(To see Dr. Stetzer's full c.v., go here.)
What is going on in the North American context today?
Christianity in North America is in a free fall, if you are to trust the newspaper and some statistics. Many of these reports and stats are simply false.
"Christianity won't survive another decade unless we do something now!"
Really?
No. But we actually like to say things like that to each other because it motivates us.
Four quadrants to help us understand religiosity/Christianity in America today:
1) None of the above. The "nones" make up about 25% of Americans today.
2) Conversional. Those who have been "born again" make up about 25% of Americans today.
3) Congregational. Those who actually go to church make up about 25% of Americans today.
4) Cultural. Those who identify with a particular cultural form of Christianity (i.e. Irish Catholic, Dutch Reformed, etc.). Christians in name only.
Where is the collapse of Christianity? Nominal cultural Christians are becoming the "nones." So, for example, if you follow the General Social Survey, you will see the freefall within cultural Christianity. So, there are a lot less people calling themselves Christian today than there used to be. Why? Because there is no cultural benefit to calling oneself a Christian anymore in the United States, at least among the general public. The cultural currency of Christian identification is on decline. So the media breathlessly reports on the collapse of Christianity in America.
And, yet, Christian worship attendance is on the rise.
"Christian" is a cultural term losing its currency, and in a few years it is going to mean something different than it means today.
But, the moral of the story? The sky is not falling.
But, a consequence of nominal Christians becoming nones: it's going to become very clear what a Christian really is. We are losing the home field advantage, and it is going to look different for us.
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near" (Matt. 4:17).
Jesus was obsessed with the Kingdom of God. Over 80 times he refers to it in the Synoptics. The Kingdom was, for Jesus, absolutely relevant and at hand. He taught his followers that they were to seek first the Kingdom of God.
The Jews looked for complete liberation and an overt kingdom--to be established the way kingdoms are always established--overthrowing the nasty Romans. Jesus did differently. He showed the people the kingdom.
Repent, because...
1) The Reign of God
A. God--he rules over everything from his throne in heaven (Psalm 47, 103).
B. The World--the world is broken and lost (Eph. 2:1-2).
C. Christians--are redeemed and citizens of God's kingdom (Col. 1:13-14).
2) The Already-Not-Yet
A. The kingdom of God "has come"--inaugurated eschatology--but not fully come.
B. The kingdom is subversive in a broken world.
C. We cry out, "Maranatha!" Come, Lord Jesus, and fix this!
3) The Mission
A. We are going to engage in the mission of the Kingdom right now.
B. Right now in our world is the subversive battle against the "principalities and powers"...a spiritual battle engaged "between the times"; between the inauguration and consummation of the kingdom.
C. We are agents of reconciliation.
D. It is Friday (lost, broken), but Sunday's a-comin' (consummation).
E. It is Saturday on planet earth, and Saturday is a workday (Philip Yancey). So we live and work as agents of God.
4) Near
A. In Jesus, the King, the kingdom has come near (Matt. 10:7; Luke 17:20-21).
B. In Jesus, God took us out of the rebellion, but not out of the world.
C. The world is in an illegal, illegitimate rebellion against the rightful God. We, as Christians, are in a rebellion against the rebellion.
5) The Response
A. Repent
B. The keys of the kingdom: preaching of the Gospel (proclamation) and showing God's love (demonstration).
C. Showing and sharing the love of Jesus to a lost and broken world.
D. We need to repent. We are attracted to the rebellion of the world.
It's going to get harder, but it is going to get clearer.
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