"The Church at the End of the 20th Century" By Francis Schaeffer
The title of the third chapter of the profoundly insightful book by Francis Schaeffer is the appropriate title, “The Church In A Dying Culture”. Based on Schaeffer's thinking as laid out in the first two chapters of his book, he had come to the conclusion that the American society and way of life the founding fathers had in mind would at some point be nonexistent. Written in 1975, he had no way of knowing how right he would be by this the year 2014. The rate at which things in America are now changing is alarming.The focus of this chapter is Schaeffer's theology of Christian community. It is more than a sociological perspective he reveals, but at its heart the Biblical basis for the church's expression of life in a 20th (now 21st!) century secular and increasingly pagan context. At first glance, Schaeffer's thoughts and conclusions seem obvious and basic, but when really examined they are extremely profound. These are the salient points.He begins with a very basic but important assumption that you cannot hope to experience Christian community until you understand what it means to be a Christian, and to understand that we must begin with the realization that Christianity is "true". He makes this honest statement, "I think one of the reasons there is such an air of unreality in much of the church, and for many people, is that they do not understand what is really meant when we say Christianity is true". He says that it is "true to what is really there", and that it "explains why the universe is here and why it has its complexity and form". This is such an important point for the whole thesis of Schaeffer's book, because without this conviction as a foundation to what we understand to be the mission, life, and purpose of the church, we are going to end up with something that is not really Jesus' church. I'm afraid that is what we are facing now in the Western World. We have an aberration that is no longer viable in many instances, to serve as the vehicle and instrument/organism to further His Kingdom.But it cannot end there. "Our knowledge concerning the existence of God should flow on into an adoration of this God with our whole selves, including the intellect". Our knowing of what is true must lead to an experience of relationship with this God who can be known. Schaeffer says very succinctly, "Both the individual's and the community's life turns upon the existence of a personal relationship with God. Everything hangs on this point. There will be no reality...except on the basis of a personal relationship with the God who is there”.He goes on to say; "Everything that Christianity has ever had turns on the existence and character of God and the existence and nature of man; the existence and nature of ‘me’”. This may seem so obvious to us, but what he is actually saying is that too often, as far as the world can see, our whole way of doing church organizationally and “missionally” is done as though God weren't really there and that it often feels and appears to be dependent upon us and our ability to market what we are building; a subtle distinction, but a very important one nonetheless. The church is becoming less relevant and less viable and therefore less able to do what it has been birthed and commissioned to do because it no longer witnesses to the fact that God is in our midst!He then lays out the very basic but essential theology of man's moral guilt before this God who is there, and the inevitably and necessity of judgment. The reality of moral guilt and the inevitably of judgment is a necessity he says, because it gives significance to man.What is the answer for modern man? The answer is the gospel, the Good News regarding Jesus Christ. The Gospel is the answer to mankind searching both for significance and for meaning to their lives in the midst of increasing chaos due in great part to the loss of absolutes. The result, Schaeffer says, is that mankind can know the deeply theological and yet amazingly comforting experiential truth, that"somebody knows my name". Though Christianity is individual, it is not individualistic; thus the need and importance of Christian community. He makes a profoundly important statement regarding our ecclesiology today, that though there are many forms of Christian community; local churches, Christian schools and colleges, missions, etc., "they are not entirely equal because, except for the local church, all the others have been chosen by man in the changing needs of the years. In the New Testament, however, the church form has been commanded by God Himself for the era in which we live, that is, until Christ's return." Sound theology, sound ecclesiology especially is needed in order to be effective and fruitful. As a leader in the church I greatly appreciate Schaeffer's commitment to Biblical truth in this area.He concludes the chapter by saying that the church must "stand as a community in a living, existential, moment-by-moment relationship to God." This does not happen mechanically or automatically. It is something that must be consciously and continuously sought after”. But because we know who we are, we now have a basis for true community before an observing world.In summary, Schaeffer looking forward down the corridors of America’s history sees what I believe are five crucial truths that we have to both understand and trumpet today as leaders. (1) The importance of genuine Christian community. (2) In order to have genuine community, the church must believe that Christianity is true to what is really there. (3) This understanding of the truth of Christianity must permeate every area of our lives. (4) The answer for modern man is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we cannot replace it with methods and marketing. And (5), the church is God’s primary means of communicating and witnessing to these truths.If you haven’t read this book I highly recommend it to you. It is brilliant, prophetic, and essential for leading in this 21st century, and an important tool for those who are concerned with the witness of the church in today’s world.
Rick and his wife Kathy have been in Northern California for 33 years, have planted two churches, and are the parents of 4 and grandparents of 11 beautiful children. His passion is the Word of God, teaching, equipping and strengthening the church locally, nationally and internationally.Twitter: @rickmartinezsac