• What Is The Biggest Problem In The Church?

  Contributed by Michael Mccartney on May 1, 2008 (message contributor)

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  Tags:  Faith

  Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE CHURCH?

Relevant Magazine, in their May-June 2008 issue, asked a bunch of church leaders this question: "Faith: What is the biggest problem facing the church today?" Here are some of their response from pages 73, 74:

a. Shane Claiborne: "One of the most dangerous things in the Church today is the prosperity gospel that God has come to bless you and to give you health and wealth. The Christian experience becomes just about what you can get."

b. Nancy Ortberg: "We don't believe God. We don't believe the vision of God. We don't believe who he is. We don't believe that he's good. Were not captivated by that vision..."

c. N.T. Wright: "I think it has to do with relearning the issue of how to think...The Bible still waits there as this wonderful, huge, enormously energizing, complex book, which actually has the robustness and the suppleness to carry us forward into the new place we should be."

d. Chuck Colson: "We have substituted therapy for Truth. We hear a feel-good message, and we've lost our understanding of the basic truths of Christianity...but live out our faith in such a way that people can see the invisible Kingdom made visible in our midst."

e. Brian McLaren: "I think the biggest problem of the Church in America is that we've lost our way. We've gotten comfortable carrying on a version of Christianity that has drifted farther and farther from what God intends."

f. Steve Brown: "I think (the biggest problem) might be self-righteousness. What to do about it? Repent, publicly and often."

g. Cindy Jacobs: "We need to get back to a biblical worldview."