2 Thessalonians 2:3 (KJV) "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first..."
Pastor Emery White says in his new book “The Rise of the Nones” that secular thinking is driving more Christians to saying they are not affiliated with any Christian church or denomination.
Pastor White said in an interview with Ed Stetzer that America has definitively moved into a “post-Christian” era.
“We are living in a decisively post-Christian culture and I think it’s taking its toll on existing evangelicals and the church in a way that is creating more and more nominal Christians on the way to ‘nones’ who self-described themselves as evangelicals earlier,” White said.
Research conducted by Stetzer showed that over 30 percent of college age Americans who claim to be Christians say they have no affiliation with church or denomination.
White attributed the problem to not only youth but church culture at large where secular thought has become commonplace. White says that because Christians are thinking the way the world thinks, the values of Christ are washed away and that leads to the rise of behaviors and actions that were considered unthinkable just 20 years ago.
“We only care about our own needs being met because a spiritual narcissism has invaded the church,” White said. “There is a consumer mindset that has crept into the church and it’s not megachurches selling out the culture. The consumer mindset, the narcissism is within the believer, so you hear things like, ‘I need to go where I am being fed’ as opposed to feeding ourselves or maybe feeding someone else. We talk about ‘I need to go where I am ministered to’ as if that’s the goal of the church instead of you being the minister. We talk about, ‘Well, I just walked out of a worship service and I didn’t get anything out of it,’ which is heresy because the worship service has nothing to do with what you get out of it, the question is did God get anything out of it?”
White said anyone who refuses to die to themselves on these consumer ways would never be able to change the church, society or truly reach someone with the gospel of Christ.
“Until we get closer to the heart of the issue, which is the heart of the believer,” White said, “I think we are just going to be just putting band aids on a terminal disease.”
In a way I disagree with this article. I do not say I am any denomination anymore either, and I do attend a prayerful church. I say I am a believer in Jesus and the Trinity. Believe me, when you do talk to un-churchy people, many many “Christians” have a very bad name….mean, gossipy, judgmental, ruthless, hateful,etc, etc…you know the very very far far right. I am not one of them and I choose NOT to be associated with that bunch. I know we need to come together in love and prayer and unity, with Jesus as Lord, I try my best to let the unbelievers know that I do not see Jesus in the same light as some of the far far right does or have tried to explain their behavior to commit horrible deeds in His name. Giving our own testimonial sharing redemption, love and forgiveness is the route I choose to take.
The Lord Jesus and the Kingdom Of God is not a denomination but a personal relationship/walk. When I first received the Lord he told me ” You will attend buildings with names over the doors but don`t embrace their doctrines, for they are not of me.” “Every denomination has chosen a doctrine to set themselves apart”. But “the true body Of Christ will forsake these divisional names and come together in unity of spirit to worship me in spirit and in truth”. This is the first thing he told me was to be my prayer, “Unity in the Body of Christ”. Not unity in denominations.
Agree. Where is our First Love? This Love is the only Love that has saved us and will keep the Light of Life circulating within our souls. Otherwise, our spirits become dead and hardened to the precious love that was shed for our sin, offered to all people of the world, by means of His death on the cross. HE was resurrected, you know, and is VERY MUCH ALIVE TODAY. He will be appearing very soon and we all must pay attention BEFORE His arrival and our Home Going or we may be left behind for more suffering!
PREACHERS get back to TRUTH & PREACH CHRIST & HIM CRUCIFIED for salvation of all mankind.
The two lines of reasoning do not necessarily intersect. Self-identifying as non-denominational doesn’t mean one is slack or self-interested. It also doesn’t necessarily mean one is sliding into secularism. Do not make the mistake of thinking denominational loyalty equates to Christian piety. I see many believers who are clinging more closely to Christ, and that realize that human traditions (denominations) are not our saviors. So while some are being sucked into mega-churches, and even falling into apostasy, and whole denominations are abandoning their biblical roots, there is a strong current of individual believers clinging more closely to Christ…and meeting together with one another for praise, worship, and mutual edification.
This is true. Was it not the Laodicean church that God warned: Repent or I shall
spue you out of my mouth. May the Lord deliver us from our complacency and
high speed consumerism. The Apostle Paul said (even when he was beaten,
shipwrecked, imprisoned) “…to me, to Live is Christ, and to Die is Gain” Have
so many lost this vision? My prayer: that we will be renewed to our First Love
of Christ. This can only happen by our reading of His Word, Repentance and
Resolve. Receive God’s Grace and Mercy in this.