Faithfulness & Fruitfulness

In my last post I reviewed an article by Ed Stetzer on the future of the church and its mission.
In the article he raises the question, “What must the American church become and do in this season of decline? The question seems to presuppose that the decline is the result of a failure on the part of the church, rather than the result of an increasing hardness of heart toward God and the gospel.

A question that ought to be asked prior to the one above is, “What are the reasons for the decline in attendance at church services, the decline in commitment among those who do attend, and the decline in the number of people who believe in the fundamental teachings of scripture?
In Stetzer’s article, as well as in most others I have read that deal with the stated crisis, the cause for the decline is laid at the doorstep of the church. I believe we need a more comprehensive analysis of the cause than is usually offered. We ought to ask the following questions:
These questions can be divided into two categories. The first category deals with the responsibility that the church bears and the second deals with the responsibility that unbelievers bear.

The Responsibility of Christians to Be Faithful Witnesses of Christ
The questions in this category can be divided into two sub-categories:
1. Have we allowed personal traditions and/or preferences to become hindrances to people becoming part of the church? Have we wrongly assumed that the “way we have always done things” is “the way God wants us to do things”? In other words, “Is our failure at a structural/strategical/methodological level?”
2. Do our churches adequately represent the picture created for us in the NT of what the church is supposed to be? Are we lacking the character qualities (i.e. The Fruit of the Spirit) and spiritual power that Christ has afforded us through the Spirit? Is there a lack of authenticity in the life of the church that turns off those who appreciate, and would otherwise be open to the gospel message? Are we too worldy and disobedient? Are we not abiding in the vine and therefore unable to produce fruit (John 15:1-5)!!! In other words, “Is our failure on a spiritual level?”

I am aware that I have left myself open to the criticism that I have created a false dichotomy between that which is "structural and strategical" and that which is "spiritual". While my labels might be deficient, I believe there is a legitimate distinction to be made between the work of the ministry and the condition of the minister's heart. There is no doubt in my mind that a minister, or lay person for that matter, can work diligently at preaching, teaching, and administering in the local church while his heart is far from the Lord!


The Responsibility of the Non-Christian to RESPOND!
Do we operate under the tacit assumption that as long as we are faithful in the employing of our gifts and resources as well as faithful in our personal relationship to God non-Christians will necessarily be converted? Is the lack of willingness to repent and believe ALWAYS due to some fault on the part of the church? Hasn’t history clearly demonstrated that some people groups and some individuals are more receptive than others – regardless of the “spiritual quality” of the witness (i.e. Isaiah)? Would the apostles analyze the reasons people reject the gospel in order to figure out what they might have done wrong to the same extant as we do?

I think the obvious answer is that the church bears some blame as do those who have rejected the faith. Our effectiveness at making disciples will always be conditioned by the faithfulness of the church AND the responsiveness or non-responsiveness of the unbeliever.