Why the Church is Failing - Introduction

I have decided to make an effort at examining what I believe the key issues are that effect the organizational church and the real Ekklesia of the body of Christ, that are the root causes for the ineffectivness of the "Christian" to change the world around them. Why the church is failing - others and themselves, can be argued in many ways. Many of today's evangelical writers desire to have the church even become more worldlike and others see the call for it to change to become less worldlike.

I see that organizational churches or institutions that like to refer to themselves "as the body of Christ" will always fail, at the goal for which Jesus told the Apostles to accomplish. "Go ye therefore into all the world, preaching the good news, making disciples and baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit".

First and foremost, the message of Jesus Christ, that God brought justice to the world through Him is swallowed up by preachers and teachers, that most often refer to the apocalyptic message of Christ and His resurrection as some day, a pie in the sky, by and by message.

People in general are looking to find the message of Christ's love, acceptance, justice and hope to be real and for now.
They usually hop from church to church, looking to find this hope, that we tell them only Christ promises to those that believe.
The seeker walks into a church and everything appears exactly like it does in the world.
There is the hierarchy, the procedures, the set time of meeting, the 'be quiet' and learn from the top dogs, the meetings end, the note taking stops, the formula for success in life is given, now go accomplish great things with it.

Most people work in a corporate world where all these very same things are found in the world. The exact procedures, hieracrhy, etc. There is no sanctuary from it, thus they seek sanctuary from this evil world.
We tell them, Jesus offers all of this, He offers relief from this world and it's injustices.
They go to church and for a time at least the message verbally is different, but the actions and deeds the same.

Where is the difference, they ask?

I work for XYZ, Incorporated. We hold weekly meetings. The boss speaks as he of course, is the most qualified to do so, he has been especially selected by the corporation to do so and his resume and experience probably qualifies him much more than I.
I remain quiet taking my notes, and I never ask a question unless asked first to do so. The boss banters out the problems of the corporation and our market and then proceeds to tell each of us, what actions we are to take to ingratiate the corporation with more profit, so we can keep our jobs. He tells us each individually, "keep the faith, baby", "keep on plugging, you are doing good but you can do better".
So, I return back to work, to my cubicle alone, and sort through the personal issues I have in meeting company deadlines, that no one seems to really understand or address. I find myself, alone, in despair but being ever "the faithful corporate son", I remember what the boss has spelled out as "the keys to success", and I do my best to practice them, when in reality, most suggestions or solutions are not real world but theory of the upper echelon, who think they hold all the answers.
They have been educated, promoted, primed and they make the big bucks, what are my problems to them? They are miniscule, when the bigger picture of corporate growth is in view.
So,we often drift from job to job, corporation to corporation hoping to find someone who really cares for their employees and will understand how difficult it is to accomplish corporate goals and keep the employee and the customer in mind as well.

So we drift from church to church, denomination to denomination, thinking somewhere among the thousands upon thousands of Christian churches, Christian denminations, someone will hold the answer, for just us and our problem with sin, that we can finally find someone that takes us in their arms and says, "I understand, I am going to get you the answer, the help, and make the hope a reality for just you".

It never happens, simply because it is an organization, with the very same goals as your corporation. It is to increase numbers of attendees, to increase the monthly dollar intake, to increase the expansion of the real estate holdings, to increase the various programs that will try to attract the world to seek their doors. Most of all to increase it's statistics, with "how many decisions for Christ were made last Sunday". We do as the world says to do.
We build bowling alleys, rodeo arenas, life centers, swimming pools, playhouses for the kids. We advertise on television, radio, put up flashing neon lights, bill boards give away gifts with our church name on them, and more.
We grow more and more to look like the world in everything we do and everthing we say. The similarity is obvious to all that understand.

