“Daddy!” The scream came from the dining room table as I poured milk into the next bowl of cereal. Snapping my head up quickly, like Reese Witherspoon in “Legally Blonde” when she is teaching the bend and snap, I saw my middle child frozen, sitting in the fetal position. She was pointing at the chair next to her and mumbling, “spider”. It all became clear to me at that moment. My little girl was struck with fear.

Fear. It is something we have all experienced in life. You were, probably, fearful of something to some degree today. And this past year, fear has defined much of our interactions with others and our world. Fear can be good or bad. It can rule and cripple us or it can enable us to act. What makes a fear “good” or “bad” is determined by the correlation between the size and reality of the threat and our response to it. The question we need to ask is: “Is the threat really real and what level of response does it require of me?”. This is especially true when we ask the question, “What is the biggest threat faced by the church today?”

“Tyranny is always a danger, but tyranny is not the biggest threat faced by the church in the U.S. or any other nation.”

Keith Mathison

Many people believe a government take over is the biggest threat to the church today. The belief that outside influences will disrupt, hinder, or ruin the church is routinely portrayed as the greatest danger facing the church. However, Keith Mathison shares a compelling article on what he sees as “The Biggest Threat Faced by the Church“. He frames up the conversation, reviews Biblical history, and clarifies what the threat is. I hope you enjoy the article.

READ THE ARTICLE

There are many threats in the world today ranging from a small spider to tyranny (external and internal), but how we respond must be determined by reality and truth. As a follower of Jesus, I must recognize I am part of the greatest threat to the church each and everyday. While I would have loved for Mathison to share how to address the greatest threat, I appreciate his diagnosis of the issue. Do you agree or disagree with Mathison? Why or why not? I’d love to hear from you! As always be with the Lord’s people on the Lord’s Day.

Until Next Time…

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash