obstacles to Revival

A few days ago, I spoke with one of my son's friends about his church, where he has regularly attended since he was four years old; he is now seventeen.  "During the past two years, how many people, do you suppose, have been truly converted at your church?"   He thought about that for several moments and then answered: "Maybe..., fifteen?"  "If that's actually the case," I replied, "then your church is doing far better than most other churches in America."

"So, then, your church is spiritually healthy and doing well?" I continued to asked him.  "Sure! it's a really good church!" he enthused.  Further questioning revealed that his church consists of about 200 parishioners, on average.  That sounds about right; as I have visited that church two or three times, during the past couple of years.  It is an independent, so-called "full gospel" (evangelical) church, conveniently located in a suburban area where at least 40,000 - 50,000 people live within a seven or eight mile radius of that church ~ in other words, within a ten-minute drive.

There's yet another interesting factor related to my son's friend's church.  Which is that his church is located in the same county which the DailyMail newspaper (of London, England) called: the "Overdose Capital of America: Ohio's Montgomery County" (source, here).  "The Columbus Dispatch" (of Columbus, Ohio) identified Ohio as "the nation's overdose capital" (source, here).

So, then, we're talking about a church with a congregation of about 200 people, within very convenient reach of at least 40,000 t0 50,000 people, situated within the county limits of "the [drug] overdose capital of America."  That church won (maybe) seven people to the Lord last year.  And (maybe) seven more the year before that.  (Which represents a year-to-year increase of 0.0% ~ and an actual decrease, in terms of the number of souls saved per capita, with respect to the size of that congregation.)

Let's suppose that those 200 churchgoers attend an average of 2 services per week, with each service lasting an average of 2 hours each (rather conservative estimates, to be sure).  Which means that, on average, there are at least 800 man-hours per week invested ~ just to conduct services at that church; not counting any special services, and not counting anything related to other operations and functions of that church.  According to that estimate, there are nearly 42,000 man-hours invested to conduct services at that church (during any one year).

How much money might be connected with operating such a church as that?  That is more difficult to appraise, without access to church documents.  However, an article dealing with church finances, which appeared in Christianity Today magazine, states that a congregation of 200 people typically averages around $4,000.00 per week in giving (source, here).  Which implies that the church in question probably takes in around $208,000.00 per year.

Putting it all together: my son's friend's church invested (wasted?), during the past two years, an estimated 84,000 man-hours, and a cost of around $416,000.00 ~ to reach (maybe) 15 souls ~ in the midst of a population of between 40,000 to 50,000 people within a 10-minute drive of that church, in the heart of "the overdose capital of America."  

During each of the past six months, five times the number of souls died of drug overdose in Montgomery county, Ohio, per month, than were saved at that evangelical church, during the entire two years previous! (statistics for Montgomery county, here).

Let that soak in for a moment... 

What's wrong with that picture?!  Does no one else see a problem with that situation? with that church?  Evidently, not.  Yet that situation is characteristic of practically every church in America ~ with the exception, of course, of an already large and still growing number of churches that appear to be doing a great job of leading more and more people to come to church, though not to Christ.
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It is not too difficult to evaluate the spiritual condition of any given church.  Of course, a Standard is needed, in order to measure or judge anything in particular.  Such a Standard, concerning what the Church is supposed to be and to do, is set before us in Scripture.  The Church is supposed to be a community of individuals whose main purpose and goal in life is to love one another "in deed and in truth" in Christ, and to advance the Cause of Christ (salvation of souls) and the kingdom of God (extend God's rule and authority) amongst men (by making disciples of all who will come to Christ, through the preaching and teaching of the Word of God). 

• Are souls regularly being genuinely saved (born again) and added to the church?
• Is there a strong emphasis placed on personal evangelism?
• Is there a "culture" in the church which reflects as well as cultivates a deep desire to win souls?
• Is there evidence that professed "conversions" are, in fact, genuine?

• Is there abundant evidence of purposeful discipling occurring within the church?
• Do members purposively reach out to make friends and to build relationships with new converts and/or new members of the church?
• Is there purposeful, personal training in the Christian life ~ in addition to what teaching may occur in the context of a classroom setting?
• Is the church assisting parents to provide genuinely Christian education to their children?

• Is there evidence that love is truly regarded, amongst the community of believers, as (what that is called in Scripture) "the Royal Law"?
• How are the church's finances used?  Does that reflect a genuine commitment to give priority to the physical needs of the church's own members?
• Is there blatant (material) disparity, such that some members appear affluent whilst other members are impoverished?
• Is love expressed in other ways that demonstrate a "culture" of compassion, respect, and mutual caring one for another?

• Is there an atmosphere of abiding, overflowing joy amongst the church?

• Are there frequent demonstrations of divine power and of answered prayers (i.e., physical healings; spiritual deliverances; miracles; true prophecies; etc.)?

To the vast majority of contemporary "Christians," the brief outline, above, must seem extraordinary ~ to the point even of exceeding (in their minds) what may (or should) be supposed is possible to achieve in this present world, amongst any church, any where.  Yet, those characteristics above described come straight from the Bible; and, they describe what God has identified as being "normal" conditions for every faithful church.

To tell the truth, I don't know where there is any such "faithful church" as above described, in America, today.  But that does not therefore mean it is impossible for a body of believers actually to live and to serve Christ, together, in America (or elsewhere), as a "New Testament church."  Not only is it altogether possible, through God; moreover, it is required of Christian persons, so to live (not according to my "list," but according to the Word of God.)

In response to my recent efforts amongst a certain local church, I was met with the objection, from the pastor: "We're just a bunch of imperfect people."  Well, if you recognize that that is the situation, pastor, then why don't you seek, through God, that those imperfections (which you obviously recognize) may be corrected and healed?  Such objections (as that pastor's) are only meant to justify the status-quo.  As if God is O.K. with that!

Probably, everyone understands what is meant by the expression, "the elephant in the room."  That phrase is a reference to the fact, as often it is the case, that there are certain, important things of which everyone is aware (and everyone knows that everyone else is aware of those things); yet, no one seems willing to talk about those things.

In America, there are herds of "elephants in the room," that is to say, in the churches.  Each one of those "elephants" represents some or another situation which ~ if it is not addressed and dealt with properly, that situation has the potential to do real damage in and to individual souls and, thus, also to the church.  Already, many individuals lie spiritually dead, as it were, having been trampled in the dust by some such "elephant" in the church, which was not dealt with in a godly manner.

Those herds of elephants I just mentioned; those hulking obstacles to Revival in the Church: are like a stampede that is occurring in churches all across America.  Every obstacle to the Holy Ghost, which has been allowed to stand in the way of Christ's ability to rule and to guide the churches according to His own will, shall prove to be not any mere threat to the Church.  But every thing that has been allowed to remain in the Church, which has in any way hindered Christ in His Church: those very things!! ~ those great "elephants in the room," are going to tread underfoot the mighty, and the proud, and the disobedient, and all those who will not take God seriously.