The old saying, " if it quacks like duck, and walks like a duck, it is probably a duck?! It is true of the organization as well. "
"If it looks like the world, acts like the world, it's probably worldly"

To talk about the power of Jesus to transform lives, and then to turn around and make it all something that men do with programs and more, becomes again "humanistic effort" and "works righteousness".
To lay claim to offer something supernatural, then turn it into something natural that can be found anywhere, in the work world, the marketplace, and in life elsewhere, leaves us empty and alone and still no answers.
Jesus becomes just another marketing slogan for self power, self growth and is imaged by the few select individuals getting all the cookies in life.
Is it any wonder fewer and fewer people are attending the world's numerous church meetings each Sunday?
Why not go play golf, or take the kids to an entertainment park- what's the difference? At least these things will give you a little R&R from business as usual.
No, wonder more and more church teachers are teaching the Gospel of Health, Wealth and Prosperity. These are exciting times, for you to make money in, live for money, make it your God, and God is OK with all that.

What garbage!

People are in need for rest in their heart, not more paid vacations and more material wealth.

Transformation of lives, by the living Jesus Christ, is not something to be talked about. It is not something to be sold or edifice's built to proclaim it.
It is something that only God can do in a person's life, but then when he does, along comes the organizational church, and says- listen to us, this is what you do with your new found hope and inspiration, you take it, and mix it all up with - 3 parts world to 1 part Jesus, and you have the formula for worldly and heavenly success. Guaranteed- but you don't get your money back!

Who knows maybe you have recieved the "call" to become one of the "biggies".
You can go to college, seminary or another route and obtain your own business (local church) and become a Christian success (have the biggest congregation and building and land in your city), being a great speaker ( Mouth- Pastor/Priest) for the little ears (the laity, those that attend the meetings who are nothing more than listeners), you can obtain your own radio and TV show, so you can inspire them to contribute to the overall growth and profit of the corporation ( the church organization) and your own personal present earthly success and your future heavenly success.
Who can resist a calling to do that?

Where's the difference?

The resurrection of Jesus meant much more than just that He had risen from the dead in the times of the Apostles. Matter of fact, it had to be explained in terms of the goodness and justice it brought to this world, especially when Paul would explain it to the pagans of his world.
I mentioned once before in an article that I wrote called, "Excavating Jesus", that the pagan world was full of their Caesars, and heroes both mythological and real that had per belief risen from the dead, ascended from the ashes.
What change did it effect among people?
What good did it do them?
Where was the benefit toward the poor, the sick, the orphan, the downtrodden?
Where was a just God in an injust world?
These were the issues to which Paul had to address not just in argument, but most of all in the way he lived his life.
It had to be life encompassing all that a Christian claimed to be, because of the resurrected Jesus, who now was suppose to reside within them, as Lord and as King. What change did it bring about for justice to be seen in this unjust world?
Where was this Kingdom if Jesus really was King?
How would this resurrection become more than just another resurrection of any other king, or heroe they had?
How could this best be realized by those pagans, to show them the truth of Jesus?

Perhaps, flashing forward to today, we can see, that the organizational church would have had no effect even as it doesn't today. These pagans could remain members of the their local pagan assembly and attend some of the most awe inspiring temples built in the world, they had their own priest and teachers, often wise beyond their years, and they could perform magic, they had their own sacrifices they could make to their gods in hope that it would be returned to them, to make their business grow, their crops grow, they had their own meetings full of estatic utterances and supernatural happenings, they could obtain that "feel good" feeling for an hour or two.
When it was all over, they remained empty and destitute of true spiritual enlightment, true worship, a true spirit in their hearts that would bring justice, love and mercy to this world.
They would return to their respective jobs and homes to go on living like they always had lived- at least until the next meeting. Their gods only demanded a sacrifice now and then to obtain something good in return. "Give and shall be given to you"
It gave them the same sense of being part to a worldly community but no change of heart, no change in the way in which they would interact with everyday life and it's circumstances. The injustices would remain, the cold heartless violence of their society would remain, the same wicked deeds would remain and nothing changed. Life remained hard because there was nothing offered that differed from what they had.

All until, this small short little Jewish guy named Paul came along preaching and teaching things unheard of. Justice for all, peace to all, mercy to all, love to all from God, no less through a man named Jesus.
No hierarchy, just Jesus! Just Jesus!
What this meant goes far beyond, the T-shirts some church kids wear I have seen that say "Got Jesus".

