Meds, therapy, and a mental health facility \u2014 these were the solutions I was offered.<\/p>\n
One counselor suggested that my condition wouldn\u2019t change for the rest of my life and that I\u2019d always need medication. As desperate as I was, I just didn\u2019t buy it. There had to be some other answer to my problem. After trying several Christian therapists, each of whom employed a different approach, no one could alter the patterned behaviors I was stuck in. After all, obsessive Bible study and street evangelism aren\u2019t your run-of-the-mill symptoms.<\/p>\n
\u201cGod, I\u2019m doing everything they say to do. I\u2019m reading my Bible four or five hours a day. I\u2019m sharing my faith with everybody I meet. I\u2019m at church every time the doors are open. But I still don\u2019t feel like I\u2019m growing spiritually. I\u2019m stalled, and I can\u2019t explain why. You say the truth will set me free. I\u2019m anything but free!\u201d<\/p>\n
I needed God to start all over with me, and He did. Although I was already a Christian, my belief system was poisoned with religiosity. Back then, if I were honest and vulnerable, my sales pitch would have been, \u201cWould you like to become a Christian and be miserable like me?\u201d<\/p>\n
But today I\u2019d wish my Christian experience on everyone. I\u2019ve learned some radical, Scriptural truths that were right there in the Bible, that I never knew existed. That\u2019s why I wrote THE NAKED GOSPEL \u2013 to share with others the liberating truths that absolutely revolutionized my life.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not the only one to hit rock bottom. Apparently, many Christians experience an initial excitement upon accepting Christ but later become disappointed, disillusioned, or even depressed. Some of America\u2019s church leaders have been trying to figure out why this epidemic exists and what can be done about it. In 2004, Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, developed the REVEAL survey to understand and measure the heart \u2014 the emotions and attitudes \u2014 of the people who attend Willow Creek. Since then, over four hundred churches of a cross section of sizes, denominations, and regions of the country have used the survey to ask their members questions similar to the ones below.<\/p>\n
How would you answer the questions on the REVEAL survey? Let\u2019s find out! For each question below, answer with a number between 1 (lowest level) and 10 (highest level).<\/p>\n
\u2022 How would you rate your level of enthusiasm for church?<\/p>\n
\u2022 How would you rate your overall level of fulfillment in life?<\/p>\n
\u2022 How would you rate your level of satisfaction with your spiritual growth?<\/p>\n
\u2022 How would you rate your level of involvement in church-related activities?<\/p>\n
The Willow Creek researchers thought they might find a strong relationship between time spent on church activities and spiritual growth and fulfillment. They presumed that anyone who donated their time to church must be actively growing and fulfilled. That makes sense, right?<\/p>\n
Wrong. The survey revealed that it wasn\u2019t the more active Christians who were growing and fulfilled.<\/p>\n
The survey also unveiled a large number \u2014 approximately 25 percent of the attendees surveyed at Willow Creek \u2014 who admitted they were \u201cstagnant\u201d or \u201cdissatisfied.\u201d And other churches are finding this to be true among their attendees as well.<\/p>\n
So what\u2019s going wrong in churches today? If we spend more time in church, shouldn\u2019t we expect to grow spiritually and find fulfillment? Aren\u2019t we told that if we drink the living water that Jesus gives, we\u2019ll never thirst again? If this is true, then what\u2019s happening with so many Christians today? What\u2019s missing?<\/p>\n
Many of our North American churches seem to have everything \u2014 culturally relevant outreach, attractive facilities, and a broad range of programs to match any and every lifestyle. Add to this the experience of dynamic speakers, professional-quality music, and inviting small groups. How could those who are most active in these churches be stagnant and dissatisfied?<\/p>\n
Let me be the first to say that there\u2019s nothing wrong with top-quality facilities, creative programs, and a genuine sense of community. But the fundamental question is, \u201cWhat message are we sharing in our community and within our walls through our programs?\u201d I believe it\u2019s our SUBSTANCE \u2014 not our structure \u2014 which is leaving so many stagnant and dissatisfied. A church may have polished programs, well-trained staff, and dynamic speakers. But CONTENT is what people walk away with.<\/p>\n
Aren\u2019t churches already delivering large QUANTITIES of content? Yes, but in some cases, it\u2019s not the quality spiritual food you can really sink your teeth into. It\u2019s not the kind that challenges you to dig deeper and deeper into God\u2019s Word until everything falls into place. It\u2019s also not the kind that makes you ecstatic just to wake up every day and live.<\/p>\n
To illustrate this point, let\u2019s pause for a short quiz. Below are ten faith-related concepts that aren\u2019t regularly discussed in depth in churches today. Some church leaders may assume their congregations already have them figured out. Others might think these concepts aren\u2019t entertaining enough to hold people\u2019s attention. Still others may avoid them out of concern that they\u2019re just too controversial. But we cannot ignore how our congregation feels about these issues, because a person\u2019s view on each of these concepts directly affects their relationship with God, spiritual growth, and level of fulfillment in life.<\/p>\n
So, for each of the following ten concepts, decide whether you think your core members would respond with \u201cTrue\u201d or \u201cFalse.\u201d
\n 1. Christians should ask God to forgive and cleanse them when they sin.<\/p>\n
