Why Is the Church so Pathetic?

Jesus said, "Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18).

That's awesome!

I want to see that.

But the church doesn't seem to come close to kicking butt over the gates of hell.

So what's the problem?

Does the problem lie with the promise itself or is the problem the way churches have been going about the ministry and the mission of God?

Is the problem the promise itself? Was Jesus just pulling our leg? Is Christianity really nothing more than nice folks getting together on a Sundays to sing the words of songs that we know aren’t true, to mouth the words of prayers we know are empty, knowing full well that what we do on Sundays has absolutely no connection to the rest of the week? Is that what Christianity boils down to?

That as long as you can say that Jesus died for your sins and believe that He rose again from the dead, you can live any ol’ life and remain the nasty ol’ you and keep doing the selfish destructive things we’ve always done because you know you’re still going to be good when it comes to the end just because you at some point said a formulaic prayer and believe that Jesus rose again from the dead? Is that all there is to Christianity? Just show up once a week and pay your dues and you’re good?

Is that why Jesus came to die on the cross to descend into hell to rise again, just so we can be the same ol’ selfish nasty me and you, so that just because we uttered some words the same ol’ selfish nasty me and you can live in eternity?

Come on. You know that can’t be right.

Or does the problem of impotence of Christianity lie with how the modern day church has been practicing our faith?

I'll just let Jesus tell you.

"The the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me...I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.

"Then He will say to those on His left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and you did not look after me...I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one fo the least of these, you did not do for me.

"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
(Matthew 26:34-46).

BINGO!