The United States is in bondage to prosperity and entertainment. Television has caused most Americans to lose the ability to reason. It is as if all those hours of sitting in front of that mind control device has turned their minds to mush. However, that is no excuse for Christians to not know their God and His ways. The form of Christianity that is most prevalent in the United States at this time is a very poor facsimile of the real deal. It is as if it is geared to the lowest common denominator. The focus in our churches is backward. If you go to your typical “Mega-Church” you will find very quickly that it’s focus is on the people there….
Everything is set up to attract people to be part of that group through sensory attraction as well as easy to digest teaching and sermons. If we take that church environment and contrast it to “church” as it was done in 17th Century England, for instance, we would see a huge contrast. While our churches focus on the people within them, the Puritans focused on God. They were primarily concerned with living for His glory.
Their church services were done in a worshipful tone because their God was Sovereign and was worthy. However, the biggest difference we would see would be in how people are called to believe thereby becoming Christians. In our churches the gospel has become diluted by well-meaning men who have made adjustments to it over the last 150 years or so that people would be drawn to become Christians by choice. Since they wanted people to come to Christ they changed the message so that it would appeal to the reason of men. The intent was to create an environment in which no one would feel that God had anything against them at all. They were loved deeply by God no matter what their life consisted of. All they had to do was to make the right decision and come to Christ through a sinner’s prayer and be Baptized. This has created a whole new Christian culture that is based on people becoming Christians without the slightest pressure by anyone to repent of their sins. All that is required is their religious activity. What does the Bible say about this?
23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. 24 But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, 25 and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man. John 2:23-25 (NASB)