10 Reasons
We Have Not Reached the Unchurched
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 discipine. 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 accoutnability 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. More from Thom Rainer
or visit Thom at www.LifeWay.com
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