- Why turning Jesus into pragmatic religion isn’t working & how we can fix this -

By: Shannon Turner

CHURCHES ARE COMMITTING PRAGMATIC SUICIDE

CHURCH ATTENDANCE IS DECLINING

• Faith in Jesus is growing in some ways

• Non-church going population in Europe & U.S. also growing

• “no religious preference” selected more in America on surveys

Source: http://tobingrant.religionnews.com/2014/08/01/five-signs-great-decline-religion-america-gallup-graphs-church/Source: The Reason for God by Timothy Keller

COLLEGE & RELIGION

• Religion generally not talked about casually

• Many of my peers actually detest religion

• I am a Christian yet I agree

WHY THE CHURCH DECLINE & DETESTING?

• I argue that churches aren’t being “killed” by low attendance but are committing “suicide” themselves by turning Jesus into pragmatic religion.

RELIGION DEFINITION

• Religion- what one must do, or behave like, in order to gain right standing with God and/or achieve salvation.

• Can apply to all religions but focusing on those that stem from belief in Jesus

PRAGMATICS IS WHAT PREACHERS KNOW

• Easy to read 10 commandments

• Labeled sins & advocated behaviors in the Bible

• So “Jesus is like this, so do that”

DANGEROUS ASSUMPTION

• Preaching just rules dangerously assumes all know & understand true nature of God & Gospel

• By passing understanding= moralistic religion without foundation for behavior

“DO THIS, DO THAT”

• Moralistic deism

• “Do this, do that”

• “Think this, think that”

• “Don’t do this or that”

• This does not transform people

• But Jesus changed everything?

DON’T KNOW CHRIST, CAN’T HOLD TO CHRIST STANDARD

• Those who do not know Christ cannot be held to the standard of Christ!

• Can’t force Christ’s teachings down throat

• Can only come to understand after understand meaning of Christ & the cross

RELIGION PASSED THROUGH HISTORY

• Passed through families

• Tradition

• Sometimes picked up to add meaning

• Often not questioned

• Mythic worldview

• Busy/Indifferent

• “Just believe”

COLLAPSING & NOT COMPELLING

• This religion is what my peers & others see

• Not compelling

• Collapse in faith:

• After tragedy

• After Questioning

• Smart skeptic

WHITE-KNUCKLING RELIGION

• Leave when white-knuckling only leads to despair

• “I was good, God! This is how you repay me?!”

“JUST BELIEVE.”

• If I get news, need a lot more than rules & “just believe”

YOUTH GROUP ISN’T THE ISSUE

• Kids aren’t leaving because not fun

• Grow up & leave because only told rules

• Why??

• …Because “God says so.”

“BECAUSE GOD SAYS SO”

• Not quite compelling to those outside of Christ

• Compels to go pick rules from other religions like better

FORCED & INCONSISTENT

• Feels forced• Inconsistent with Jesus• Followers gave up everything

WHY IS JESUS BETTER?

• Why is Jesus better?

• Must be answered or makes no sense

• Yet acquiring this faith in Jesus requires more than intellectual acceptance

• Rather need full heart conversion

• How?

BY PREACHING THE GOSPEL

• ↑ How hearts are transformed 360˚!

• “HEY, Jesus is better than everything you own and everyone you know so if you lost everything you may be down for some time but you’d still have a fullness of joy in your heart and life because you have Jesus”

• What?.....

YOU DON’T HAVE TO CHANGE ANYTHING

• Don’t have to make Jesus “cool”

• Stay true to Gospel message

• Compelling to man’s deepest desires

DOESN’T MEAN ALL WILL ACCEPT

• Faith comes by hearing the Gospel

• “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing the word of Christ.” –Romans 10:17

• Doesn’t mean all ready to accept

• But Christians must step up to preach AND live out Gospel

SO HOW DO CHURCHES STOP PRAGMATIC SUICIDE?

• Preach the Gospel

• Relate all topics back to Gospel

• Live out the Gospel

• Emphasize the Gospel

• Over rule following

SOURCES

• Religion News Service. Great Decline of Religion in America http://tobingrant.religionnews.com/2014/08/01/five-signs-great-decline-religion-america-gallup-graphs-church/

• The Reason for God by Timothy Keller