A Church Built with Human Hands

The biblical premise for the growth of the church of Christ is because we are preaching the gospel and making disciples. The perverted form that this has taken in America today is something else entirely. Is what we do in the American church a good representation of what Christ intended when he instituted the church?

Most pastors rate the success of their church on money and attendance. Is this what God calls success? I’m sure I am going to alienate many people by asking this question, but can we reconcile the current American church to the Scriptures and the teachings of Jesus? I have wrestled with this question most of my life as a believer. Of course, without even a second thought, most pastors would say, “Of course we can. No one is perfect, but we do our best.”

I’m not condemning pastors. I know that being a true pastor and preacher of the gospel has special challenges today compared to years past in America. But when compared to the rest of the world, or the climate in which Jesus or the apostles preached in, we must admit that the reason we feel it is hard is due to the fact that we have become comfortable and complacent. 

The Bible says that church is for Christians, and that it is for the worship of God and discipleship of believers. I am all for outreach and evangelism but in an effort to make non-believers feel comfortable we have done some unbiblical and drastic things within the walls of our churches. Most of which, in my opinion, have little or no resemblance to the first century church. 

Our Focus on Growth 
The lengths many modern churches are willing to go in order to gain people is staggering to me. In our corporate-driven age, we have let every level of the church be infiltrated by the systems and methods of man. Mega churches are told by consultants what gimmicks will attract people and they gladly oblige because we must get people in the door to be able to minister to them, right? 

Anything that stands in the way of numerical growth is cast to the side. Many modern evangelical churches have decided things like Sunday school, corporate prayer meetings, and systematic and expository Bible study are obstacles to growth, so they are taken out. 

Short encouraging topical sermons, with lights, smoke machines, and state-of-the-art production and music are installed in the hopes it will hold the attention of the falsely-converted masses long enough to convince them to make a decision for Christ—of course while the lights are down and no one is looking around. 

Many of these churches at one time were true churches where the gospel was preached, and disciples were made, but have now fallen to the weighty pressure of cultural relevance, the seeker-friendly model, and secular-growth schemes. Some churches have been created exclusively by and for this movement. 

Preaching the Gospel
Do we believe that Word of God transforms lives? Do we believe that it is the Spirit that draws people to repentance? Do we believe Christ is enough? Then what have we done to the church? I know most people who are caught up in secular leadership models and the seeker-friendly model are well intentioned, but frankly that doesn’t matter. 

The idea that it is our responsibility to grow the church is foolish and not found in the Scripture. We are to preach the gospel and live lives that honor God, and Christ, through the power of the Spirit, will build his church. If we build something that truly honors God, we should be excited about bringing people, but changing the culture of church to get people in the door is worldly and foolish. 

“He saith unto them, but whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:15-18 (KJV) 

Christ himself will build his church through confession of faith in Christ as revealed by the Holy Spirit. Where in the Scripture did it say that we must do whatever it takes to get people to come and join the church? Paul never wrote an epistle to Timothy that said, “I’ll be there to check on the church in a few months and I hope that attendance is up by then.” 

Speaking the Truth in Love
I am not against the church growing. Of course, it is a beautiful thing when the numbers of the kingdom of God grow, when the full counsel of God is preached, when you retain people who truly surrender their lives to Christ and become part of the family and community of God. But not all growth is good growth! If your church is growing because you provide entertainment, a coffee bar, and encourage people despite the sinful lifestyle they are living, that is not good growth. 

The truth in love is what we should give the world. If we think we can truly love people without giving the whole truth according to the Scripture, then we are not only deceiving them we are also deceiving ourselves. Who are we to think that we know better than God, or that we have something to offer the world beyond the true love of God as revealed in the Scripture? 

The problem is that most within the American church think that they have the truth because they agree with the paper-thin gospel of accommodation and comfort preached from the pulpit each Sunday. 

Church has become watching movie clips and preaching the same repackaged sermons of encouragement week after week. Some churches that are not doing this would if they had the resources and ability to do so. This deception has overtaken much of the evangelical church. 

Take Up Your Cross
Immediately after Jesus performed the miracle where he fed five thousand men, not counting women and children, with seven loaves of bread and a couple pieces of fish he literally had the largest crowd of his ministry, which numbered in the thousands. It is at this point most of us would have planted a mega church and made many compromises to hold onto as many people as we could. 

Jesus had something else in mind. he turned to the crowd knowing that most of them were not true disciples of his and he spoke a message that cut deep to the true intentions of the masses thus separating his followers from false converts. 

“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 

Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:34-38 (KJV) 

By today’s standards Jesus was an utter failure as a pastor. He took a potential mega church of thousands down to a handful of people with one sermon. 

Now we have a lot of excuses why what Jesus said here doesn’t apply to us or our culture. I hear people say that it takes something different to reach people than it did then; or that it takes a lot more to reach this generation than it did in previous ones. This is foolish. The prophets of the Old Testament, the apostles, and Jesus all had something in common with the way they preached. They spoke the truth with boldness. 

Church “Success”
The problem isn’t that people have changed, it’s that what we consider success in the church has changed. Success to us means a lot of people in the seats and lots of money in the bank—bigger and bigger buildings, programs, and projects. 

Many pastors have come to grips with the pragmatic view that the end justifies the means. Most won’t come out and say it, but we all know that if we preach funny and witty topical messages people want to hear, things that benefit them and benefit the church machine, everyone walks away happy. 

What preacher has the conviction and courage to preach the truth as it is written in Scripture by the power of the Holy Spirit and not bow down to accommodate the wants of man? No preacher would actually say that he is ashamed of Jesus, but when we don’t preach his Word, word for word, and let the Holy Spirit do his work, our actions tell the truth about our hearts. This is why the Scripture says, “How hard is it for the rich to inherit the kingdom of God?” People who have a lot in this world feel like they have a lot to lose. 

How do these pastors prepare sermons? How do they come up with some of the pointless pop culture nonsense they preach? Is it lying prostrate on their faces before the Lord as they weep over their flock, their city, and the lost? Or do they hire consulting firms who give them data about every detail of what it takes to create a large church built with human hands? Or do they read books about secular leadership models, church growth, and what's trending in the culture?

The fruit of this is evident all around: large groups of people who come to be entertained, encouraged, and comforted, and worshiping at the altar of self—praying that God fill in the gaps of their American dream. 

God have mercy on us. Please forgive our blasphemy, break us once again until all of our want is lost in sight of God’s heavenly gaze. Withhold from us the damnation of worldly happiness and restore us to the joy of our salvation. 

In Christ,

Pastor Joshua

Joshua West is a pastor, evangelist, and author. he is also director of the World Challenge Pastors Network.