If you were to ask people what the problem is with the Church today, you would get varied responses.   If you asked the fundamentalists, they would site the lack of “standards”, modern music, lack of soul winning, and those evil baby baptizing devotees of John Calvin.  The Evangelicals, on the other hand would point the finger at those legalistic fundamentalists with their extra Biblical standards and high pressure soul winning.  Granted, there would be some on both sides that would condemn the shallow doctrine, easy believism (which pervades the modern Church), and feel good preaching.  While some of these are definite problems and others just silly distractions, I do not believe that they are the primary problem in the church.  Though it is true, that shallow preaching may produce shallow Christians, and legalistic or fluffy preaching may produce legalistic and fluffy Christians, that is not the biggest problem.

The biggest problem is you.  Okay, the biggest problem is us.  The fact of the matters is, three to four hours of church per week ought not make or break a person’s walk with Christ.  If I hear contemporary Christian music at church, followed by a speech from some guy with a plastic smile and a mullet, that doesn’t make me any more or less of Christian.  Likewise, if I go to Church and listen to hundred year old hymns (my preference) and then follow that with a sermon from a guy that looks and sounds more like Sergeant Carter than Joel Osteen, that does not add to or take away from my walk.  I am not saying that worship style is of no importance,  I am saying that my walk with Christ is personal, not corporate.  Corporate worship is important for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that it is commanded.  I want you to understand that you can have a close walk with God regardless of what is around you.  Noah found Grace in the eyes of God when he was apparently one of the few righteous men left.  I know of several people who are not in what I would classify as a “good” Church, yet they love God with all their heart and desire to see people come to the knowledge of the truth.

So what is the problem?  I suppose a better question would be, what is the solution.  The problem as I see it is that of the myriad of professing Christians, very few are in the Word.   The simple truth is that if I am not in the Word consistently, and if I am not spending time communing with the God of Heaven, I will not grow no matter what type of Church I am in.  As I said earlier, Christianity is a personal walk with God.  Jonathan Edward grew up in a church that practiced the half way covenant and consequently was filled with lost church members, yet he as a young man would go sit by the river and think on divine things.  I suppose Peter said it best when he exhorted believer to desire the sincere milk of the Word.

I am aware that many will not apreciate this post.  Please understand, it is not my desire to tear away at the necesisty of Christ exalting worship and Bible based preaching.  Those are topics for another day.  What I am saying is that we need to stop pointing.  Let us agree with Isaiah who cried, ‘Woe is me”.