The modern church needs to take into account many biblical warning signs that are knocking at their doors. Many times, it is easy for the church to overlook these things; however, it is not right.
If the modern church continues to overlook these biblical warning signs, there will be problems for them in the future. Whether we are knowledgeable about these signs or not is irrelevant, what matters is that they are happening before our very eyes.
Sadly, many churches in the modern day have drifted far from Jesus. For fear of being seen as politically incorrect, many churches have chosen to condone sin. Rather than preaching against it and helping those who struggle with various sins, they are accepting sinful behaviors.
As believers, we need to help these individuals, but we should not condone their sin. We too sin and we would not want others to encourage us in our own sinful behaviors.
The modern church needs to remember to follow God rather than follow the world. The church will not be able to be the hands and feet of Jesus unless they are living in accordance with His teachings.
It is easy to go along with the teachings of the world; however, it is extremely hard to follow Jesus. Even though it is hard to follow Jesus and to turn away from the sinful flesh, it is what God calls us to do.
As the modern-day church, we need to dedicate ourselves to following Jesus and serving Him to our fullest abilities.
If we neglect to remember these biblical warning signs, we will fall into the habit of turning away from God. We will also have a hard time of hearing the Holy Spirit because we would have ignored Him for so long.
As believers, we need to get back on the right path and pay attention to these warning signs. By paying attention to these warning signs, we will be able to help those inside the church as well as those outside the church. Here are five reminders the modern church and the body of Christ need to remember.
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1. The Church Needs to Be Active in Evangelism
One biblical warning sign the modern church needs to remember is that there will be problems if the church is not active in evangelism. If the church is not active in evangelism, it will not be fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).
By failing to fulfill the Great Commission, we are failing to serve Jesus. This is a reminder that needs to be given to all churches. In many churches, there is not an emphasis on missions nor is there an emphasis on evangelism.
Rather than focusing on these things, their minds are focused on things of the world. This could be money, power, or prestige. Sadly, many churches and mega-churches start dwelling on these things rather than the things that matter.
If the church is not active in evangelism and is not sharing the gospel, there will be problems for the church. Not only is the church not following God's commands, but every individual within the church is not either.
If there are no opportunities to share the gospel or to go on mission trips, how will anyone outside the church come to know Jesus?
There is a branch within Christianity that believes the Great Commission is irrelevant. They believe that if God wants someone to be saved, they will be saved no matter what.
In this way of thinking, missions, and evangelism are not needed. This is an incorrect understanding of the Bible. If the church is failing to evangelize and fulfill the Great Commission, they are failing to serve God.
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2. Prayer Is Important
A second biblical warning sign that the church needs to remember is that prayer is important. Many churches do not practice corporate prayer; however, the church as the body of Christ needs to pray individually as well as together in a group.
Unfortunately, many churches don't view corporate prayer as being important and some do not even focus on the practice of praying as an individual Christian. If the modern church keeps conveying the idea that prayer is not important, there will only be problems for everyone involved.
Prayer is a gift from the Lord and not something that we should take for granted. Jesus had to die for our sins in order for us to have a relationship with the Father. It is only through Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection that we are able to go to Him in prayer.
If the modern church continues to ignore the importance of corporate and individual prayer, there will be issues for the church.
If a church is ignoring the importance of prayer, it is best to switch churches. Sadly, there are many churches that are more focused on other things rather than glorifying God and building a relationship with Him.
As true Christians, we need to remember that prayer is important. It is very important as it is the way we talk with God. There is no other way to talk with God besides prayer.
If we fail to pray, we are failing to turn our worries, concerns, and needs over to Jesus. We need Jesus and by praying to Him, we are acknowledging our dependence on Him.
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3. Disagreements Within the Church Can Be Resolved
A third biblical warning sign the modern church needs to remember is that there will be disagreements within the church. While disagreements do not cause problems in and of themselves, they can cause larger issues if not addressed.
As believers, we need to work out disagreements in a biblical way. If we follow Jesus and conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of Jesus, then we will be able to handle disagreements in the right way.
However, if we choose to throw caution to the wind and allow our emotions to get the best of us, we will only worsen these issues.
God does not want there to be disagreements within His family. He wants there to be peace, love, and respect. How are we to do this if everyone is biting at each other's throats all the time?
Paul tells us this truth in Galatians 5:15, "If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other." As Paul tells us, we will only devour each other if we are always at odds with our fellow believers.
This is why it is important to know how to handle disagreements within the family of God. If everyone respects each other and cares about their fellow man, then it should not be too difficult to resolve conflicts.
There are horrible issues out in the world that the church needs to address, but the church cannot even fathom thinking about these things if there are always problems going on within the church.
Watch out for disagreements within your own church and quickly bring them to a biblical resolution.
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4. Money Is Not Your God
A fourth biblical warning sign the modern church needs to remember is that money is not your god. The Lord tells us that we cannot serve two masters. We will either love the one or hate the other (Matthew 6:24).
As we can see, money is not our god. Our only true God is the God of the Bible who has revealed Himself in the form of the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
The modern church doesn't need to be quick to forget this truth. Only God can fulfill the desires of our hearts — not money.
In the modern world, it is easy to be trapped in the wants and desires of life. Even Christians can be caught up in the lies of the world. This idea of if you had a larger house, a more expensive car, or a higher income, then you would be more "worthy."
The truth is that you are already worthy as you are. God loves you and He doesn't expect you to be wealthy. In fact, wealth is not a blessing for everyone. Sometimes wealth and power only lead to corruption.
Instead of the modern church being obsessed with money, it needs to realize and recognize who its true God is. God does not want us to replace Him with idols. Throughout the Bible, we see individuals replacing Him with idols carved by mankind.
These are no gods at all just as money is not a god. Many people make money their top priority; however, it will only give them problems in the long run. We need money to survive, but when anything turns obsessive, it turns into a major warning sign of a larger issue.
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5. The Gospel Needs to Be Preached
A fifth biblical warning sign the modern church needs to remember is that the gospel needs to be preached. Many individuals believe that those inside the church are already Christians. This is not true. Many people who come to church are not Christians.
They may be individuals who are interested in learning more about God or they might be individuals who only think they are believers. For the former, they need to hear the gospel preached in the church.
In fact, everything the church teaches needs to go back to a presentation of the gospel. By failing to preach the gospel, the church is failing to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Concerning the latter, there are many people in the church who have not yet become believers. They might believe they are Christians, only to realize later in life that they never truly placed faith in Jesus.
It is one thing to go to church every Sunday to appease others and it is another thing to go to church because you want to.
The modern church is neglecting the importance of sharing the gospel with those who are already coming to them. It is a beautiful opportunity that should not be passed on.
If the gospel is not being preached within the church, there will be repercussions. One should not expect wonderful things to happen within their church if they are failing to do what the church was established to do.
If your church is failing to share the gospel, it might be time to speak up about it. Even if you do not have a high position in the church, you can still take your stand to stand up for the Lord.
There are many biblical warning signs that the modern church needs to remember. If we neglect to pay attention to these warning signs, there will be problems later.
For further reading:
7 Sneaky Idols Destroying the Church Today
Why Do People Stop Going to Church?
5 Biblical Warning Signs the Modern Church Needs to Remember
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Originally published Wednesday, 22 November 2023.