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The Americanization of Christianity
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Christ’s Kingdom and the Kingdoms of This World.
"Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." John 18:36,37
Something has happened to biblical Christianity since the foundation of our nation. It didn’t happen over night, but over a process of time our American culture has intermingled with the message of the bible and we have come up with a new Christianity, an Americanized Christianity. Even though Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world..." it seems that 21st century church is a hybrid, the framework of the church infused with a lethal dose of Americana.
It is not the fault of any one denomination or group, but we as a people have allowed the prevailing winds of culture to sway our perception of the Bible and confuse the kingdom of Christ with the kingdom’s of this world. From our scripture above, it is obvious to see that the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world. Yes, He does have a government, and He is a wonderful Governor, but He is not the Governor of our country or any other country on our planet.
I am not saying that our Lord is not Sovereign and in control of all the events of history and country, but we are not telling the truth in the Pledge of Allegiance when we say the phrase, “...one nation, under God...” Yes, we confess again, that God is Sovereign, but we the people of the United States of America have so departed from the principles of scripture that it is not even honest to proclaim that we are one nation under God.
Christ said of the religious and nationalistic people of His day, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.” Matt. 15:8 This is the real State of the Union address from on High. We, as a country, have allowed the pursuit of happiness to drive us into being such a self-aborbent society, that the real god on the throne of our hearts is, Self. This is idolatry.
Oh yes, we have great halls and schools of teaching. Never before have their been so many avenues of Bible learning open. We hear Bible teaching on the radio, on television programs, books pour off the presses, their are religious periodicals, internet sites, and much more, but have they made us a Bible obeying people? Again, Christ said, “For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” Matt. 13:15
Just as the American Heart Association is trying to get us as a nation to quit clogging our arteries with fat, our spiritual hearts are clogged with the plaque of sin, self, and Satan himself. How the pews are packed on Sunday’s and we have learned with no conviction to sing the song’s of Zion, but no change. We can sit and listen to endless hours of Bible exposition and ‘old time religion,’ but we leave like we came in, unchanged.
What is needed in this hour is to pray for our Heavenly Father to remove from our eyes the red, white, and blue colored glasses and allow us to see a pure Bible, not mingled with our modern culture. We are not to be new covenant Jews, Eastern Europeans, or any other culture, but we are to be New Testament Christians.
When modern America hears some New Testament teaching that doesn't quite fit in with our self-indulgent ways, she merely dismisses them as “cultural,” and not pertaining to our modern view of scripture. How unfortunate. This is the way we have subverted the purity of a New Testament Church into the churches that line our streets. We have programs, agendas, Christian dramas, Contemporary Christian Music, and the list goes on, but are we really “practicing” a pure form of New Testament worship? I believe not.
The early church was filled with disciples who knew how to worship Christ, walk in His humble foot prints, die to self, live for others, so love the brethren that world just couldn’t miss it, and if called upon, step into the fire or the jaws of a lion. Let’s look at those characteristics.
They worshipped Christ. Our churches are filled with many forms of worship. Some are pre written and liturgical, some are impromptu and loose knit, but is it scriptural. The Lord said, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24 True worship of God is in spirit and in truth.
Once I was invited to speak at a local assembly of believers. I had been there before and I appreciated that they simply sang hymns out a book acapella. The simplicity and good spirit in the song service was a blessing. However, I went back upon invitation a few weeks later and something dreadful happened. The “worship leader,” told us we were going to worship the Lord a different way this week. We noticed a screen set up for some type of media presentation. In the corner was the name of the program, it was some type of DVD keyed up and ready to go. On the screen was rolling green smoke. I don’t know if it was supposed to represent ascending words of worship or smoke billowing from the pits of hell. The later proved to be he case.
We were instructed that the presentation was kind of long so if we got tired, we were free to sit down and just enjoy the “program.” He pressed play and then like the boom of a canon, out of the high volume, amplified speaker system came Baal’s banging drums. Rock music started up and them the words appeared on the screen, “All hail the power of Jesus name let angels prostrate fall...” I couldn’t believe what I was seeing or hearing. Angels may have been weeping, or covering their ears, but they surely weren't falling prostrate. On cue, my wife and children, all ten of us from the from row, filed out into the aisle and out the back door.
The senior brother in the church followed us out the back door. Perhaps he thought someone had become sick (he was right in a sense.) When he asked what was wrong, I told him that we believe as a family that rock music is sinful. He said, “But did you see the words?” It was easy for me to see, he had modern American Christianity, not pure biblical Christianity. “Yes, I told him, but did you hear the music?” He informed me that that type of music used to bother him, but the more he listened to it, the less it bothered him.
Again the words of Christ ring true, “For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” Matt. 13:15 and “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;” I Tim. 4:1,2
Worship in modern churches is anywhere from dead to way over board. Why? Because our nation does not know the Christ of their worship, or they would worship in spirit and in truth. What is the answer? In a word, simplicity; Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and testimonies of the greatness of God. This is what the early church did. They didn’t have a band, a drama team to get them stirred up, or any other of our “pop” culture ideas, no, just plain and simple worship from a heart that was filled with person of Christ.
They walked in His humble foot prints. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” John 10:27 Sheep, yes lowly sheep. Indeed, our confidence because God’s word is authoritative is bold, but our walk is humble. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Matt. 11:29 Meekness, lowliness, are these the keywords of American culture? Look everywhere including the churches and we see the message, of aggessive, ascertive, modern culture. Self-realization and the “me” culture have caused us to no longer learn of Him and take on His yoke.
Have you ever seen a sheep represented as bold, sassy, and on the go? That is the modern American. I saw a book in the Christian book section at Wal-Mart. On the cover was this, I can’t think of a better word, seductress, with bright red lips, heavy make-up, and form-fitting, short, bright red dress, and the topic of her book was about being a Christian diva. Just for those of you who don’t know what that means, a diva, according to the dictionary is as follows:
1. An operatic prima donna.
2. A very successful singer of nonoperatic music: a jazz diva. [Italian, from Latin d va, goddess, feminine of d vus, god. See dyeu- in Indo-European Roots.]
A prima donna, a successful singer, a goddess? Is that a humble disciple of Christ? Absolutely not, but that is our American culture speaking, not the sciptures. Jesus said we were to take His yoke upon us.
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