What's Happened?

As we find ourselves in Holy Week, I am haunted by the question, “What causes a church to abandon its mission and turn inward?” Is it that folks lack a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ? Perhaps they have been misinformed to believe all that matters is a “salvation moment” and there is nothing else to do. How does someone who has come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ not know the importance of reaching others and growing in their faith? How can a church justify turning their focus inward, abandoning the great commission? When I think of the price paid by Jesus Christ for the human race, I cannot understand the mentality of preserving “my” church at any cost rather than being about Kingdom work. I have seen so many churches become more worried about preserving their own church and/or traditions instead of furthering the Church of Jesus Christ. It is no wonder so many churches (of every tribe) are failing. It is no wonder the church has lost credibility with people in our day. When we take our eyes off the prize…or worse yet, we decide we need to redefine the prize…we are no longer disciples of Jesus Christ, we have become disciples of the enemy.