Are you a Christian, a disciple, or both?

I was reading some of Barna’s findings regarding how faith had changed over a 20 year span from 1991-2011. Here are a few of his findings that are significant:

The % of American people that read their bible at least once a week outside of church dropped by 5%.

Church volunteerism dropped eight percentage points down now to 19% (less than 1 in 5).

Adult attendance in church dropped 9%.

In 1991 American adults considered “unchurched” comprised 24% of our adult population. That number has now swelled to 37% of all American adults.

The percentage of those who believe the Bible is accurate in all that it teaches dropped from 46% in 1991 to 38% today.

So why the decline; why the drop in key areas of faith? Well, the clearest answer is what Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:1-ff. Paul states, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits”. Now lest you think I’m going all “Harold Camping” on you and saying “the world is going to end, the world is going to end”. I understand no man knows the time or day the Lord will come back, but it’s only logical that it is “later” than it has ever been before. Today we are one day closer to the Lord’s return then we were yesterday.

So why the lackadaisical approach to faith today? Could it be that we are more concerned with drawing a crowd then we are calling out folks to commitment? I love what Dallas Willard says in his book The Great Omission. In his studies he found that the term “disciple” is found at least 269 times in the New Testament compared to the term “Christian” which is found only three times in the New Testament. Barna’s research validates the fact I think we in the church are much more comfortable with the term Christian than we are disciple. But the Great Commission does not call us to make “Christians” but rather to make “disciples”. To be clear, I believe all biblical disciples are Christians but not all Christians are disciples. We suffer from the mile wide inch deep philosophy of “doing church”. We get them saved, place in their hands a “get out of hell” free card, and move on to the next lost soul to conquer in Jesus name. Please don’t get me wrong … I am all about evangelism. Anyone in Bowling Green that knows anything at all about Eastwood where I pastor would describe us as a church committed to missions and evangelism. But our churches have become a microcosm of our society. Today in America 1 out of 3 children, 24 million, are being raised in homes without a biological father present. It is not enough to sire offspring, as men we must take responsibility to then provide for and raise that offspring to maturity. The same is true in the church. It is not enough to see people birthed into the family of God; we must take ownership of doing all we can to help raise them to the point of Christian maturity that represents a fully-devoted follower of Christ.

Now if a church takes seriously the responsibility and call to discipleship not everyone will receive that well. Many church attenders are simply after a “dog and pony” show. At the point there is a call to radical commitment to the claims of Christ, many hit the doors and don’t come back. The same was true in Jesus’ day. In John 6 Jesus taught some radical concepts about what it meant to follow Him. Verse 66 of that chapter is telling when it states, “from that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.”

Today is Super Bowl Sunday and if you know me I LOVE the Dallas Cowboys. But here’s the thing … since January 1, 1997, the Dallas Cowboys have won a grand total of ONE playoff game. A “fan” will jump on the train with whoever is hot at the time. I guarantee you there are more 49er and Ravens fans today than there was “Super Bowl Sunday” last year. Even though my Cowboys, when it comes to games in December and the post-season have been horrible in recent years, I will continue to cheer for them even though the times are tough; I’m not just a fan, I’m a follower. So let me ask you. Are you a “fan” of Jesus or of His church? Will you stay where you are as long as the game plan is going well? At the first sign of trouble or seeming “lack of success” will you jump to another church or cause that seems “hot” at the time? Don’t be a “fan” of Jesus; Lord knows our churches are full of them. Be a fully-devoted follower, a “disciple” who now because of your commitment to Christ wants to lead others from being fans or even observers on the sidelines of faith to become fully-devoted followers of Christ.