If you've been a Christian for awhile, like me, maybe you've sensed that something’s “off”.

The spiritual support structure of our faith is shaky.

And it's being revealed to us because we’re experiencing a time of shaking. By shaking, I mean the scary events happening all around the world like disease, pestilence, economic, political, and societal upheaval. The storm has a way of revealing whether the support structure is sound or not. It reveals what type of foundation we are resting on. 

 At first, I thought problem was due to a lack of Bible knowledge. If that’s the case, then the solution is to have more Bible studies and reading programs. But there's already plenty of them.

And I don't think that's the main problem. No, there's a bigger crises looming than just Biblical illiteracy or lack of knowledge. It's much deeper than that.  It's Biblical indifference. And just not among the sinners, but also the saints.

What we’re facing today is that many professing Christians either don’t know how to use the Bible as their life manual, or even more distressing, don’t know why they should.

Or even that they should.

And that reveals a breakdown at the very beginning of things.

At the foundation.

What has been the result?

 The result is that people are literally perishing for lack of knowledge. They are getting sick and dying. They are broke and hurting. And fearful. And I’m not talking about the people of the world, but God’s own beloved children! And as the shaking comes, we are realizing that we are accountable for what we didn’t know. Because we could’ve known. (Hosea 4:6)  It was there all along. Wisdom has been crying out. 

 If God’s Word is the foundational support of the “Christian” life then why don’t more professing Christians make scripture study, meditation, and memorization the highest priority of their lives on earth?

 A few possible reasons:

•  We don’t see how scripture relates to our modern daily lives
•  We think of it as theology or doctrine
•  It’s not written in a suspenseful or attention grabbing way
•  Without the Holy Spirit’s anointing, it doesn’t make sense or may even seem foolish.
•  It requires a certain amount of patience to discover its hidden treasures and we live in a world where patience is in short supply.
•  There are lots of other things pulling at our time and attention.
• We were not taught to

 So let’s take a couple of steps back. Something came before wisdom.

The Word says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

What is fear of the Lord?

 Fear of the Lord is reverence. It’s the most basic understanding that God deserves to be honored and put in first place. He embodies Wisdom and because of that He is worthy to be listened to, first.  And obeyed. It’s not being terrified of Him or afraid that He wants to squash us like a bug. It is simply putting Him in His rightful position in our lives, which is first.

 Fear of the Lord means to give honor and preference. Obvious, right?  Because…. well, He is God. And we are not. But our culture has infected the way we even approach God.  Like He's no big deal.

Big mistake. 

What is the antidote?

The concept of putting God absolutely first seems kind of quaint these days, like something from the martyrs of the past. Or the persecuted saints in distant countries. Our flesh chafes at the thought of it. Committing ourselves 100% seems so extreme. So exclusive.

And yet, has God changed? Has He relaxed His standards? Does He think His involvement is less important in these perilous times? Hardly. Jesus said to His disciples, “Follow me” and that has never changed.

So what is the foundational problem that’s plaguing the modern church today in the Western world?

When you think about it, nothing is more foundational than the way we present the gospel to the unbeliever. Right? Because that is the moment of our transaction. It’s the place where we are told what we are going to receive and how much it will cost us.

 And that is when the lightbulb switched on. That’s it! Is it possible that the entire way we present the gospel to the unsaved is wrong? Okay, maybe not wrong, but woefully incomplete?

 Someone I met told me the story of how he got recruited into the army. He said the recruiter told him he’d be able play golf and get in great shape and he believed him, so he signed up. But at 5:00 AM next morning, he was shocked to wake up to the booming voice of his drill sergeant yelling at him.  

“Wait a minute, Sir! This isn’t what I signed up for!”

To hear him recount his own gullibility (and the recruiter’s twisted sense of humor), was absolutely hilarious. (You know, it’s also the premise of the movie, Stripes).

But I got to thinking about how we “recruit” people into the kingdom. All my life the method of choice has been to get the person to repeat the Sinner’s Prayer. It’s how I came into the kingdom as well. I acknowledged that I was a sinner who needed a Savior, and that Christ died to forgive my sins. And if I say "yes", I get to go to Heaven. Well, I’m no dummy. I said yes! Now tell me, who wouldn’t?

 Don’t get me wrong. Some people say the Sinner’s Prayer and go on to live radically changed lives. I meant it with all of my heart. And I believe that God marked that moment in time for me too. I was His. But did I have any idea of what I had just gotten myself into?

