Western Christianity is Crumbling
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2024 has been a devastating year for Western Christianity.
On the heels of the fall of Bill Hybels, Carl Lentz, and Brian Houston, Mike Bickle from IHOP KC faced sexual abuse allegations in late 2023.
In mid-2024, Dallas was rocked by a string of pastors facing similar allegations, the most devastating being Robert Morris from Gateway Church.
Pastor Tony Evans resigned due to an unnamed past sin.
Steve Lawson was found to have been in an adulterous relationship.
And now as 2024 draws to a close, we are once again rocked by the news coming out about Daystar Television and Dr. Michael Brown.
What in the world is going on?
I have chosen to follow some of these stories rather closely. Some of these stories hit very close to home for me.
I have friends who know and have even been close associates with some of these leaders. So, some of these circumstances are somewhat personal to me.
I want to preface this article by saying that I find no pleasure in writing this. The Bible says that we are not to rejoice in the downfall of another.
In following these stories, I have had moments when I felt physically nauseous because the accusations were so serious and the trauma and devastation so severe.
As I have followed each of these stories, I have observed a similarity in each of them that must become a lesson for us all.
Western Christianity was never God’s design
When I think of Western Christianity, I get an image of a pristine and perfect leader whose wife is a never-aging supermodel, and whose children are successful and follow in their parents’ ministry footsteps.
They are the model Christian family, building a worldwide ministry complete with TV programs, books, popularity, mansions, and money.
From our vantage point, they are the image of success and perfection.
We have compared our flawed families with our adolescent children going through their rebellious stages and our not-always-consistent family devotions with their shiny, polished exteriors.
They were what we aspired to be.
Their marriages were our ideal. We just knew the husband was the strong spiritual leader of the home and the wife completely submitted, as they gazed lovingly at one another on the stage.
Their children were our ideal, as one by one they entered the family business in one capacity or another, publishing books, going on speaking tours, and even taking over their father’s churches.
#Familygoals
Yet, over the past few years, we’ve discovered that behind that shiny, polished face of Western Christianity was the rotting stench of sexual immorality, adultery, p*d*philia, child m*lestation, substance abuse, clergy and leadership abuse, and financial scandals.
Any time you build a kingdom made by human hands, you will end up with an unstable structure.
“Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.” Psalm 127:1
Western Christianity is a man-made ideal with idolatry at its core.
It is the modern-day temple money-changers. Jesus has entered the temple with whip in hand, and He is over-turning their tables, and cleansing His house.
1. Christian celebrity culture is idolatrous and wrong
The modern church all over the world is bloated with the idolatry of celebrity pastors, worship leaders, and Christian influencers.
Like ancient Israel and Judah, we go to the temple (our churches, mega or otherwise) and mingle our worship of God with the idolatrous worship of our favorite Christian celebrity.
Yet, like ancient Israel and Judah, God has sent His prophets to warn us of our sinful ways.
God will not be mocked.
His house will not be defiled.
He is coming with judgment in His hand, and this judgment is not only an indictment on the gross corruption of these mega-pastors and ministries but of us all who have worshiped at their altars and made them our idols
2. Wealth and prosperity are not God’s validation of your ministry
Western culture always equates money and notoriety with success, and the church has bought into this message.
We have looked at these mega-pastors and ministries with awe and declared them blessed and highly favored because they live in mansions, own jets, and are followed by millions of Christians around the world.
Can I tell you something?
Numbers, nickels, and names mean nothing to God.
He is not impressed, and these are not a mark of His favor and validation of your ministry.
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart— these, O God, You will not despise.” Psalm 51:17
3. Power and position tend to corrupt
Lord Acton said, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
One similarity in most of these devastating tales of fallen Christian leaders is their lack of accountability and submission to a higher authority.
One of the grossest comments I continually see in response to these stories online is “Why did so-and-so wait xx years to come out.” or “Why didn’t they follow Matthew 18?”
Yet, when you research, you will find that those making the allegations, in fact, didn’t wait years to share their stories.
They have confronted these ministers, they have spoken to other church leadership, and they have attempted Matthew 18 on a number of occasions, only to be stonewalled at every attempt.
Many of these pastors brushed their accusers aside in the same way they’d brush aside a pesky fly.
These leaders are surrounded by yes-men who follow their given script and continue the stonewalling of anyone who speaks out against their leader.
Scripture is used as a weapon to bring silence.
“Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm.” 1 Chronicles 16:22
Calling them “accusers of the brethren”.
Blaming them for “taking down the Lord’s ministry”.
May I be so bold as to say that a ministry built by the Lord cannot be taken down, with any hands, human or otherwise.
If an evil spirit or human can tear down what the Lord has built, He is, in fact, not almighty or all-powerful.
But if God is truly all-powerful, what He has built can withstand any power, human or supernatural!
“Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.” Luke 20:47
4. Western Christianity is at odds with Scripture
Contrast Western Christianity with its perfect image, perfect family, and perfect ministry with what we see in Scripture.
Let’s start with Noah who had three very imperfect sons and who himself was deeply flawed at the end of his story.
Abraham lied more than once to preserve his marriage, and Isaac and Jacob did as well.
Moses murdered a man.
David committed adultery and had the husband of his mistress murdered. His family was the very definition of dysfunctional, as was the prophet Samuel’s.
What about Rahab or Samson?
And yet all of these people’s stories are memorialized in Scripture and even exalted in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11.
If God’s design for His church was what we see in Western Christianity, why then would He choose to memorialize these people with their raw and real stories for all of human history in the Bible?
Perhaps because God doesn’t look at the outward appearance of man, but at the heart!
It is we, who are so prone to idolatry… we who are preoccupied with image and the appearance of success!
But one day we will stand before God.
He will strip away all of the exterior we wear that proclaims our great power, position, wealth, luxury, success, and notoriety, and He will lay bare to the world what lies beneath.
Because that is what ultimately matters.
Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1 Corinthians 3:12-15
God is cleaning His house.
“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God.” 1 Peter 4:17
