A Warning to America’s Lukewarm Church :: By Howard Green

On the surface, American churches appear to be thriving. They look successful, strong, vibrant, and spiritual. But nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is far more sobering.

Much of the church in America isn’t on life support; it has flatlined. We are witnessing something that resembles life but lacks the very thing that gives life: the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. If there isn’t a realization of how far we’ve strayed from what Jesus has called us to be, and repentance for what we’ve become, we run the very real risk of making Him sick. Ichabod is not a distant warning; it is a looming reality.

We have built gospel networks, church coalitions, and conventions centered around personalities, movements, and men. Massive worship concerts fill arenas with celebrity pastors and professional artists. Churches resemble corporations, complete with sleek buildings, meticulous branding, massive budgets, and religious professionals who know how to draw a crowd.

Many of these churches are rich, prosperous, and in need of nothing, at least in their own eyes. That should sound familiar. In Revelation 3, Jesus warned the church in Laodicea about being lukewarm. They were neither hot nor cold. They said, “I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.” His response was chilling: “I will spit you out of my mouth.” That is not just a warning for a first-century church; it is a mirror held up to the American church today.

The Worship

We have substituted the sacred for the superficial. What once was reverence has become a show. Lighting, fog machines, deafening music, and carefully orchestrated production have replaced worship in spirit and truth. We’ve traded doxology rooted in sound theology for emotion and repetition, “worship” that focuses more on felt needs than the holiness of God.

We gather in darkened auditoriums, staring at spotlit stages, surrounded by massive screens and countdown clocks. But in all of this, it has become increasingly difficult to hear the still, small voice of the Spirit. I’ve sat in services where the volume, lights, and atmosphere were so overpowering that there was virtually no chance to focus on the One seated on the throne. Warm feelings and goosebumps are not substitutes for true worship.

Just because we paste the words “Jesus,” “Savior,” or “gospel” on a screen does not make what we are doing pleasing to God. We’ve reduced worship to repetitious chords and emotionally driven lyrics, often making Jesus out to be little more than a companion to serve our needs rather than the sovereign Lord to whom we bow. There is no doxology without sound theology. We must return to worship that is anchored in who God is, not in how we feel.

The Machine

What many call “church” today has become a well-oiled machine. Success is measured by attendance and giving. Strategies, formulas, and systems ensure growth. Churches hire consultants and retain firms, paying thousands of dollars annually to help them cast a vision and expand their reach. Pre-packaged sermons are available for purchase, removing the necessity of seeking the Lord.

We’ve made it a priority to have something for everyone: events, giveaways, entertainment, and experiences designed to bring people back week after week. But somewhere along the way, the message changed. The gospel is no longer “Jesus came to save sinners.” It has become “God has a wonderful plan for your life.”

Jesus said, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” The modern church says, “Come as you are, get plugged in, find community, and belong.” Instead of going into the world to make disciples, we try to win the world by becoming like it. This produces movements that look like revival but are born of hype, not prayer, and of entertainment, not repentance.

The result? Not holiness, but an increasing appetite for more experiences. We hang banners, craft mission statements, and fill our halls with spiritual language. But the focus is often getting people into our buildings, not to the cross.

The Men

We have also seen a shift in leadership. Where we once believed God equips the called, we now operate as though organizations call the equipped. Executive search firms, coaching teams, and vision-casting experts have replaced dependence on the Lord. Scripture says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain.” Yet we labor with every tool except reliance on Him.

Preaching has changed as well. Where sermons once dealt with sin, holiness, eternity, and repentance, many so-called “pastors” now offer TED talks masquerading as sermons, about becoming a better version of yourself rather than being crucified with Christ.

We have traded shepherds for hirelings, prophets for performers, and Spirit-led men for spiritual influencers. Pastors are often treated like celebrities, building platforms rather than pointing people to the cross.

Churches look for polished, gifted communicators rather than broken, contrite men who tremble at God’s Word. And tragically, many rarely speak about sin, judgment, hell, or eternity. It is an eternal tragedy, a watered-down gospel that comforts people on their way to destruction. As has been said before, if there’s no brokenness in the pulpit, there will be no brokenness in the pew.

Business as Usual

I’ve written before that there is no time for business as usual, and that truth has only grown more urgent. What we have done is tailor the church into a comfortable Sunday experience. A wide road that doesn’t alarm anyone.

You know the scene. Friendly greeters, a polished welcome, a countdown clock, lights dim, and powerful, emotional music swells. Then a short, encouraging message about living your life to the fullest. An invitation to connect, belong, and get involved, then a closing song. People leave, encouraged, entertained, unchanged, and unwarned about hell and eternity. We send attendees out to spread the good news about our church, not Jesus. This is happening in tens of thousands of churches across America, and collectively, we call it success.

A Call to Repentance

This is not a call to abandon the local church; it is a call to restore it. It doesn’t matter if a church is large or small. What matters is whether Christ is at the center and the Spirit is present. What would happen if we cleared our schedules? If we laid aside our programs, strategies, and events for a season?

What if we stopped striving for visibility, relevance, and growth and instead sought the Lord in prayer, fasting, and repentance? What if we humbled ourselves and admitted that much of what we’ve built has been in our own strength? Perhaps then, He would meet with us again. Perhaps then, our churches would once again become places where His Word is honored, His Spirit is present, and lives are transformed for eternity. This is a call to pastors, leaders, and every believer: Let’s get before the Lord on our knees, in humility, and seek Him.

“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” -Jesus

Because if nothing changes, we run the very real risk of continuing to “do church” without the Spirit of the Church. Jesus made it clear: Without Him, we can do nothing. But if we return, if we truly return, He may yet revive us again. There is a remnant of true Christians and some local fellowships who make much of Jesus and His word. But for many American churches, this is an urgent call to repentance and restoration before it’s too late (Revelation 3:22).

All for Him,

Howard

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Link to the original article on Concerning The Times:  https://concerningthetimes.com/a-warning-to-americas-lukewarm-church/

Link to our deep-dive podcast on America’s Lukewarm Church: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-warning-to-americas-lukewarm-church/id1565453348?i=1000756386953

Link to YouTube video of A Warning to America’s Lukewarm Church: https://youtu.be/JrQP7ZTcnbk?si=4LALDuIe_0jOUvTL&t=1

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