Why do you think there are so many denominations today?
Each one establishing and defining their key doctrines to success in a "works based religion". Each one thinking they have the key to success over the competitors, whatever denomination that may be.
Each one saying, "we do it different". Then people go and find the same old story told, the same old formula, the same meetings, the same, the same as they got during the week at their job. Those doing the telling to others what to do. The power over others scenario. The same hopeless, does anybody care?
Yuk!, time for a change, since the First Church of the City, didn't offer what I am looking for perhaps this new thing called the the First Church of the Charismatics will.
Oh, it does for a time offer a little something different, but soon they discover it too fits into the same corporate structure as the rest of them. Kind of like the difference between a store meeting at Walmart, or a an old Amway meeting, full of excitement, energy and more, compared to going to work at your local five and dime, where you may not even be included in meetings with your superiors.
It's new, it's exciting, at least they will let you babble out loud, no commentary or teaching, though please. Soon it becomes, not real, it becomes, self generated, no foundation in it. Just another a short trip to no where. No meaning, no spiritual growth, no being a part of and a part to. No community, same thing- big mouth, little ears.
Who is to hear me or am I worhty to be of benefit to someone else in the group?
I'm important too, we feel.
We find the same thing all over again, no reality to where the rubber meets the road.

Now let's return back to our corporation job, Monday morning.

What happens when that customer who is always right, really isn't right, and you have been told one thing by the corporation and you call on your superiors advice and they say just "lie to them and get rid of them". The hypocrisy undermines the message.
Isn't this what the organizational church does? Lie to them and then just get rid of them if they question at all the message or the goals of the institution or it's leaders. The organizational church has a well written rule, that though, not printed in the Constitutions or by laws, that says this - "Don't Rock The Boat, or you will be thrown overboard and left to drown alone".
I wished they would post this above the entry doors of every church building, it would save a lot of seeking sheep from ever entering their gates. It would also save a lot of sheep left to bleeding alone after the injury.

It isn't the messengers fault is it?
Well, perhaps it is.

Back to my comparison of corporations in the job world to corporations in the church world. In my story the person decides he will just find another job and on and on the search for something real in their hearts is desired to be found, where justice and goodness lies, these things never come to reality, they never takes foot in the real world.
This is the same for most church goers. When the service is over, the messenger has gone home, and you can barely remember what made you feel good for the hour, along comes - the rubber to the road.
The kids suddenly make you mad, the wife makes you mad, the bill collectors make you mad, the driver in the roadway, makes you mad. You just can't find enough money to pay all the bills you have accumalted purchsing all those things for a temporary "feel good".
How do you handle these things?
Usually like everyone else. You get mad, and lose your religion. That's just the problem, when it is just words, just a message, just religion and not a reality, you lose it. You will keep on losing it, until your found by Jesus.

How can it become a reality for you, you ask?

I can say this much, the organizational church will never do it. The meetings, the messages, the programs, etc, will never do it.

Only, a truly resurrected Messiah, can do it.

Paul knew this, and I believe when he invited these pagans to come along with him to a meeting of believers what they found was community, a sharing of lives, a sharing of everything they had or would be. The Agape meal, the discourse over dinner and before and after, the taking of the bread and wine, the genuine interest and behaviour of others made the pagan realize, that this was not just any resurrection that had taken place, this was truly the Son of God, the Master of the Universe, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Prince of Peace.
They found in those meetings nothing that resembled the world in it's "power over others", philosphy.
Most of all, there was a love and a peace present never found anywhere else, as they sat in the home of the provider, and shared food with the family and the people shared their property with these newly invited, soon to be converts.
There was no pretense, no lording it over others, no religious activity, no formulated meeting, no leader, who was in charge, not just one person doing all the talking, it was real life community, and it turned the world upside down.
God's justice could be seen for the poor, the sick, the orphan and the way that they gave of themselves and holding everything in common.
The community, genuinely cared for one another, loved one another and when they went home to their own houses, they couldn't wait to see those they loved again, which could be at anytime of day or week, for it was relationship, as never experienced with others before. Never ever seen in the world and all it's pagan worship and admiration. These "Christians" were odd people. They were strangers in a strange land.
How, why, what made them so different?
Could it really be that this Jesus they showed in their behavior in words and deed, was really alive?
Alive, in them?

