Is The American Church Broken?

I’ve traveled a lot, and every church has its shortcomings. Many are far worse off than the American church, but there’s something very wrong with the American church and if it’s not fixed soon, there will be no more church in the US. Let me share what I see, and after reading what God’s burdened my heart with, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Is the American church broken?

The Roots

We struggle with a lot of problems here in the American Church. We have made life more comfortable than anyone in all of history has ever experienced. We’ve made life safer than anyone could’ve ever thought possible. Additionally, life is more convenient here than anyone could’ve imagined just 20 years ago.

Life is so easy, safe, and comfortable. And this has ruined us.

We’ve learned to never go outside of the uncomfortable. We’ve told ourselves to only do what’s safe. And because life is so easy, we’ve started to forget that this world is fading away and that there’s an eternity to come.

The Problem

I don’t want to guilt-trip anyone, but I want you to be honest with yourself. Ask yourself when was the last time you shared the gospel with an unbeliever? Was it today? In the last week? Month? Year? Now, what about discipleship?

The last commandment Jesus gave us was to go and make disciples. This commandment includes two important components. Sharing the gospel with the lost, and helping younger believers grow in their faith.

When was the last time you did either of these?

Why Are You Here?

If God just wanted us to be holy and walk with him, then he’d zap us up into heaven the moment we trust in Christ. But he doesn’t.

We are here on this planet because God wants us to share the gospel and help each other grow in our faith. If we all zapped away, no one would hear the good news of Christ.

So, yes, we must live righteously, and draw near to God, but a big part of both of these is evangelism and discipleship. This I believe is the only reason why God keeps us here on Earth after we trust in him.

If we aren’t stepping out in both these areas consistently, then our faith is broken, just like the American church.

Why Is This So Important?

Imagine working out your quads, calves, abs, and glutes to prep for a big race, but you never put those muscles into action and start running. Wouldn’t that be foolish?

Yet this is what we do!

We read the Bible, memorize scripture, sing worship songs, practice humility, patience, and generosity. All of these are like focusing on one specific spiritual muscle at a time. Yet the best way to put all of these spiritual muscles into practice is through evangelism and discipleship.

After all, what’s the point of growing in these sorts of ways? Yes, because we want to live righteously and exemplify Christ, but another huge element is in being a good example so younger believers can see how they should live and so nonbelievers can see the light of Christ!

I mean, look at what Jesus focused on during his life here on earth. Reaching out to the lost, and discipling the 12 and everyone else who would listen.

If we aren’t stepping out in evangelism and discipleship, our faith is stunted. No matter how much we grow in other areas, our walk with Christ is handicapped.

Beyond all of this, the lost are dying all around us! They will be eternally separated from God. And what are we doing to help? Hanging out with our Christian friends? Watching TV? Reading books? Furthering our career? How has this become acceptable in the church?

How can we live in such a state of apathy when there’s such an extreme need right in front of us?

Clearly something must be broken for us to live this way.

Is The American Church Broken?

I know many churches teach and encourage evangelism and discipleship, but let’s look at the regular believer in these churches, because the church isn’t just the pastor, it’s the body.

How many people in the body of Christ regularly share the gospel?

Not very many.

Christ did so much for us when he died on the cross. And so many people all around us are dying without Christ. How could we not step out and share this good news?

Christ died for us. If this truly impacted us and changed our lives, how could we not step into the uncomfortable and share the gospel as he asked us to do?

How much does Jesus’ sacrifice really mean to you? How much does your life reflect that?

If the body of Christ isn’t doing two of the most critical things he asked of us, then isn’t the American church broken?

What About You?

We can’t fix the world at this exact moment, but we can commit to fixing ourselves. I’m not asking you to get your church to change. I’m asking you to start with yourself.

Ask this of yourself. Do you believe you are being a good steward with the gospel God has entrusted to you? Or do you feel like you are hiding this amazing gift of eternal life from others?

If you aren’t hiding the gospel from others, then I’d like to challenge you to step out and share this good news with someone around you today. Does it matter how they’ll react or whether or not you stumble on your words and make a fool of yourself? Does it matter if you they ask you a question you don’t know how to answer?

Their lives are at stake, and if you won’t share with them, who will?

If you are unwilling to share, then does that mean you are ashamed of what Christ has done for you?

Let’s step out and do the uncomfortable by stepping into evangelism and discipleship. Let’s live wilder!

 

What do you think? From your perspective, is the American church broken? Please comment your thoughts down below. Additionally, if you’d like to know more about how you can step out into evangelism and discipleship, I’d love to help. Please reach out to me on my contact page.

 

If you would like to see why evangelism is so important, check out my flash fiction story: The Man Who Fought A War He Never Saw

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