“America, Where Are We Headed?” Part 4: Spiritually

Sunday, January 25, 2009

I Timothy 4:1-6 -  But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer. In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.”

Over the past weeks, we have tried to answer the question, “America, Where Are We Headed? Internationally, Politically, and Culturally. Today, we address the question from the eternal perspective, “Where are we headed spiritually or religiously?”

I think a lot depends on our pre-suppositions, or assumptions about the Bible and the Christian faith.  Coming from an Evangelical perspective, we tend to see things in absolutes. “The Bible says it, I believe it, that settles it!  But even in Evangelical circles today, there is often confusion about what we really believe.

Pew Research Center recently published an article challenging the idea that most born-again, Bible-believing Christian knows what they believe. Chuck Colson said, “We assume people in the pulpit understand it, and people in the pew understand it, but they don’t. We have replaced truth with therapy. Most people are basically ignorant, or lack knowledge of their own religion.”

The most alarming is the report that said, “Public Schools Change Young Evangelicals’ Values” and “Student Values Shift Left in College” stating that young Evangelicals turn to the left and get liberal in religion and morality as they move through the college years. The report affirmed that public school education in their earlier years contributes to this turn from biblical values and beliefs.

I consider these findings the result of a deeper spiritual problem, and at the heart of the answer is the heart!   Legislation can keep the lid on lawlessness, but only the Holy Spirit can change our hearts and minds.

I have to confess, that one part of me would advocate a “fortress” mentality, and build a bubble over our homes and churches, and lock ourselves and our children away from the sin and corruption surrounding us.  At Pentecost, Peter cries out, “Save yourselves from this perverse generation,” and we share many of the same concerns.  But Jesus challenges our fears. How? He says: “Be IN the world, but not OF the World.”

Listen, neither Jesus or Peter are suggesting that we run away and hide. That’s cowardly. We don’t have a church or academy just to protect our children.  No, we want to raise up “generations of champions” to change our world!

The entire fourth chapter of I Timothy is really a rallying cry to penetrate the darkness with the light of godly living.  Listen to what Paul says to the youth, is verses 11-12 - “Prescribe and teach these things. Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.”

The Church is the key to where America is headed spiritually if we fail to meet the challenge of secularism.

RELIGIOUS LIBERALISM

Liberalism is not just an ideology related to politics, but it is high-jacking Christianity. Its dilution & denial of Biblical truth has left its mark of destruction and death on the Mainline denominations.

• Look at what’s happening in the Episcopal Church in USA
• Look at what’s happening in the United Methodist Church
• Look at what’s happened to the Lutheran Church
• Look at what’s happening to the Roman Catholic Church, even as Pope Benedict is calling for renewal of doctrine/faith

The breakdown of religion in America looks like this:

• Protestant- 51.3%
• Catholic - 23.9%
• Mormon - 1.7%
• Jehovah’s Witness - 0.7%
• Orthodox - 0.6%
• Other Christian - 0.3%

One of the interesting facts discovered was that most American Christians don’t feel their religion is the only way to heaven. Seven in ten Evangelical Christians actually believe people could get find salvation through a non-Christian religion, even though Jesus said, “I am the way, truth, life, no one comes to the Father but through Me!” (John 14:6)

According to Brad Waggoner of B & H Publishers, only 17% of Protestant churchgoers in America demonstrated a “decent level of discipleship or spiritual maturity.”  What?  Are we running a Christian club or a Christian church?

No wonder Paul warned Timothy (II Tim. 3:1-7, 1192)   “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these… always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

But some of my greater concerns are for what is happening in our own Evangelical circles.  The recent change in the National Association of Evangelicals over the global warming issue is an indication of shifting values among some Evangelicals.  Our recent election saw the vast majority of Black Evangelicals, and one third of White Evangelicals, voting their race over their Christian values (abortion, marriage, embryonic stem-cell research)

REVIVAL IN AMERICA

Do you know that history tells us that when trouble comes people turn to God and pray? Up until recently, the trend has been downward for church attendance and participation since 9/11, after the brief bump.  But problems now facing America may not be a brief bump, but a giant pothole.

