The Church Is Failing: Why It’s Dying and How to Repent
Church, it’s time for a wake-up call. The church today is failing–weak, compromised, and barely recognizable as the bride of Christ. This isn’t the culture’s fault; it’s ours. We’ve abandoned the inerrant, inspired Word of God, “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12), for the world’s empty promises. I’m sounding the alarm, channeling the fire of Martyn Lloyd-Jones and Jonathan Edwards, with the clarity of Matthew Henry’s expositions, to expose why the church is failing and call us back to the gospel. One brother’s church is a prime example: elders too scared to enforce God’s law, one elder ruling with a “his way or the highway” grip, a spiritually dead congregation, and no zeal for preaching Christ on the streets or praying together. The church is failing, and we need to repent–now.
Why the Church Is Failing
Let’s cut to the chase: the church is failing for four clear reasons. First, we’ve ditched the authority of Scripture. The Bible is God’s voice, the final rule for faith and practice, but we’ve swapped it for cultural relevance, watering down the gospel to fit the world’s mold. Second, we’ve abandoned sound doctrine, embracing liberal theology that denies Scripture’s truth or seeker-sensitive fluff that prioritizes feelings over facts. Third, we’ve quenched the Holy Spirit’s power, chasing programs while neglecting prayer. Fourth, we’ve compromised with the world, adopting its methods and values instead of confronting it with the gospel. These failures have left the church spiritually dead, ineffective, and irrelevant.
Take this brother’s church as a case study. The elders are too afraid to uphold biblical standards because one elder dominates, running the show like a dictator with a “his way or the highway” attitude. The congregation is spiritually dry, like the “dry bones” of Ezekiel 37, too lazy to preach the gospel on the streets. Out of 100 members, they can’t even get 10 to a prayer meeting–maybe 5 show up. This reflects the broader church’s failure: cowardly leadership, apathetic members, and a refusal to live out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). We’re failing because we fear man more than God.
The Pulpit’s Betrayal and Spineless Leadership
The pulpit is where the failure starts. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said the church’s greatest need is preaching that exalts God’s Word, and he was dead right. The pulpit isn’t for life-coaching or comedy routines; it’s for proclaiming Scripture without compromise. But what do we see? Pastors too scared to preach sin, judgment, or repentance, worried about offending someone. In this brother’s church, it’s worse: elders so spineless they won’t stand up to one domineering elder who lords it over everyone, saying it’s “his way or the highway.” That’s not biblical leadership; that’s tyranny, and it’s killing the church. The pulpit has become a platform for human ego–or one man’s control–instead of divine truth, and the church is failing because of it.
Contrast this with preachers of old who took up the mantle at young ages, burning with zeal for Christ. Charles Spurgeon, the “Prince of Preachers,” was preaching at 16, pastoring by 19, and shaking England with the gospel by his 20s. George Whitefield was preaching to thousands at 22, sparking the Great Awakening with his fiery, biblical sermons. These young men weren’t afraid to confront sin or proclaim Christ’s glory, even when it cost them. Spurgeon faced criticism; Whitefield faced mobs. But today? We’ve got leaders too timid to challenge one elder’s pride or the culture’s lies. The church is failing because we’ve stopped preaching like Spurgeon and Whitefield, who wielded the Word with courage, even as young men.
Doctrine Traded for Cultural Relevance
Doctrine is the church’s backbone, and we’ve let it collapse. Lloyd-Jones warned that abandoning sound doctrine leads to decline, and history backs him up. The Reformation was a fight for Sola Scriptura–Scripture alone as our authority. But today, churches swallow every cultural lie, from liberal theology that denies the Bible’s inerrancy to seeker-sensitive models that trade truth for warm fuzzies. If you’re denying Scripture’s authority, you’re not a shepherd; you’re a hireling, abandoning the flock (John 10:12-13). In this brother’s church, the elders’ fear of one controlling leader has stifled biblical teaching, leaving the congregation spiritually dead, like dry bones in a desert. The church is failing because we’ve swapped God’s eternal truth for the world’s fleeting applause.
Jonathan Edwards saw the church as Christ’s bride, called to be holy and distinct. But today’s churches look like the world–concert-style worship, self-help sermons, and leaders more concerned with social media than souls. In this brother’s church, one elder’s dominance has crushed any move toward biblical fidelity, and the others are too scared to challenge him. Romans 12:2 commands, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” We’re supposed to shape the culture, not mimic it. The church is failing because we’ve let the world, or one man’s ego, dictate our doctrine.
No Power, No Zeal
Let’s talk about power–or the lack of it. Edwards saw the Holy Spirit move in the Great Awakening, with biblical preaching bringing conviction and revival. Lloyd-Jones pleaded for the church to seek that power, saying revival is God’s work, not our clever plans. But today? The church is failing because we’re obsessed with programs, not prayer. This brother’s church is a glaring example: out of 100 members, they can’t get 10 to a prayer meeting–maybe 5 show up. That’s not a church; that’s a social club. Psalm 85:6 cries, “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” We need to hit our knees and beg for the Spirit’s fire.
And where’s the zeal for the lost? This brother’s church is too lazy to preach on the streets, too comfortable to take the gospel to the highways and byways (Luke 14:23). Spurgeon and Whitefield, even as young preachers, took the gospel to the masses, unafraid of opposition. Spurgeon preached to thousands in London’s streets; Whitefield faced hecklers in open fields. But today, we’re content with our cozy pews, leaving the lost to perish. The church is failing because we’ve quenched the Spirit and ignored the Great Commission. We need preaching like Edwards’–logic on fire, as Lloyd-Jones called it–to wake up those dry bones and get us proclaiming Christ.
Compromising with the World
Here’s the brutal truth: the church is failing because we’ve made peace with the world. James 4:4 warns, “Friendship with the world is enmity with God.” Lloyd-Jones called out compromise; Edwards confronted sin head-on. But in this brother’s church, one elder’s “his way or the highway” rule and the others’ cowardice have created a culture where biblical standards are ignored to keep the peace. Across the church, we’ve adopted the world’s methods–marketing, entertainment, pragmatism–and called it ministry. The church isn’t a startup; it’s the body of Christ, called to confront the culture with the gospel, not conform to it. We’re failing because we’ve let the world disciple us instead of discipling the world.
Repent and Return to the Gospel
Church, it’s time to wake up. The God who spoke through His Word still speaks. The gospel that saved sinners in Edwards’ and Lloyd-Jones’ day, that fueled Spurgeon and Whitefield as young preachers, is still “the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16). To this brother’s church: elders, repent of your fear and confront that domineering elder with biblical truth. Stop letting one man’s pride choke out God’s Word. Congregation, repent of your apathy, your dry bones, your refusal to pray or preach on the streets. To every church: repent of your compromise, get back to the Bible, and preach the gospel–sin, judgment, grace, and glory. We don’t need better branding; we need the Spirit’s power, the Word’s authority, and the courage of young preachers like Spurgeon and Whitefield. The church is failing, but it can live again. Repent, pray for revival, and live for God’s glory alone.