They didn't find anyone trying to be better than the other guy, no special someone telling them how to increase the profits of the corporation, no special tactics to do so, no gathering the money to build a bigger house to meet in, they would just spread out to their own homes making them available as many as such that were to come to believe and give of what they had to those less fortunate then they, these pagans came to know the reality of a LIVING AND RESURRECTED JESUS!

There was an excitement, that didn't burn out, but an excitement that spread like a wild fire to everyone around them. For they had found what they had been looking for, something that was in total opposition to the way the world does things, and though in the world, they could say, "Thy Kingdom Come, thy will be done, on earth as it is heaven". The life of Jesus was creating that in them and about them.
It was radically different from all the pagan worship meetings they had been to. There was no priest, no sacrifice, no formula, for Christ was the High Priest, He had made the final sacrifice, He called those of His to worship in Spirit and in Truth, each being equal as a priesthood of believers.
Each one there, had importance or a part to the fellowship, one person missing would be liking losing a foot or an arm. Thus Paul could draw this comparison for those meeting in Corinth. They may have had their problems, but they had found community, they had discovered true worship...one has a song, one has a message, one a tongue, the other an interpretation, and so the meeting went.
There were no assigned leaders, no bulletins of formula to follow, all they had to do was follow Jesus and His Spirit's leading within those guidelines as laid out by Paul.
The Elder held no office, no authority, no education, they came up as a result of the Spirit's work among them, the gifts were everywhere among them, each had a gift, each could exercise that gift, whether it be adminstration, or teaching. There was no one going to look at them and tell Jesus, No you can't do it.

The AnaBaptist called it - "Sitter's rights".
The Quakers, today do some of the same thing but in a much different way then the early Christians or the AnaBaptist did.

Gradually as usual, men came along as sheep in wolves clothing to seek to steal, to kill and to destroy. To take away the power of the pope, the priest or the pastor over others was a tremendous threat and so the body of Christ, begin to be eroded at through a conspiracy from Hell! It has lasted for 1900 years. The battle still rages!

Just as Jesus was a threat to the powers that were - the Pharisees, the Scribes, the Zealots, the Sadducees and Rome herself. Men enpowered by he who usurps himself above God to want to be god, Satan continues today to do the same.

Had not the Apostles warned this would happen when they were gone, had not Jesus warned the Apostles of this same thing?

What has been left behind is a fragmented, distorted picture and a very pagan institution in the Corporate church of today. They have no concept of what these meetings by early Christians were like and what they meant to the overall message- HE HAS RISEN!

Why?
Didn't Jesus tell Peter, that the "gates of hell would not prevail against the Ekklesia"?

Perhaps, since we find so much evil in the organization, we must ask, is this the true physical example of what Jesus spoke of as the Ekklesia?
Is this the organizational church "that hell could not prevail against"?
Is this even a facsimility of what once was?
Is this the real church?
Is this what Jesus set out to do, to just create another religion full of hierarchy, and money and temples. If so, then why did he even come?
Why the big deal of Pentecost?
What was the reason for His resurrection, if many stories could be told of other great heroes and legends in pagan times and religion that were supposedly raised up from the grave and ascended into the heavens?
What difference if any should the resurrection have for believers today?

These are questions we will ponder, as I continue to write about this over the year.

Periodically there will be other writings in between.

In the meantime, I pray that you will find meaning and community in knowing the true Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that you may experience Him fully as real in your life as the nose on your face. He is real, His power is real, and His grace and mercy endures forever. I pray for each of my brethern seeking to know this reality, that for them, our Father will call them unto Himself, and that He will come and abide with them, and they with Him.
I pray that the resurrection will mean more than just words, or ideas, but something experientially you will experience through the indwelling life of the Holy Spirit.

Dr. J.