NEWS UnChristian
I've been making my way through a book I purchased recently titled, "UnChristian," by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. Both authors are well respected in the Christian community. David is president of the Barna Group and Gabe is founder of the Fermi Project.
UnChristian is an indepth exploration of how people outside of Christianity think and feel about Christians today. What non-Christians see and what impression they have of Christians is obviously an important issue to the Christian community. Do people see Jesus or do they see other things?
The extensive research done by Kinnaman and The Barna Group shows that many of those outside of Christianity, especially younger adults, have little trust in the Christian faith, and esteem for the lifestyle of Christ followers is quickly fading among outsiders. Tellingly, they admit their emotional and intellectual barriers go up when they are around Christians, and they reject Jesus because they feel rejected by Christians.
Read that last sentence again. Non Christians reject Jesus because they feel rejected by Christians. Are you surprised by this finding? I am not.
As I've stated before in many previous posts on this blog, love is largely absent from Christianity today. God is love (1 John 4:8), but Christ and His love are missing from Christianity. We have a religion about Christ, but His loving Spirit is not present. That is the fundamental problem with Christianity. Perhaps Christians can't see it, but non Christians see it very clearly.
The lack of love is the telltale sign that Jesus is not in the hearts of those who call themselves Christians. Anybody that has read the Gospels knows that Jesus embraced and loved sinners while at the same time the Lord blasted the religious Pharisees. Jesus loved sinners. All sinners.
Kinnaman and Lyons quote one outsider from Mississippi that they spoke to for their study. The man said this:
"Christianity has become bloated with blind followers who would rather repeat slogans than actually feel true compassion and care. Christianity has become marketed and streamlined into a juggernaut of fearmongering that has lost its own heart."
Let's contrast this statement to one Jesus said about the Pharisees nearly 2,000 years ago:
"Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit" (Matthew 15:14).
Pretty striking, isn't it? Can you see the irony? Man has done precisely what Jesus intended to be undone with Judaism. Love fulfills the law, and becomes the foundation of all humanity. Thy kingdom come. But instead, man has taken something profoundly spiritual, rich in love and grace - that is, Jesus Christ - and created a religion that is devoid of the very thing it is supposed to represent.
Christianity has become the same thing Judaism was when Jesus walked the earth! A religion devoid of love.
What advice did the Lord give to those who were concerned with unloving religious leaders? Jesus said, simply:
"Let them alone."
I remember crying out loud to the Lord a while back about the state of Christianity. My heart was aching. I was depressed. I did not understand all the denominations, dissension, hatred and acute lack of love I saw in Christianity. Many of the Christian evangelists I saw on TV appeared to me as wolves in sheep's clothing.
I asked the Lord to illuminate to me how man could have created a religion in His name, and yet, be utterly devoid of Him. At a moment of desperation, when I could not stomach any more of organized religion, I simply let Christianty go.
Yesterday, as I was reading the Gospel of Matthew, I came across verse 15:14. What Jesus told His followers about religious leaders went through me like a lightening bolt:
"Let them alone."
That's exactly what the Spirit led me to do last summer. I didn't realize it at the time, but I did the same thing Jesus told his followers to do nearly 2,000 years ago.
After further reflection on Matthew 15:14, I recalled an email I sent last summer to a friend who is a pastor running a church nearby. The email had one message: "Goodbye Christianity." I was giving up on organized religion. I was going to focus all my heart and energies on Christ. I realized there was a profound difference between Christianity and Christ. My heart was with Jesus - not with Christianity.
Fast forward back to today. I am reading "UnChristian," and I see the authors discussing many of the things I have found so disturbing since being blessed with the Spirit almost five years ago. There is something profoundly wrong with Christianity.
I may have lost whatever little faith I have ever had in Christianity as an organized religion, but I have great faith - GREAT FAITH! - in Jesus. I believe in the power of His love and grace more today than I ever have in my entire life. Everyday I wake up with a burning desire to grow closer to the heart of God.
It took me a few years of praying, reading and listening, but I now understand that The Lord is building His Church. I also clearly understand that I am a living stone in His Church. I further realize that His Church bears very little resemblance to the churches we see here on Earth. Jesus' Church is built upon a foundation of love. The love I desire to carry in my heart is His never-failing love. We go to the Cross daily because that is how our hearts become filled with His perfect love.
For all those seeking to fill their hearts with God's love, there is one thing and only one thing you must do above all else. Jesus told us the answer:
"But seek first His kingdom." (Matthew 6:33)
"Seek first His kingdom," said Jesus, "...and all these things will be added to you." That is the way to the heart of God - a heart filled with the most awesome love in the universe. His kingdom is built with love and grounded in love. As Paul told the Galatians:
"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." (Galatians 5:6)
Somewhere along the way, Jesus' message in Matthew 6:33 and Paul's Holy-Spirit-filled message to the Galatians got lost. Men and women have gotten lost in many things that are not of Christ. They have lost The Way.
This is one of the key findings of "UnChristian". It sheds light on why millions of people are leaving their churches. People are seeking Christ outside man-made churches because they aren't finding Him in man-made churches. Makes perfect sense to me.
I know this is not the kind of news church leaders want to hear, but the truth is Jesus has His Church to build and He is going to build His Church regardless of what man thinks and does. We know the only Church that will be around in the end is His Church.