Any idea of the cost?

Any idea what it really meant to be born-again?

Nope.

My rude awakening didn’t come quite as quickly as the baffled soldier. But it came. And as surely as you’re reading this, I'll bet it came for you too. If not yet, it will. We were expecting a Disney Cruise and find ourselves on a battleship instead. In time of war!

Those of us who have been believers for a while know this is true. It might be why we tend to evangelize less. Because we know that once a person becomes His, all of the sudden, there’s a big ol' target on his back. We know that the poor bloke just entered a war zone, but God bless them, they haven’t figured it out yet! And when they get picked off by the enemy, we act like it’s some moral failing on their part. And they think so too. And then they give up.

"Oh dear, another casualty."

" Another backslider."

Can you imagine saying to a new army recruit "Repeat this vow. Now go home and watch Saving Private Ryan. When you're done with that, report back for battle."

Do we really believe that spiritual fledglings are going to become spiritual warriors just by attending church service? How is that supposed to work out?  Out on the battlefield, which is what the world is, they are getting shot to pieces! All because we didn’t establish them in the faith or train them in what to actually expect. We didn't equip them for the realities of living in this world while not being of it.

 Seeker sensitive leaders are afraid to tell people the truth because it might turn them off. So instead, they've tried to make the salvation message more appealing.

 You probably won't see any billboards that say: 

•  “You might lose all your friends”
• “People might think you’re crazy”
• You must die to yourself!

 Likely you’ll see something like:

• Pizza Party after movie Night!
• Car wash on Saturday!
• Coffee bar!
• Contemporary Worship with Light Show!

But people really are smarter than that. Deep down they know.

If we presented the gospel more realistically, we’d get less converts. (maybe)

But that’s OK. Because the biggest problem we now have is that we have plenty of converts but precious few disciples. By watering down the cost, we’ve also watered down the value. And we are paying a heavy price for it.

 We act like the timid salesperson, who doesn’t believe in their “product”, so we meekly try to show its features and benefits, leaving out both COST and VALUE.

 As a former salesperson, I’d learned a sales technique where you push the potential buyer quickly to the “No”. Now why would you do that? If you’re really trying to make the “sale”. But here’s the thing. A person who truly believes in their product, demonstrates confidence in its value. And one way we do that is by not apologizing for the cost. And we don’t compromise the truth either. We should be more likely to say “This might not be for you …”

Jesus was the Master of It. He was never afraid of losing the “sale.” Remember when He said:

“OK. Sure. Just sell everything you own and join me!”

 This is MASSIVE because Who we have to offer is the Highest in value. Jesus, of course, knew this. He is what every soul needs. He is the only One who will ever bring true satisfaction. He rewards us a thousand times beyond what we can ask or imagine. But the cost is higher than we’d hoped. There’s just no way around that. But the sooner we grasp it, the happier we’ll be. I think we also instinctively know it is worth it. 

 The world doesn’t need any more half-hearted Christians.

Besides, living that way is bad for our health. It hurts our witness. And it misrepresents the glory and value of the One we claim to represent. It sorely misses the mark in every way because we were designed to live wholeheartedly. And anything less cheapens us. 

How does Jesus feel about lukewarm?  Worse than useless.

So am I saying to talk people out of giving their lives to Jesus? No. I am just saying "Tell them the truth." Practice full disclosure and then let them decide. A firm “No” is much better than a  shaky “Yes.” Trying to persuade people to “accept” their Creator and Master already sounds like we are reducing His value in their eyes. He wants them, He doesn't need them. They need Him. 

  Jesus doesn’t dip His toe into our life so He can suggest an improvement or two. No! He comes to demolish that old man with all its pettiness, self-centeredness, and misplaced pride. He’s there for a total rebuild! He works in us and through us, not in spite of us. He needs our cooperation. He will not force Himself on us. The cost is higher, but so are the benefits, and so few of His people are experiencing Him in all of His fullness. It's high time we change that. 

 To Recap

•  Our very approach to presenting the gospel could be setting people up for failure with false expectations and ideas.
•  Let's tell people the truth about the cost and the rewards and let them decide.
•  Let's get bold about the realities of changing kingdoms. It requires 100% commitment and it’s 100 % worth it.
•  We need to equip and train disciples for the work and rewards of the kingdom

 And this is the basis of our Spiritual Basic Training Program. We are looking to build and equip disciples who know their God, understand their purpose, and who are thoroughly equipped to complete every good work.