10 Reasons We Have Not Reached the
Unchurched
An
honest look at why our churches are all-too-often ineffective in sharing the
Gospel.
I am often amused when I hear myself identified as an expert in
any area. If I am a perceived expert, it is because I have had the wonderful
opportunity to listen to thousands of people over the past few decades. They
are the experts; I am little more than an interested reporter.
Though much of this information could be regarded as dismal, my
ultimate assessment is not that pessimistic. I believe in the God of miracles.
If my conclusions focused on human ability and goodness, I would have little
hope. But my conclusions presume the God of creation is on His throne.
For now, let us focus on what is wrong. Let us look with stark
honesty and candor at the ineffectiveness of most American believers when it
comes to sharing their faith. And in coming weeks, let us look at reversing the
trend through God's power.
1.
Spiritual Lethargy
One of the main reasons many
Christians do not share their faith is simply explained by the word
disobedience. Spiritual lethargy takes place when we fail to obey Him. The
problem for many Christians is that they are not growing spiritually, and lack
of spiritual growth inevitably leads to a diminished desire to share Christ
with others.
2.
Growing Inclusivism
One of the faster-growing belief
systems today is pluralism (all religions lead to God). A variation of
pluralism called inclusivism is a dangerous doctrine that is gaining momentum
in many American seminaries, Christian colleges, and churches. This view
affirms that Jesus is the only way of salvation, but he can be found in other "good"
religions. There is a subtle but growing belief among many Christians that
somehow "good" followers will make it to heaven outside of a true
Christian conversion. Our message will fall on deaf ears if this belief
persists and grows.
3.
Growing Disbelief in Hell
At one time, this was a view
held almost entirely by unbelievers. However recent books by those claiming to
be evangelicals have brought this discussion front and center. Those who truly
have a desire to reach the unchurched have a burden to see people in the
eternity of heaven, but they also desire to see them escape the wrath of an
eternal hell. Denying the existence of hell undermines the urgency of placing
one's faith in Christ.
4.
Busyness
Perhaps one of Satan's most
effective strategies is to get us so busy that we fail to do that which is such
a high biblical priority. We can be deluded into complacency about the lostness
of humanity around us. The unchurched are waiting for you to tell them about
Jesus. They need to be on your to-do list. What priority do you give to
reaching the lost?
5.
Fear of Rejection
In research on this subject, I
found that only one in four unchurched persons we be resistant to faith
discussions. But nearly four out of ten of the unchurched will be receptive to
your concern for their eternity, and more than one out three will simply be
neutral to your attempts. Simply stated, fear of rejection
is unfounded. The few with an antagonistic attitude are not rejecting your
personally; their anger is merely a reflection of something in their past. Fear
of rejection is an often-used excuse by Christians for their failure to
witness. And it is just that: an excuse.
Have you used any of these
reasons not to reach the unchurched? How did you overcome them? What have you
done to combat them in the future?
6.
A Desire to Be Tolerant
The message of the gospel, in
some senses, is intolerant. The one true God insists there can be no other
gods. He is a jealous God and leaves no room for other gods. In the post-modern
culture of 21st century America, Christians should know the criticisms of
intolerance will come. The great concern is that many Christians are unwilling
to take a narrow view because they do not want to be labeled as intolerant. But
Jesus never waivered in His insistence that He is the only way to the one and
only true God.
7.
Losing the Habit of Witnessing
Some Christians have been very
active in sharing their faith with the lost and the unchurched. But, for a
myriad of reasons, they get out of the habit, and it no longer becomes a
priority. Witnessing, like prayer and Bible study, is a discipline. It is a
habit to learn, to retain, and, if lost, to regain.
8.
Lack of Accountability
Programmatic evangelism in local
churches is sometimes denigrated because it is seen as a "canned"
approach to witnessing. But one of the strengths of many of these programs is
that some inherent system of accountability is built into the program itself.
Accountability is likely to engender more witnessing attempts to the
unchurched. Attempting more evangelistic encounters creates a habit of
witnessing that then increases our zeal for evangelism.
9.
Failure to Invite
When is the last time you
invited an unchurched person to church? When is the last time you offered to
take a person to church, or, at the very least, meet him or her at church? It's
a simple gesture, yet so few Christians do it.
10.
We Go to Churches That Do Not Reach the Unchurched
We only reach one person for
Christ each year for every 85 church members in the United States. That is a
frightening and terrible ratio. One of the key reasons we do not reach the
unchurched is that most Christians in America are members of churches that do
not reach the unchurched.
I've now covered ten of the most
common reasons Christians fail to obey the Great Commission. This list is not
exhaustive though. In God's power, however, we can reverse this trend and reach
the unchurched in America.
Which area do you struggle with the most? Which area can you
identify as one that can be easily improved in your life?
Thom S.
Rainer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources (LifeWay.com).
He was founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and
Church Growth at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. His many books
include Surprising Insights from the Unchurched, The Unexpected Journey, and
Breakout Churches.
