Every time I hear a reference to a post-Christian era in America, I cringe.

Is the Gospel not powerful enough to perpetuate itself unceasingly? Or is there an expiration date on what the power of God can do? Truly if we live in a post-Christian era, it is not the fault of the cross or the empty tomb. It is the fault of those who carry the message.

It has done us great harm to institutionalize and market the Gospel. Instead of focusing on life change from within through a personal encounter with Jesus Christ that permeates every part of our being, we have entertained, stirred the imagination, inspired thought, focused on behavior modification, and as one popular messenger frequently says, made people feel good. But have we made disciples who make disciples? Have we led people by passionate example into a transformative lifestyle that consumes our flesh daily as we come closer and closer and closer to the literal, purging presence of God Almighty?

As entertainers and good “Christian” businessmen and women, we are professionals at our religious competitions bidding for more warm bodies than the next church down the road. As a friend of mine once stated, our churches have huge front doors and huge back doors. Part of the problem may lie in the fact that, as they walk in the front doors of our churches, they meet money changers and the impression of faith while never truly encountering a literal presence of Jesus Christ which is the only thing that can close the back door.

If we truly live in a post Christian era, perhaps right there is the problem: Thousands walk in the front door and thousands walk out the back door never having a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. Their faith is in their heads more than their hearts. It’s a wonderful idea. It teaches them morals. (The Dalai Lama can do that.) It helps them become a better man and a better father. (Self-improvement books and counseling can do that). It helps them manage their finances. (A few seminars can do that.) It even helps them lose weight and have a better self-image. (A host of places do that!) But does it crush them, destroy who they are, and build them up again in the image of Christ the Savior? Does it consume their flesh or feed it? A truthful answer to that question can be quite convicting.

Over the years, I have heard leaders in many churches say something like this: “If people only knew what we had to offer, they would come to our church!” The problem is that they are talking more about their ministries and ways of doing church than they are of the presence of Christ Himself. What I have learned over the years is that the two most important things for a church to become a life-changing and community-transforming ministry are the presence and favor of God. A lot more concentration should be devoted in how to prepare the atmosphere for the literal, all-consuming presence of God and how to live and walk in a way that invites His favor than what new idea is coming out this year and what that self-proclaimed prophet is saying.

I met a great missionary many years ago who was God’s vessel to bring the Gospel to parts of South America who had never heard it before. In true apostolic ministry (not the facade of the title misguided and unworthy men bestow upon themselves today), he planted more than 40 churches who planted churches that are still planting churches and he became the spiritual father to many who are mentoring and setting forth young leaders today.

The first time we met, our conversation quickly turned to ministry. He said to me, “Tom, in America you have the greatest preachers of the Word. You have the most magnificent church buildings. You have great Bible schools and seminaries. You have beautiful music with entertaining and inspiring church services. You have a host of specialized ministries. But you are the poorest disciplers, and you are losing your nation.” His words have proven to be true.

One of many great tragedies in the Christian church is that we have exported this type of ministry around the world. While many parts of the two-thirds world are turning communities, cities and even nations upside down for Christ in the image and example of the New Testament church, we enter their world and educate them in how to do ministry better. When they adopt our ways, revivals cease. When they adopt our forms of theological education, they no longer produce church planters and pioneers ready to sacrifice all for the Gospel. In exchange for that, they produce theologians who lead people into the head-knowledge of Christ. But of course, we are American. We are not called by God to be teachable to learn from others. We are called only to teach.

Yet there is so much that we could learn:

• How to disciple and multiply our faith through relational mentoring as a priority of all believers in the church, not just the professional ministry
• Total reliance on Christ and the leadership of the Holy Spirit
• Identity and security in Christ alone, not man or institution
• Biblical ministry that is not swayed by the next fad or new teaching
• Walking in spiritual authority
• A willingness to pioneer and sacrifice
• Belief in the authority, authenticity and relevance of God’s Word, and then applying it into life and ministry just as it is written
• The lifestyle of prayer
• New Testament methodology in planting churches (not marketing schemes)
• Biblical theology of suffering

And much more.

I am confident of this: If these things were prevalent in the American church, the back doors would close.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could strip away everything but the message of the cross and let people see – and meet – Christ Himself? If that happened, we would never live in a post-Christian era and we would be changing the world for Jesus Christ.