I came to faith in Jesus at an early age, 11 to be precise. Having grown up in protestant churches I was taught very early on that just before Christ returns the world would be in the midst of a fervent revival and Christ will find a vibrant church waiting to usher in His kingdom. But is that what the Bible really says? Will Jesus really find faith when He returns?
As I approach my 67th birthday I have been able to observe the church for the last 56 years. My conclusion is that the church is in decline and a recent article that I read on TheTrumpet.com gives some evidence that supports a rapid decline that was beginning even before the COVID pandemic.
According to this article, in 2019 there were 4500 churches that closed in the U.S. with about 3000 new church starts. This marked the beginning of a trend that has seen a decline in the total number of churches in America.
The number of Americans who describe themselves as Christian has declined over the last decade by 12%. According to the Pew Research Center, one out of three practicing Christians completely dropped out of church during COVID. That is a shocking statistic but I can attest from personal experience in my own church that it is most definitely true.
Thousands of churches, many of them small, could not survive the lock downs and restrictions of the pandemic and closed their doors forever. Sadly, for the first time since 1950 church membership in this country dipped below 50%.
One of the reasons that church membership and attendance is declining in our nation is because the church has lost its appeal to young Americans. We now know that only 30% of young adults who attended church regularly through their high school years are continuing to regularly attend church.
The time between 2019 and 2021 has been traumatic for the church at large. Those people who said they attended worship once or twice a month declined in every demo graphical category regardless of age, race or marital status. The church in the west has suffered immensely from the pandemic.
Modern church statistics are not the only reason why I believe religion is dying in the West. The word of God gives us some hints about what it will be like just before Jesus comes back. In Luke 18:1-8 we find the Parable of the Unjust Judge also referred to as the Parable of the Persistent Woman
And he spake a parable unto them to this end that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man; and there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him, saying; Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
Now look at verse eight in a couple of other translations.
New Century Version...I tell you, God will help his people quickly. But when the Son of Man comes again, will he find those on earth who believe in him?
The Amplified Bible...I tell you that he will defend and avenge them quickly However, when the
Son of Man comes, will He find (that kind of persistent) faith on the earth?
The first example from the New Century Translation leads us to believe that when Christ returns He will have trouble finding believers. The second example from the Amplified Bible says that when Christ returns He will have trouble finding persistent praying Christians.
Perhaps both of these translations offer a glimpse into the not too distant future. Christ will return and find a declining church both in it's membership and in it's faithfulness. Both realities are difficult to process mentally. A true sign of the times is a declining worldwide body of believers especially in the west.
We could point a finger of blame at a lot of possible reasons why the church limps to the finish line. By and large the church doesn't preach against social sins, we are too interested in social justice! The church has not taken a stand against immorality, shedding of innocent blood and has failed to preach Bible prophecy and the soon return of Christ.
One thing remains in our own control though. We can control whether we individually have faith, even persistent and relentless faith so that when Jesus returns He finds faith in us.
Let us continue to pray for the repentance and revival of the church in these last days.
