Theology, doctrine, and truth were landmarks of the evangelical church in centuries past.  Holy Scripture was the means to measure the worship and work of the church.  Sola Scriptura, Scripture alone, was the absolute universal standard.  Today those things that work best or more specifically those things that seem best at the particular time and situation measure the worship and work of the church, to a large degree.  The evangelical church has moved away from a God-centered ministry and has adopted a man-centered ministry.  All factors considered, the evangelical church is at the edge of a cliff about to fall into a neo-dark age.   However, the church is not in a maze because it has the word of God.  We need to ask ourselves these questions:

1)      Do we resort to the Holy Scripture to learn the work and worship of the church?

2)      Do we have a passion for truth, especially for an understanding of God’s creative work and redemptive plan?

3)      Do we seek the glory of God as the zenith of our existence?

4)      Are we a holy people?

5)      Have we done all things according to God’s Word?


There are other questions we should ask, but those questions are sufficient to chew on for the present time.  I not only want the evangelical church to survive; I want it to thrive, but not at the risk of hypocritical behavior and heretical deviations.  Hypocrisy is the representation of something that does not exist.  Heresy is when one makes a choice that leads to factions and divisions.  Hypocrisy and heresy will push the church over the edge.

Charles Spurgeon once said that he was “afraid many churches of Christ are not prospering.  The congregations are thin, the church is diminishing, the prayer-meeting scantily attended, spiritual life low.  If I can conceive of a church in such a condition which, nevertheless, can say to God, ‘We have done all these things at they word,’ I should expect to see that church soon revived in answer to prayer.  The reason why some churches do not prosper is, because they have not done things according to God’s Word.”