Are we letting the Word of God guide our church life?

Jeffrey D. Johnson points out a worrying trend in the modern church. He notes that many churches are failing to disciple their congregations correctly. Instead of focusing on the Word of God, they are using pragmatic methods to attract people, such as adapting their music or watering down the Gospel. This approach is teaching that doctrine and the Word of God are unimportant, leading to a rise in nominal Christianity.

Johnson contends that the best thing a church can do is to conduct itself according to the Scriptures. This means asking, "What does the Bible say the church is to do?" and then doing it. However, he notes that many churches are failing in this regard by not teaching the whole counsel of God. This failure is causing church members to be deficient in their understanding of God and His expectations of them.

2 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV): 'All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.'

Some of the wrong methods that the modern church is doing is, well, they're not discipling. That's probably the biggest thing. But also through their pragmatic methods of reaching people and trying to get people to come to church through through a kind of a accommodating their music, their putting on performance and watering down the gospel is really a method of discipling the wrong way. It's teaching that doctrine is not important. It's teaching that the word of God is not important.

So when the church minimizes the word of God and putting pragmatism or methods in the place of the Word of God, then that's impacting those who come. And it's producing nominal Christianity. So I think that's the biggest thing churches are doing wrong. They're not submitting themselves to the Word of God. I think the best thing a church can do is say, we are trying to do church according to the scriptures.

So what does the Bible says the church is to do? That's what we're doing. And so when people come, they say, the church is in obedience to Christ. And then when they can teach the whole council, then that's what they're called to do. But churches are not teaching the whole council of God.

So how it's causing church members to be deficient in their understanding of who God is and what he expects from them.