IS YOUR CONGREGATION IN A STATE OF SPIRITUAL CRISIS?

A Message to the Preachers, Elders, and Teachers of the Church of Christ

POCKETSERMONS.org by Rick Cutter

February 7, 2025
Good morning, Brothers.

I hope this writing finds everything well with you as we mutually serve our God and Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Brothers, I’ve been in the Church now for many years, having visited with brothers and sisters in numerous congregations throughout the United States and overseas alike. During this time, I’ve been blessed and honored to have met a great many truly wonderful and devout brothers and sisters in Christ. I believe that finer Christians could not be found anywhere on earth. Because of our dedication to the Restoration Movement’s noble pursuit of getting back to the Bible in all our teachings and practices, much good has been done to pursue Truth and Righteousness through and for the honor of our LSJC.

However, I am deeply troubled about the state of our modern churches. Today’s churches seem to be in serious spiritual and numerical decline. Regarding U.S. churches, many of us seem to be mired in traditionalism, materialism, and complacency. Many appear to not be growth focused (both personally and congregationally), probably because of an almost total lack of emphasis of it in our preaching and teaching. We seem to have left the noble cause of the Restoration Movement, having developed an attitude of great and dangerous confidence in our own righteousness. Some teachers and preachers do not seem to be aware of the serious spiritual nutritional deficiencies of our churches, spending much time teaching things that are generally accurate, but dismally fail to address these critical shortcomings of our churches. It seems that the things commonly neglected by modern Christians are rarely if ever addressed in the public teaching of preachers, elders and teachers. It’s like going to the emergency room from a serious gunshot wound only to have the doctor fixate on a minor rash or ingrown toenail. Some are like disobedient Israel, about whom Isaiah wrote: “They treat the wound of my people as though it is not serious…” (Jeremiah 6:14). Today’s average Christian can often recite what our modern doctrinal beliefs are supposed to be but are unable to clearly and logically articulate them from Scripture with sound hermeneutics to factually prove why we believe such things; and (in some cases) they simply aren’t Scripturally supportable.

But despite this state of spiritual crisis, congregations often view themselves as being alive and well, and fully pleasing to Christ, needing only to “hold down the fort” of their current state of being. This was the attitude of several early Churches of Christ to which Jesus would say:

Revelation 2:4-5 (To the Church at Ephesus)
But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

The Church at Ephesus, like perhaps many today, were doing some things right, and they were required to continue in them. But they were also doing some things terribly wrong, for which Jesus demanded their immediate repentance and recommitment to His Cause. The implication is that they would be losing their souls if they did not change.

Revelation 3:1-3 (To the Church at Sardis)
…I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of My God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.

One wonders if some of the churches listed in our Church Directory are like Sardis: They have a reputation of being alive but are on spiritual life-support to Christ. Jesus had equally disturbing words for the Church at Laodicea:

Revelation 3:15-17,19-20 (To the Church at Laodicea)
…I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit (nkjv: vomit) you out of My mouth.
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked…
Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me.

The Laodicean congregation had reached a state of total system failure. Not a single good thing did Christ have to say about this wealthy, self-confident church. They were clearly on the verge of losing their souls.

When I think of the many churches of Christ I’ve attended over the years, the rebukes of our Lord to these three (and other) Churches of Christ fearfully seem to apply. Some have reached such a state of inactivity and neglected spiritual development that I genuinely wonder if many have long ago lost their recognition as belonging to Christ. I wonder if many have a reputation of being alive, but they have died, meaning that their lampstand (recognition as belonging to Christ) has been removed by our Lord. When a church’s lampstand is removed by the Lord, there is no place to put a candle, no proper way of shining light to the world, of expressing pure Truth to humanity, of showing the world by our love for one another that we are truly Christ’s disciples. And in some cases, as stated above, congregations no longer properly represent pure Truth to the world. But as the Church of Christ, we must strive to be the pillar and foundation of Truth to the world, not merely the advancers of the doctrines of men, or harbingers of our multi-generational Traditional beliefs (1 Timothy 3:15; Galatians 1:10). Paul wrote that “the house of God…is the Church of the living God, the pillar (holds up) and ground (Strong’s: support, bulwark) of the Truth.” In other words, it is our job to hold up and then firmly reinforce the Truth in this world!

I truly believe that many Church leaders must strive to change the culture of their congregations to match that of the early Christian Church of Christ, which we know without question was pleasing to our Lord, for it was under the direct leadership of His appointed twelve apostles (to the Jews – Matthew 16:13-20), and Paul the apostle (to the Gentiles – 1 Corinthians 15:8). In my viewpoint, many modern Churches of Christ simply do not measure up to the historical descriptions of the faith, courage, zeal, dedication, enthusiasm, and involvement of our early Christian ancestors. Regarding those who lacked these things, God said the following things to His people of old:

Amos 6:1 – Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come!

Zephaniah 1:12 – At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’ (In other words, nothing will change, things will remain exactly as they are.)

Today’s leaders must take heed to our Lord’s ominous warnings of those neglecting their responsibilities:

Mark 13:31-37 – Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert ! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: `Watch!

We as Church leaders should know and understand that on the Day of Judgment, we will be primarily accountable to God for the condition of our churches. Please recall that although Eve sinned first, the lack of leadership of Adam, her head (1 Corinthians 11:3), resulted in God holding him primarily accountable (but not solely) for the sins of his wife (Genesis 3:1-19). In the same way, congregations often imitate their lukewarm leaders. The same was true of Church leaders in Biblical times, evidenced by Paul’s gentle admonition to Timothy (1 Timothy 1:6), and not-so-subtle warning to Archippus (Colossians 4:17).

Church leaders must understand that if these conditions apply to us, we must obey the instruction of our Lord: “Be zealous and repent.”

The Church must return to its first century roots. We must be vibrant and active pillars of Truth in a world of darkness, shining as stars in the universe, full of sincere and immediately recognizable love, which is how all men will know that we are His TRUE DISCIPLES (John 13:34-35; 8:31-32)—instead of the opposite!

I believe that modern Churches of Christ are in urgent need of a Culture Change, one that will ensure that we are fully pleasing to our Lord. I believe accomplishing this would involve at least the following seven actionable steps (see link below).

Thanks, brothers, for taking the time to read this. May God’s grace be with us all! In the Love and Truth of Christ,
Rick Cutter.

7 Actionable Steps for Culture Change in the Churches of Christ