Slide to Oblivion

Michael Spencer (iMonk) has written a provocative article first on his blog and then in the Christian Science Monitor that warns that Evangelicalism is doomed. Truth be told, I think I agreed with most of what he wrote. And he's not the first. George Barna ran around in the 90's taking polls and warning that if the Church didn't change its approach, it would disappear. Funny thing ... the church listened ... and it's declining more.

As I said, I agree with most of what Spencer wrote. Evangelicalism is in trouble. And I agree with most of his solutions -- reform is needed. But one thing that Spencer and Barna seem to miss -- I suspect largely because a good part of the church in America today seems to miss it -- is that Evangelicalism in part and the Church as a whole are not ours. Well, okay, perhaps Evangelicalism is. I'll grant you that. But not the Church.

It wasn't Barna or Spencer or any other fine modern mind that offered this quote: "I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt 16:18). I'm sure you recognize the speaker. It was none other than Christ Himself. The sentence is full of meaning. First, whose church is it? Jesus claimed it for Himself. Second, who is building it? Jesus is building it Himself. Third, what is the outcome? "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it." That's a pretty certain outcome, Barna not withstanding. Something that is often missed is the phrase "the gates of hell". Please note that "gates" are not an offensive weapon; they are defensive. Just taking "hell" as a reference to death, Jesus says that death itself cannot shut Christ out. He will build His church.

Acts 2:42-47 describes the first church. The description ends with a telling statement: "And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved." It wasn't the fiery preaching of Peter. It wasn't the devotion to the apostles' teaching. It wasn't the fellowship, prayer, sharing all things in common, or gathering to worship. It wasn't their shared love or glad hearts. These were all means, to be sure. But there is no doubt as to who was building the Church. "The Lord added to their number ..."

I believe that we are headed for dire times. I believe there will likely be a large falling away of those who "believed" without actually having a change of heart. I believe that the Church itself will likely fall into larger disfavor. I'm pretty sure that the numbers will decline. I don't doubt that genuine persecution is around the corner. But if you think that our grand marketing schemes or faulty Evangelicalism (you know, the current view that Christianity is experiential and doctrine isn't nearly so important) is going to shore up the leaking dikes, you're likely mistaken. It isn't now nor was it ever an issue of a church that was ours. It has always been a church built by Christ snatched out of the mouth of death itself. In the final analysis, neither the world nor Satan himself can do a think to shake that. So I see a reason to be wonderfully optimistic! I've read the final chapter. Jesus wins!