A few years ago, I preached a sermon with this title. Lately, I have been thinking more about this. I have been reading a lot of blogs discussing what is wrong with the modern church and what we can do to fix it, and I think one of the problems that is the most troubling is the phenomena of inoculated Christians. Let me explain what I mean by the term so we have something to work with. The type of inoculation I am speaking of is a reference to the process of “immunizing” against a more serious threat. The dictionary definition is something like this: to introduce immunologically active material (as an antibody or antigen) into especially in order to treat or prevent a disease <inoculate children against diphtheria>. I can hear people already asking if I think Christianity is a disease, and I am not suggesting that it is, but the analogy is very appropriate. In many churches today, a weakened form of Christianity is being taught and preached and lived. It is a Christian message and life that is devoid of power and effectiveness. Those exposed to the message become more resistant to the full blown message of Christ, and in most cases feel that they have already “done that” so to speak. Many of them will never develop a “life-threatening” case of Christianity. They will never feel that they actually have to do all of those things that Jesus said. Jesus said that we must deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Him. This is a radical message and if we truly believe it, there is no way that most of us would have lives that are as normal as they are. What does this have to do with the problems in churches? It is very simple. If most of our church congregations are inoculated Christians, then they are not Christians at all. They have a form of Christianity, but not the power. Actually, I think that I read that in the Bible somewhere, perhaps 2 Timothy 3:1-5
1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
If you look at this list, you see a host of conditions that cause nothing but problems. Face the facts. When Rick Warren starts off his big bestseller with a first chapter that simply reminds folks that the world doesn’t revolve around them and that becomes a real revelation for people, we are in serious trouble. We have already hit the lovers of themselves category that Paul warned about and most of the others follow quite naturally. But that last statement goes to the heart of what this post is about. Modern Christianity is often about everything but the “real deal”. We can go to long lengths to package and market Jesus and the Christian life and never touch the power and reality of being a follower of Jesus. We can focus-group the community and find out how to meet their “felt needs” and we can meet those needs without ever telling them that they have sinned and fallen short of God’s standard. We can convince people that coming to church and getting involved in the programs we have or the services we offer are the right thing to do, and never bother with that troublesome act of submitting our live to Jesus. We can spend all of our time crusading for our favorite issue in Christendom or theology or Bible scholarship, and never worry about leaving everything that we cherish and love at the feet of Jesus.
I won’t say that Baptists are the most effective practitioners of this inoculation to Christianity, as I can only speak to what I know. Too many years of telling people that they just need to pray a prayer and walk the aisle and be baptized (in roughly that order) and not challenging people to instead give their lives to Jesus Christ completely have taken their toll. Other churches inoculate by different methods. Some say that you just have to show up every time you are required to be there and do what they say and all is well. Some say that you have to be active in ministry or service of some kind and that will do the trick. Some say that you have to display some sort of “spiritual gift” to know you are truly “infected”. None of this fits what Jesus said to those who would follow Him. He said, “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” -John 12:25-26 And this isn’t some isolated command. Everywhere you see Jesus talk about being His disciple, you see admonitions to count the cost, deny yourself, and take up your cross. This is the language of Christianity that many are uncomfortable with. This isn’t permission to find your calling and gifting and pursue it.This is a call to find your life by losing it.
I would hazard a guess that public speaking wasn’t one of Peter’s better skills, but he is the one we see delivering the first big gospel message at Pentecost. He did it because he was obedient and had given his all to follow Christ. If we want to see real change in ourselves and in our churches, we need to stop working with a dead or weakened strain of faith and Christianity. We need to allow the full-blown version to infiltrate us and consume us. When it does, we won’t have to guess if we know Jesus. We will know that we know Him. (1 John 2:3-6)
Strike the word “submit” and replace it with the word “surrender” and you got a deal. Surrender is a one-way act you don’t get to undo any more than a convict gets to backslide out of incarceration halfway through a 20-year sentence.
We have, I’m afraid, too many churches full of folks who’ve made commitments that stop too far short of a hill and a cross.
And won’t God discipline them [us] for falling short?
Maybe we do not have any men to lead us?
Or maybe we have preached a watered down Gospel that glorifies the person [people] and not the Lord?
Like you said, we submit instead of surrender. But in our case, isn’t surrender a daily thing? So whether we call it submit or surrender, we are to do it daily.
First let me qualify that I believe we have been in the last days since Pentecost. We are inoculated Christians for one great reason, we do not follow the one action item Christ asked us to follow. It is not even taught that much in the church. Oh we follow moral code ok, kind of like the Pharisees and Sadducees. We sometimes lift our hands in worship for all to see. We get involved in programs for some to see. We even say the name of Christ on occasion in the secular world, not often though.
Oh but we have great programs at the church that we can brag about. The one program that seems to be lacking is discipleship. The one action item Christ commissioned us to do. Christ did not give us a list of small groups that we can join; he gave us one small group to join. Christianity is a disease once you accept Christ as Lord and your savior, you contract the Holy Spirit. Once you truly accept Christ message you are his disciple. But if we were Christ disciple then the message would have been spread by now. No we do not pick up the cross and follow him because if we did the Church would have been raptured by now. Our churches don’t teach discipleship in fact very few churches label anything as discipleship. That is why I think we have a Christian message and life that is devoid of power and effectiveness. We do not pick up the cross, and we sure do not follow the one action item we were given. But then again few teach it.
John K.
I believe God has a plan,
And that all the good we do is due to Him.
But that we are responsible for our choices.
And the church will be raptured at just the right time.
.
So what would you say discipleship is?
Mike White,
Discipleship – learning of what Jesus/God/Holy Spirit taught and then following through and obeying His teachings and teaching those things to others – Discipleship
John K.,
I agree with you- that is how I define it as well.
There were people who ‘did’ all kinds of things in His name. And he said to them, “depart from me… I never knew you.”
The Jews asked Jesus, “What is it to do the works of the Father?”
Jesus answered, “Believe in the one whom the Father has sent.”
___
It’s a very dicey thing to try and figure out who the real Christians are. Because we cannot know the heart, or the motivations. Even pagans and Hindus can do all the works that Christians can do (except proclaim Christ).
I much prefer to preach the law and the gospel and let the Holy Spirit convict and inspire the person. Pushing the law (what we should, ought, or must be doing) on people will only create prideful Christians, or despairing Christians.
In the obedience game, none of us can measure up. If we think we’re doing alright, we are in real trouble.
Steve,
I agree with almost all you said but could you clarify one thing? You said you “preach the law and the gospel”. In what context do you use the law in your preaching?
Blessings
Sometimes I think its times (and blogs) like these that led the Holy Spirit to inspire ol’ John to write his first epistle.
Some will be “prideful” and some will be “despairing”…but some will REJOICE when they read it.
Law doesn’t make us rejoice. The gospel does. It’s a wonderful thing, that gospel Word. It’s actually Good News!
Yep, Good News that transforms!
Anthony,
When preaching the law, we always do so to expose our sinfulness.
Never to make better…always as a mirror…to convict of sin.
Spot on Steve
What is the full blown version?
I thought it was apparent from the post but I will say it simply. Laying down our lives, taking up our cross and following Jesus wherever it takes us.
Who is guessing that they know Him?
That would be those who call Jesus Lord and don’t do what He says now wouldn’t it. We know they exist because Jesus has told us about them. I am not big on trying to identify them personally.
Jeff,
Good article. This has been a constant concern of mine for well over 30 years.
Where are the George Muellers or Praying John Hyde’s today? I know they are around, but in such short supply.
Bottom-line: why am I not more radically devoted to Jesus Christ? It pains me to have no good answer to that question.