Rate Your Church – Is it:
Traditional or Transformed
Current or End-Times
Converts or Disciples
Introduction
Is the Christian Church today, successful?
Is it winning the battle over evil?
Is it fulfilling the Great Commission?
Is it ushering in the Kingdom of God?
Is it preparing people to handle the End-Times?
Is it fulfilling God’s desire?
Here is a hard look at the State-of-the-Church today.
Today, there are many good churches doing many good works with an emphasis on getting people saved and into heaven – a purpose fulfilled. Jesus went around doing many good works.
But beyond that, is the church doing good works or God works? Are they actually making disciples or just entertaining converts? (Jesus’ primary focus was making disciples – “Make 12”)
Today, the World is discipling the Church
The devil is discipling the world, and both are discipling the Church.
And the battle is raging!
Secular, un-godly, pagan beliefs are creeping back into homes and the Church through secular education, TV, movies, the media, the government, etc.
Unfortunately, many in the Church, both leaders and the people, are bending under these unrelenting external forces of society, culture, lies, and secularism that is demanding inclusivity, tolerance, open-mindedness, progressiveness, political correctness, and compromise.
Pastors and leaders offer feel-good messages or twist and alter what the Bible says in order to appease a crowd with “itching ears.” (2 Tim 4:3-4)
This devil’s infiltration of deception and lies into the Church denies the reality of the Bible’s absolute Truth and opens the door for spiritual error, false teaching, discord, conforming to the world’s moral standards, accepting others’ beliefs, and lukewarmness in the Church.
The devil’s #1 creed is to be your own god and do what thou will (straight from the Garden of Eden – eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and be like God).
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 1 Tim 4:1
Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan. 1 Tim 5:15
That is discipleship!
Discipleship works!
These last days will be the most challenging period the Church has ever faced.
With an outright assault by Satan on the institution of Christianity, demonic forces are rapidly spreading and exerting their influence worldwide in the attempt to destroy the Church and wage war for the control of the Nations before the Second Coming of Jesus.
Jesus’ greatest warning to the seven churches in Revelation was to stop accommodating the unbelieving, carnal world, and assimilating that mindset into the Church. Repent of worldliness and carnality!
That same message applies to every church of every generation, including the Church of today.
This is a serious time – a time to call the Body of Christ to action, raise up the Army of God, actively engage the forces of darkness, stand firm against the enemy’s strategies, and drive back the spiritual darkness with the light of the Gospel so Jesus can be exalted and claim the Nations in Jesus’ name.
This will only happen through a TRANSFORMED Church *
God wants the Church to change the world
The Church is to disciple the world.
The battle between good and evil is the battle between two armies: Satan and the forces of darkness, and Christ and the Army of God (Isa 13:4; Joel 2:1-11; Rev 17:14, 19:13-19).
Satan’s full intent is to be god of this world (2Cor 4:4) and he is filled with fury! (Rev 12:12)
But it is a spiritual battle, not a carnal one, nor a political one.
(Men change the world externally – naturally; Christ changes the world internally – spiritually)
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Eph 6:10-12
It is a battle of discipleship – by changing hearts and minds and opening eyes and turning darkness to light (Eating from the Tree of Life – “Make 12”).
I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. Acts 26:17
The Christian Church, claiming to represent Jesus Christ, should be the most respectable institution on earth.
But today, people’s respect, trust, belief, and faith in this institution representing God, has been devastated by horrific sins, televangelists scandals, molestation of children, corruption, hypocrisy, financial abuse, division, cover-ups by religious leaders, and seismic, social upheaval.
It now ranks right up there with the lack trust and faith in our governing, secular institutions.
The Church today needs more than a Reformation, it needs a Transformation *
So, what is a spiritually transformed church?
Discipling by the Church must be greater than the devil’s discipling. (i.e., education and training in God’s Word (light) must be greater than and counteract all the secular input – darkness).
God gets Christians for 1 hour/week; secular media and news gets them for 10 hours/week, secular education gets their children for 30 hours/week; and the world (family, friends, work) has their attention and influence for the rest of the week) (And that’s conservative!)
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Rom 12:2
The End Time Church is one that must hear and hearken to what the Spirit is saying and receive the divine power it needs for correction, change, and transformation to become the remnant that will not bow in these perilous last days.
The Church must act now!
Those willing to be transformed and unwilling to compromise with the world will experience previously unknown levels of the power of God to stand boldly as His representatives and ambassadors.
God WILL build His Church and He will have a Bride without spot or wrinkle (Eph 5:27).
I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matt 16:18
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* Luther’s 95 Theses led to a Reformation. Transformation is the next and last step – a needed final Transformation before Jesus’ return – “Make 12”.
Table of Contents
| The Current (Traditional) Church | The End-Time (Transformed) Church |
|---|---|
| Read next: Characteristics | Characteristics |
| The Result | The Result |
| The Reason | The Reason |
| The Effect | The Effect |
| The Future | The Future |
| Curriculum Content (Introduction and Sample) |