2. Christians struggle with sin because of their old self within.<\/p>\n
3. We should wait on God even before making everyday decisions.<\/p>\n
4. When we sin against God, we\u2019re out of fellowship until we repent.<\/p>\n
5. Old Testament law is written on Christians\u2019 hearts so we want to obey it.<\/p>\n
6. The Bible tells us that Christians can obtain many rewards in heaven.<\/p>\n
7. Christians will give an account for their sins at the great white throne.<\/p>\n
8. Christians should tithe at least 10 percent of their income to the church.<\/p>\n
9. God gets angry with us when we repeatedly sin against him.<\/p>\n
10. God looks at us as though we\u2019re righteous, even though we\u2019re really not.
\nWhy the quiz? Well, remember the survey you took at the beginning of this chapter? It was designed to assess the reader\u2019s FEELINGS about church, ENTHUSIASM for life, and SATISFACTION with his\/her spiritual growth. Inevitably, our thinking leads to feelings \u2014 so the only effective way to move toward growth and fulfillment when we\u2019re feeling dissatisfied or inexplicably stagnant is to dig deeply into God\u2019s Word to find real answers that change our THINKING.<\/p>\n
The biblical answer to each of the quiz statements is FALSE. Yes, FALSE.<\/p>\n
The quiz was purposely designed to indicate and articulate some misconceptions your listeners may have, and you may not even know it. It can occur when they misinterpret spiritual content, or when they\u2019ve heard sermons in their spiritual history that are just downright inaccurate. It also can happen when people, for whatever reason, begin to equate their relationship with God with some other relationship they have, such as with a parent or authority figure.<\/p>\n
I lived through the consequences of my own misconceptions, and my recovery came through a decade of slowly learning to replace old thoughts with new ones. I don\u2019t know if there is more of a story to tell than my trial and error, suffering under error, and finally getting answers \u2014 always keeping in mind that truth is supposed to set me FREE.<\/p>\n
Suffice to say, I\u2019ve misread the charts myself, and I have finally found safe harbor.<\/p>\n
It may be true that more than a quarter of maturing Christians are dissatisfied with their spiritual lives, but (and I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll agree, because God\u2019s Word confirms it) it\u2019s nearly impossible to be dissatisfied once you encounter truth in all its life-changing power. My prayer is that your congregation will reap the benefits of stripping away all of the convoluted ideas they\u2019ve collected during their spiritual lives \u2014 from the truth laid bare, from the NAKED GOSPEL.<\/p>\n
Communicating this naked gospel shouldn\u2019t require a new and extrabiblical vocabulary. Just as a child knows the meaning of the \u201call gone\u201d at the end of a good meal, God has simply and emphatically proclaimed to his children:
\n \u2022 Your relationship to the law is now ALL GONE.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Your old self is now ALL GONE.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Your sins are now ALL GONE.<\/p>\n
\u2022 All obstacles preventing closeness are now ALL GONE.
\nIt\u2019s amazing how simple and straightforward the naked gospel really is. In fact, most of my exposure to it has involved more UNlearning than learning. Once we remove the clutter from a person\u2019s theological closet, the gospel can shine brightly again and becomes \u2014 as it should \u2014 a powerful, practical benefit to them on a moment-by-moment basis.<\/p>\n
So are your listeners ready to peel away layers of religious misconception in order to discover an exhilarating reality? Is your church ready for the NAKED gospel?<\/p>\n
________<\/p>\n
Andrew Farley is lead teaching pastor of Ecclesia: Church Without Religion and author of THE NAKED GOSPEL: THE TRUTH YOU MAY NEVER HEAR IN CHURCH.<\/p>\n
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\nComments by online readers:<\/p>\n
Daniel McGhee: \u201cOK, so what we have here is a younger, slicker version of Bob George’s (radio show “People to People”) heretical \u2018Classic Christianity.\u2019 That’s all this is folks…\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve Bloem: \u201cI was disappointed with this article…. Every answer is not false. His theology is truncated and lacks depth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robert Welsh: \u201cAccording to the New Testament the answer to all ten questions is not false! With all due respect, it is the author’s interpretation of the scriptures that seems to be somewhat \u2018convoluted.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew Johnson: \u201cI too am disappointed with this article. 1 Jn.1:8-9 undermines the very first of Andrew’s 10 Concepts. Writing to Christians the Apostle John writes; \u2018If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.\u2019(NIV) I trust that Andrew is trying to proclaim the finished work of Christ, but let’s not go beyond the bounds of Scripture. The ten quotes are sounding alarm bells.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Michael Shanlian: \u201cMr. Farley’s thesis is an interesting one. I believe that our \u2018discontent\u2019 in the post-modern church is a result of selfishness and pride. Many Christians serve for recognition, promotion and personal gratification. Jesus reminded us that following him involved picking up our cross, not promoting ourselves!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Meds, therapy, and a mental health facility \u2014 these were the solutions I was offered. One counselor suggested that my condition wouldn\u2019t change for the rest of my life and that I\u2019d always need medication. As desperate as I was, I just didn\u2019t buy it. There had to be some other answer to my problem. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[582,5145,5144,5143,2914,326,207,2889,1419],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7259"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7259"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7259\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}