Does the Church Hold a Christian Worldview?
Lesson 1: The Crisis in the Church — A House Built on Sand
What Happened to the Church?
Once, the Church in America stood as a light on a hill.
Today, it flickers.
A nation filled with church buildings is becoming a desert of biblical truth. Pew research, Barna studies, and cultural evidence all say the same thing:
We are not what we claim to be.
Professing, Not Possessing
Roughly 70% of Americans identify as Christians.
But when measured by belief and behavior?
Only 6–9% actually hold a biblical worldview.
Not just Americans—Christians. Or at least, those who call themselves that.
It’s the difference between saying, “Lord, Lord,” and actually knowing Him (Matt. 7:21).
The Collapse of Conviction
George Barna’s research with the Cultural Research Center (Arizona Christian University) revealed the hard truth:
Only 37% of U.S. pastors hold a biblical worldview.
Among evangelical pastors, barely 51% do.
Youth pastors? Just 12%.
If the shepherds are lost, what hope is there for the sheep?
The Six Forgotten Foundations
Barna’s worldview assessment focuses on several critical biblical truths—truths that once were assumed in every pulpit:
The Bible is God’s inerrant Word.
Jesus is the only way to God.
Salvation is by grace alone.
Jesus lived a sinless life.
God is sovereign and active.
Satan is real.
These are not fringe doctrines. They are the pillars of the Gospel.
Remove one, and the roof buckles.
Remove more, and the whole house falls.
Truth Traded for Tolerance
The modern church has not been overtaken by atheists.
It has been infiltrated by compromise.
The pulpit, once a place of fire and truth, now often mumbles soft affirmations. Sermons avoid sin. Hell is ignored. Holiness is optional.
In the name of relevance, we have surrendered truth.
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine…” — 2 Tim. 4:3
That time has come.
Cultural Christianity Is Not Christianity
America is full of Christians in name only.
They attend church.
They like Jesus.
They believe in God (vaguely).
But ask them if Jesus is the only way?
Or if Satan is real?
Or if people are saved by grace alone?
The answers are chilling. Even among evangelicals, a majority now deny these truths.
This Is Apostasy, Not Confusion
Let’s not pretend this is harmless.
It’s not that people are unclear.
It’s that they no longer believe.
This is not drifting. It’s departure.
“The Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith…” — 1 Tim. 4:1
We are watching that happen.
Right now.
In our churches.
The Enemy Within
The greatest threat to the church is not secular culture.
It’s false teaching from within.
The enemy has planted seeds of doubt in pulpits and seminaries. Many pastors now preach a Jesus without a cross, a gospel without repentance, a faith without obedience.
“They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him…” — Titus 1:16
This is not Christianity. It’s a counterfeit.
What’s at Stake?
Eternity.
Souls are perishing.
And instead of equipping the saints, much of the church entertains them.
Instead of convicting the lost, we coddle them.
Instead of preparing for war, we host potlucks.
The Call to the Remnant
But not all is lost.
God always keeps a remnant—those who have not bowed to Baal (Rom. 11:4).
This is a call to that remnant:
Wake up. Speak out. Stand firm.
The church is bleeding truth, and it needs men and women with spines of steel and hearts on fire.
We Need Reformation, Not Renovation
This is not a time for tweaking the music or updating the website.
We need a return to:
Sound doctrine.
Expository preaching.
Fear of the Lord.
Christ-centered worship.
We need to rebuild the house—not decorate the ruins.
Begin at the Foundation
In the next six lessons, we will examine each of the six core doctrines that uphold the true Gospel. We’ll look at what Scripture teaches, how the culture has compromised them, and why we must recover them.
This is not a game.
This is war for truth.
Let the Church remember:
“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” — Psalm 11:3
Let’s strengthen the foundations.
Let’s start rebuilding.
