Church is Experiencing "Epic" Failure

Last night my congregation had its quarterly meeting to update us on finances, staff, building and grounds, etc...

At this meeting we were reminded that massive amounts of our kids are walking away from church and NEVER coming back.  Not just our local church but in local churches across the country.

Why?

How about because massive amounts of our parents are TOTALLY CLUELESS on what the Bible says and what they believe or are totally hypocritical on HOW they are living their lives...and the kids are simply not satisfied with what they are hearing and/or what they are seeing?

It used to be that FAITH WAS HANDED DOWN AT HOME...from one father to his sons.

Jesus was VERY CLEAR when he told us in Matthew 28 that we are supposed to GO and MAKE disciples.

"But Dennis, that's why I go to church and put $20 in the offering plate so I can HIRE someone else to go out and make disciples and to make my kids into Christians.  I don't know my Bible well enough to give any sort of explanation of what I believe....forget about leading others to Jesus.  In fact I'm not even sure I am a disciple myself!"

Really??  Is that what you are prepared to tell Jesus tomorrow if today is your last day on earth?

Today, author Joel Rosenberg asks us some very pointed questions on this topic.

Who is investing in you? Whom are you investing in? Every Christian needs to be able to answer these two simple questions.

As we head deeper into the new year, how are you investing your life?

According to the Scriptures, every Christian needs to be able to answer two simple questions: 

1) Who is investing in you? and 

2) In whom are you investing?

In the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20, our Lord Jesus Christ commanded us to go and “make disciples of all nations." 

Jesus made disciples. Then He told His disciples to go make disciples. 

The Apostle Paul then followed Christ's model.

Are we obeying the Great Commission? Are we, like Paul, following Christ's model?

We each need an "Apostle Paul," an older, wiser believer to invests in us, teaches us, encourages us, corrects us, and helps us truly grow to maturity in our faith in Jesus Christ. We also need a "Timothy," a younger believer in whom we can invest, someone we can teach, encourage, correct and help to truly grow in the faith.

Sadly, the American Church is experiencing an epic failure of discipleship. Most older believers are not spiritually investing in the lives of younger believers. We are failing to model and transmit Biblical truth and Christ-like character and a passion for evangelism and discipleship to the next generations. Thus the American Church is weak and failing and in desperate need of revival. 

The good news is that the Lord is stirring the hearts of many around the country to rediscover the centrality of the Great Commission, and to begin engaging in making disciples here in our nation, and making disciples of all nations.

How about you? Are you living the invested life?

Sad.  The American Church is experiencing an epic failure of discipleship.  So how about you and me??  Are we part of the solution...or are we part of the problem?  Are we prepared to stand in front of Jesus and say, "This is what I did with all that you gave me!"  

Have we invested the talents that he gave us so that they may be multiplied....or have we buried them and done nothing while the Master has been away?

"But Jesus!  I was too busy working, staying current on FaceBook, playing golf, hunting, watching football on TV and running my kids to all of their events!  I just never found the time to read what you wrote to us."

Honestly, are we REALLY surprised that our kids are walking away from that kind of faith?

What will the Master say when he returns and looks at us Christians in America?