 10% (100,000) of 1 million real believers out of three hundred and fifty million in our population. That’s ,0035. Statistically insignificant. and that’s what the church has become in contemporary American culture, insignificant. Quibble with the numbers if you want to but even if you double or triple them the resultant powerless and insignificance won’t change. All the result of the two basic flaws. Think about it. What has to change?
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Buck Jacobs, Chairman and Founder of The C12 Group, LLC - Christian CEO and mentor. Buck has an extensive background in successful organizational development based on the principles found in scripture. The motto of the C12 group is "Building great companies for a greater purpose." 
You are so right. Attend, pay my tithes and offering and take no personal responsibility to be a light in the marketplace of life.
It is my observation the second flaw of the world becoming the model for the church precedes the first flaw. People do not want to be the unique people of God but rather know God and live as “near to the precipice of the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life as possible” without falling into the pit of hell. This is why we don’t see our mission to make disciples.
Blessings brother.
Amen John, Thank you for your thoughts. The next question will be what can we who see the light do to share it in hope of seeing circumstances change? I had a wonderful conversation with a dear pastor Saturday dealing with that issue. Of course there is God’s part and my (our) part, and discerning ours and walking in obedience to His Spirit is all we can do. But we must do our part and encourage others in the truth of our calling to live as close to heaven’s gate and as far from “the precipice of the lust of the flesh….” as possible. Again a total paradigm reversal! Big job! I’m glad God is on our side!
Hi Buck, Well said! We don’t need to invite people to come to church but rather invite the church to go to the people! Matt. 4.23 ends with Jesus “healing all kinds of sickness, all kinds of disease among the people”.
Yes Jesus was ministering to the greatest of community needs! And sinners were attracted to Him!
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Blessings, martin