The closer we get to Jesus’ return, the further away many Christians and churches are drifting from the Great Commission. One well-known statement epitomizes the apathy prevalent in much of our time’s lukewarm, watered-down Western church.
The decades-old popular false notion is that someone can be so heavenly-minded that they’re no earthly good. This is the sentiment of many believers who desire to be liked by the world so much that they become virtually indistinguishable from the world they are trying to reach. They have become so earthly-minded that they are no heavenly good. Let’s look at the stark difference between man-made efforts to get the world to like us versus the power of God to save and transform people (Romans 1:16).
Consider how many new churches have popped up in your area recently. Most of these churches are swanky new buildings with cafes, game rooms, bookstores, and next-step areas meant to attract the local community with amenities for everyone. The new buzzword in ministry circles is relevant, and people have built ministries instructing believers on how to be more relevant as if the gospel isn’t enough. The desire to be liked by the world so desperately has rendered many churches and individuals irrelevant in the world to come.
This isn’t a blanket statement, but the first and oftentimes only thing many Christians in America and the West boast about is how great their church is or what a dynamic speaker the pastor is rather than how awesome Jesus is. People are encouraged to connect, plug in, join something, or serve together. My question is this: What are they serving, joining, and plugging into? I’ve talked to some of these “involved people” and genuinely wanted to know and asked them how they got saved. They seem completely clueless about eternal matters. They would say, “I started going to this church last year,” or “I grew up around the church and wanted to reconnect.” It seems like many people are finding community, not repentance and saving faith in Jesus.
