The Declining Church

Q. Over the last few years, I’ve become increasingly sensitive to deviations from the True Gospel Message. For reasons I don’t quite fully understand, our family has found it quite difficult to find a local congregation that hasn’t been affected by emergent, or seeker-friendly trends that promote a social gospel. As the head of our household, I am very concerned about the spiritual welfare of my family.

It almost seems to me as though the true Church is being driven underground. From your experience, is this becoming more normal as we approach the end of this age?

A. Yes, I think you’ve identified a growing trend. The Bible says that the true church will become smaller and weaker in the last days while the apostate church will grow stronger and richer.

Compare the Church of Philadelphia with the Church of Laodicea in Rev. 3 for the Lord’s prophecy of our times. About Philadelphia, the evangelical Church, He said, “I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and not denied my name.”(Rev. 3:8)

But when it comes to Laodicea, the apostate church, it’s a different story. “You say, ‘I am rich. I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” (Rev. 3:17)