The Revival we see coming will be different.  It will push the true Christ-follow out of the pew and into the public.  An avowed atheist, studying the problems in Africa, recently admitted that the problems in Africa cannot be solved with aid money alone, but Africa needs to know God. “In Africa, Christianity changes people’s hearts, it brings spiritual tranformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good,” argues Matthew Parris, a former conservative British member of parliament. He went on to say that the organization these Christians worked for was secular, but their lives made the difference!  That’s the nature of the coming revival.

True Christ-followers will have an opportunity, as perhaps we have not had in decades, to reach the lost, invite people to church, open our homes for small group Bible study, influence PTA’s, local Associations, Community organizations, even political parties.

The DNA of the Evangelical Church in America must change from just satisfying the tastes of “insiders” to meeting the needs of “outsiders”….the 100 million “dechurched” in America!

Once people realize that “perplexities” (to use Jesus’ predictive sign of the last days) are not going to be solved by a new President or Congress, they will be looking elsewhere. That’s why I feel we must be prepared to “let our light shine, so that men may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven”

GATEWAY IN 2009
Let me move to my greatest concern spiritually in 2009, Gateway.  I believe we are headed into the most significant year of our church history.  I see spiritual renewal ahead for US.

Everything happening in our church, and everyone visiting our church pulpit, is affirming that we make the right decision when we moved to the Simple Church structure in 2007.  I believe we opened the door to spiritual and numerical renewal. We are beginning to see the fruit of making that change from complexity in programming to simplicity.  Less is better if it is done better. Gateway is part of the “Simple Church” revolution in America.

I believe that, with our new ministry staff in place (and we are working on bringing in three new Ministry Directors this year) we will see the leadership raised up and trained to catch the harvest God is about to give Gateway.

I believe that this is the year that we will see God break the back of our debt, so we can invest the hundreds of thousands in mortgage payments into ministry and winning the lost (adults, children, youth)  I recently read reports that the percentage of giving to the Lord increases during a recession! We saw this happen in our recent “Take The Next Step” challenge, asking our people to increase their giving in the face of the current recession.  Hundreds of families said a resounding “Yes, Lord, we will!”

I believe that the long wait to see the harvest God promised us when we bought this property and relocated to this site, is over! We will baptize more new believers this year than in recent years.  Praise God!

I believe that God is going to do something deeply spiritual at Gateway, and that in 2009 will see “a cloud the size of a man’s hand in the sky” that Elijah saw when praying just before the rain came!

Listen, either Revival comes to America in 2009, or we might pass the point of no return spiritually, and then God will turn His focus on getting the true church remnant ready for His return.  When that happens, the harvest is passed. Pray that God will give us some more time to win the lost we love.

Peter gives us the only reason He hasn’t returned, II Pet. 3:8-14 (1217) -“But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come…”

Listen, there is an unmistakable sense gripping the hearts of many Christ-followers that, not only are we in the Last Days, but we are in the Last Day

Listen to II Peter 3:8-14 from The Message paraphrase: “Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change. But when the Day of God’s Judgment does come, it will be unannounced, like a thief. The sky will collapse with a thunderous bang, everything disintegrating in a huge conflagration, earth and all its works exposed to the scrutiny of Judgment. Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day— but we’ll hardly notice. We’ll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness. So, my dear friends, since this is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace.”

I think the big question that I want to leave with all or you is this, “Where are YOU headed spiritually in 2009?”

Jesus wants to get His Church ready for what’s coming in 2009, but more importantly, for His soon return.

Jesus wants to save those who are lost and searching for peace, forgiveness, meaning, and hope.  He wants to get us ready for eternity.

Live like 2009 was your last year.  Even so, Lord, come quickly!

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