God is no respecter of man, let alone culture. The diversity is irrelevant to the gospel. The same gospel that saved me saved the 18th century aristocrat in France and the 5th century serf in Scotland. Today it saves the underground Chinese and the martyred believers in Middle East. It does not need your advice, your opinion or your marketing. It just needs to be preached. The reason why people look for other perspectives is the failure of the church to preach the gospel. There is no need for other dimensions. We are sinners and need a savior. If someone hears the gospel and rejects it for Buddhism or Mormonism, they cannot deny they heard the gospel. This isn't a competition.
"3. Deep questions have been avoided for years. Deep theological questions about the Bible and the troubles we see in our world today have been avoided or glazed over with phrases like "The Bible tells me so." While this kind of faith is necessary as Jesus asks us to have the faith of a child, it can be difficult to simply accept some things, especially for those seeking out God for the first time. Having someone actually answer, or attempt to answer questions is a key for what many are looking for." - Charisma News
This sounds very much like the tortured arguments of the heretic Andy Stanley. He was upset that so many of the teens in his church that went off to college returned as atheists and he blamed this notion of relying on the bible as the sole arbiter of truth - which it is. What he failed to do is look in the mirror. His youth were not saved to begin with because his church does not preach the gospel. The absolute truth of the bible is the entire point. The problem Charisma has is that they think as the Purpose Driven Church taught them to think. That we play a role other than preaching the gospel in salvation. We do not. We do not have to pretty the word of God up. We do not need to make it relevant. We just need to preach it.
"4. The handling of LGBTQ communities has given Christianity a bitter taste for many Gen Zers. Gen Z has been told lies about themselves from the public school system and society for years now, and these views are now etched in their minds. Many are now questioning if they were even born into the right body or are questioning if they are attracted to the same sex. Unfortunately, instead of reminding them that they were made in the image of God, the church has pointed out the sin without discussing the One who can wash away the sin. Learning how to discuss why Jesus desires us to turn away from sin and how He can fill us and change us for the good is what this generation is desiring, whether they fully realize it or not." - Charisma News
I agree that the church only deals with accusing the lost of their sins. What the lost also see however is the blatant hypocrisy. They see that the church routinely excuses their own, especially in leadership. I will never forget when the news broke about Ted Haggard, who was the President of the National Association of Evangelicals. He was caught having a 20-year relationship with a male prostitute, who he liked to do crystal meth with. The real problem was every week from the pulpit he would rage against the gay community as the source of everything wrong in this country. I heard Christian leader start the "judge not" chorus soon after he was busted. Do you know what Ted Haggard went on to do? Pastor another church in the same state and a decade later there were more charges of sexual abuse. This is not lost on the lost beloved. The gospel is both law and grace. It is both sin and repentance and the Savior. It is not beating sinners up while secretly hiding the same sins. Additionally, what the lost see today is a church that is entirely motivated by carnal politics. They support some of the vilest candidates today. It is of little wonder that so many dismiss the church out of hand. We will answer for who we have scattered away from Christ.
"5. Scandals and prosperity gospel woes have turned people away from seeking Christianity.
Church scandals and prosperity gospel practices have highlighted some of the biggest failures of the faith. Church is meant to be a safe place, but no one wants to go to church if they feel that they may be violated and taken advantage of. While all have fallen short of the glory of God, Christians are meant to be striving towards a holy, righteous life. If we want people to come to church, we have to show them that we as the church are willing to love our neighbors as ourselves." - Charisma News
This is absolutely true. Of course, Charisma routinely platforms some of the most egregious offenders in this category. It seems every few months Charisma offers up another article from Benny Hinn pretending to repent while he sits on a 50-million-dollar fortune, he has amassed by fleecing the flock. Just this week Charisma ran a piece bragging about Steven Furtick and Elevation Church passing 100 million dollars in earnings for a single year, with 97 million being stolen through tithes. Charisma was also on Mike Bickle's side during the recent revelations that he is a child predator. So again, look in the mirror.
"6. Changing family dynamics have shifted people away from church. Less people are now getting married and having families. This makes it easier for people to seek out relationship and communion with God alone instead of relying on the church community. However, church is meant to be a place for all people. Instead of only making families feel welcomed at church, Christian communities need to see the value of all who walk through a sanctuary's front doors." - Charisma News
