Q: It seems to me there’s a real problem with the church these days. There’s a ton of talk about reaching the world, but so little seems to be happening. Jesus said his church, his people, would be light in a world of darkness. Yet the darkness seems to be growing. From your view, what’s going on?
A: It’s definitely not a problem with Jesus’ promise about his church. And it’s not a problem with how dark our world is. The early church brought light to a world far darker than ours. From my perspective, we have a problem with spiritual narcolepsy. It’s time for believers to wake up.
I believe the biggest obstacle to the church fulfilling its mission is on the inside. Too many believers are asleep in the light. And the real problem is they don’t know it.
It’s not the first time. The church at Laodicea experienced the same problem. “I know your deeds,” Jesus tells them. “You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you” (Rev. 3:1-3).
Jesus makes it clear. Believers can look awake. They can be highly respected for their lives of faith. They can do and say all the right things. And yet they’re dead, asleep in the light.
Could this be the problem in your church, in your own life? I’ve been personally wrestling with that question for a while now. In order to get to the answer, I’ve worked through some ways to detect signs of spiritual narcolepsy in my life and the life of our church family. Keep reading
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