May you find the strength to seek His kingdom first.
Agape,
Steve
I can't say I'm surprised by the results of their study.
UnChristian is an indepth exploration of how people outside of Christianity think and feel about Christians today. What non-Christians see and what impression they have of Christians is obviously an important issue to the Christian community. Do people see Jesus or do they see other things?
The extensive research done by Kinnaman and The Barna Group shows that many of those outside of Christianity, especially younger adults, have little trust in the Christian faith, and esteem for the lifestyle of Christ followers is quickly fading among outsiders. Tellingly, they admit their emotional and intellectual barriers go up when they are around Christians, and they reject Jesus because they feel rejected by Christians.
Read that last sentence again. Non Christians reject Jesus because they feel rejected by Christians. Are you surprised by this finding? I am not.
As I've stated before in many previous posts on this blog, love is largely absent from Christianity today. God is love (1 John 4:8), but Christ and His love are missing from Christianity. We have a religion about Christ, but His loving Spirit is not present. That is the fundamental problem with Christianity. Perhaps Christians can't see it, but non Christians see it very clearly.
The lack of love is the telltale sign that Jesus is not in the hearts of those who call themselves Christians. Anybody that has read the Gospels knows that Jesus embraced and loved sinners while at the same time the Lord blasted the religious Pharisees. Jesus loved sinners. All sinners.
Kinnaman and Lyons quote one outsider from Mississippi that they spoke to for their study. The man said this:
"Christianity has become bloated with blind followers who would rather repeat slogans than actually feel true compassion and care. Christianity has become marketed and streamlined into a juggernaut of fearmongering that has lost its own heart."
Let's contrast this statement to one Jesus said about the Pharisees nearly 2,000 years ago:
"Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit" (Matthew 15:14).
Pretty striking, isn't it? Can you see the irony? Man has done precisely what Jesus intended to be undone with Judaism. Love fulfills the law, and becomes the foundation of all humanity. Thy kingdom come. But instead, man has taken something profoundly spiritual, rich in love and grace - that is, Jesus Christ - and created a religion that is devoid of the very thing it is supposed to represent.
Christianity has become the same thing Judaism was when Jesus walked the earth! A religion devoid of love.
What advice did the Lord give to those who were concerned with unloving religious leaders? Jesus said, simply:
"Let them alone."
I remember crying out loud to the Lord a while back about the state of Christianity. My heart was aching. I was depressed. I did not understand all the denominations, dissension, hatred and acute lack of love I saw in Christianity. Many of the Christian evangelists I saw on TV appeared to me as wolves in sheep's clothing.
I asked the Lord to illuminate to me how man could have created a religion in His name, and yet, be utterly devoid of Him. At a moment of desperation, when I could not stomach any more of organized religion, I simply let Christianty go.
Yesterday, as I was reading the Gospel of Matthew, I came across verse 15:14. What Jesus told His followers about religious leaders went through me like a lightening bolt:
"Let them alone."
That's exactly what the Spirit led me to do last summer. I didn't realize it at the time, but I did the same thing Jesus told his followers to do nearly 2,000 years ago.
After further reflection on Matthew 15:14, I recalled an email I sent last summer to a friend who is a pastor running a church nearby. The email had one message: "Goodbye Christianity." I was giving up on organized religion. I was going to focus all my heart and energies on Christ. I realized there was a profound difference between Christianity and Christ. My heart was with Jesus - not with Christianity.
Fast forward back to today. I am reading "UnChristian," and I see the authors discussing many of the things I have found so disturbing since being blessed with the Spirit almost five years ago. There is something profoundly wrong with Christianity.
I may have lost whatever little faith I have ever had in Christianity as an organized religion, but I have great faith - GREAT FAITH! - in Jesus. I believe in the power of His love and grace more today than I ever have in my entire life. Everyday I wake up with a burning desire to grow closer to the heart of God.
It took me a few years of praying, reading and listening, but I now understand that The Lord is building His Church. I also clearly understand that I am a living stone in His Church. I further realize that His Church bears very little resemblance to the churches we see here on Earth. Jesus' Church is built upon a foundation of love. The love I desire to carry in my heart is His never-failing love. We go to the Cross daily because that is how our hearts become filled with His perfect love.
For all those seeking to fill their hearts with God's love, there is one thing and only one thing you must do above all else. Jesus told us the answer:
"But seek first His kingdom." (Matthew 6:33)
"Seek first His kingdom," said Jesus, "...and all these things will be added to you." That is the way to the heart of God - a heart filled with the most awesome love in the universe. His kingdom is built with love and grounded in love. As Paul told the Galatians:
"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." (Galatians 5:6)
Somewhere along the way, Jesus' message in Matthew 6:33 and Paul's Holy-Spirit-filled message to the Galatians got lost. Men and women have gotten lost in many things that are not of Christ. They have lost The Way.
This is one of the key findings of "UnChristian". It sheds light on why millions of people are leaving their churches. People are seeking Christ outside man-made churches because they aren't finding Him in man-made churches. Makes perfect sense to me.
I know this is not the kind of news church leaders want to hear, but the truth is Jesus has His Church to build and He is going to build His Church regardless of what man thinks and does. We know the only Church that will be around in the end is His Church.
May you find the strength to seek His kingdom first.
Agape,
Steve
I can't say I'm surprised by the results of their study.
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