Christian History

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Christian History

• A Survey

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Two Great Questions

• Has it ever been this bad before?
• Where did we come from and why do we do what we
  do?

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Two Great Sources

• The Word of God
• The History of the Church

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Our Approach

• A surveyhighlights not details
• For information
• To gain encouragement (Romans 154)

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Christianity is Rooted in History

• The factual history of Israel
• The factual history of the Person and Work of
  Jesus Christ
• The factual history of the New Testament Church

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The Big Picture
TODAY
30 AD
A Fun Quiz
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Score Your Quiz
How Did You Do?
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From Pentecost to Patmos

• The Apostolic Age (30-95 AD)

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The Big Picture
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(No Transcript)
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Paths of the Apostles
Paul
Peter
John
James
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Paths of the Apostles
Andrew
James the Just
Thomas
Matthew
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External Dangers Persecution

• Jewish
• Stephen
• James
• Roman
• Nero (60s AD)
• Peter
• Paul
• Domitian (90s AD)
• Sporadic Disorganized

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Internal Dangers Heresies

• Gnosticism
• Judaistic Legalism

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The Fathers

• After the Apostles

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The Big Picture
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The Apostolic to Post-Apostolic Period
Apostolic Teaching 30-100 AD
Apostolic Fathers 100-200 AD
Church Fathers 200-330 AD
Apostolic Teaching
Persecuted Minority
Acceptance
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Continued Expansion
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Meet the Parents (Fathers)

• Clement of Rome
• Ignatius of Antioch
• Polycarp of Smyrna
• Hermas (the Shepherd)

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Clement of Rome

• Elder of the church in Rome
• Proponent of organization (Letter to Corinth)
• Became the bishop of Rome

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Ignatius of Antioch

• Martyred in 110 AD
• En route to Rome, wrote famous letter
• Promoted hierarchy of church leadership
• Bishop
• Elders
• Deacon
• Especially focused on a central bishop

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Polycarp of Smyrna (Izmir, Turkey)

• Martyred 155 AD
• Example of Godliness
• How shall I deny Him who has done me nothing but
  good these 85 years?

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Hermas (The Shepherd)

• Roman Christian
• Claimed visions from God
• Writings considered almost scriptural
• A call to repentance

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The Fruit of the Fathers

• Split with Judaismmove toward Gentile dominance
• Rise of the clergythe seeds of the papacy
• Intrusion of works salvation
• Early distinctions between eastern and western
  Christianity (Greek vs. Roman)

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Move from Congregational to Clerical Leadership
Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the
people be even as where Jesus may be there is
the universal church. It is not lawful apart from
the bishop to baptize or hold a love feast
(communion).
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Early Emphasis on Works Salvation
Happy are we, dear friends, if we keep Gods
commandments in the harmony of love, so that by
love our sins may be forgiven us.
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The Rise of Rome

• The City of God

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Key Questions

• How did the Church of Rome come to the Catholic
  Church?
• Who were the key figures that lead to its rise?
• What difference has it made to us today?

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The Big Picture
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The Period of Roman Dominance
Rise of Roman Catholicism 313-600AD
Roman Corruption 1000-1500AD
The Dark Ages 600-1000AD
Corrupt Mixture of Earthly and Spiritual Power
Reformation!
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Factors Leading to the Rise of Rome

• Emergence of the monarchial bishop
• Legalization of Christianity
• Decline of other centers of power
• Creation of the Eastern Empire
• Defensive moves against heresies

Constantinople
Rome
Ephesus
Antioch
Jerusalem
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Defenses Against Error

• The Canon of Scripture (4th Century)
• Church Councils (e.g. Nicaea)
• Pronouncements of the Roman bishop

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The Roman Lineup

• Peter I (not really!)
• Damasus I (366-384AD)
• Leo the Great (440-461AD)
• Gregory the Great (590-604AD)

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Damasus I

• Claimed apostolic succession from Peter
• Commissioned the Latin Vulgate translation of
  Scripture

366-384 AD
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Leo I

• Saved Rome from Attila the Hun

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Gregory the Great (Pope 1 or 64)

• Took title of Pope (Father) and Pontifex Maximus
  (Highest Priest)
• Consolidated Europe under Catholic Religion
• Sent Roman missionaries
• Wrote liturgy
• Introduced purgatory

590-604 AD
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So What Did All This Mean?By 600 AD

• The Church became a spiritual-political
  organization
• The Clergy became a career path to wealth and
  influence
• Grace was channeled via the Church, its
  priests, and its Sacraments
• Tradition was placed on par with Scripture
• Pagan practices were absorbed into church
  activity

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And we enter
The Dark Ages
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The High Middle Ages

• All Roads Lead to Rome
• 800-1300 AD

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The Big Picture
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The Medieval Church
800 1000 1300
Holy Roman Empire (French)
Holy Roman Empire (German)
Scholasticism
Crusades
Roman Catholicism
East-West Church
Eastern Orthodoxy
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A Lot of Moving Parts
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Political Holy Roman Empire

• Charlemagne (800 AD)
• Otto I (962 AD)
• Early stages of nation states
• Set the stage for the German Reformation

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Political The Roman Church

• Investiture Controversy
• Multiple Popes
• Pope on a Rope
• Use of ecclesiastical weapons

Henry IV Repents Before Pope Gregory VII
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Political The Great Schism

• Eastern Church (Greek)
• Greek
• Anti-Icon
• Western Church (Roman)
• Latin
• Images
• Filioque Question

Pope Leo IX
Michael Celularius
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Political The Crusades

• First Crusade 1095 AD
• Second Crusade 1147 AD
• Third Crusade 1189 AD

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Theology New Doctrines New Orders

• Scholasticism
• Reason Over Scripture
• Transubstantiation
• Sacramental Salvation
• Monastic Orders
• Benedictines
• Franciscans
• Dominicans
• Cistercians

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Growth Church Expansion
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By 1300

• Church had devolved into an
• ecclesio-political machine
• Corruption was rampant
• Salvation was taught to be through the church
  sacraments
• The stage was set for the Reformation

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Something is Rotten in Rome

• The Decline of the Roman Church
• 1300-1500 AD

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The Big Picture
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The Declining Church
1300 1400
1500
The Emergence of the Modern World
The Spiritual Decline of Romanism
John Wycliffe (England)
Jon Hus (Czech)
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The World in AscendanceThe Church in Decline

• Sociological
• Urbanization
• Rise of Middle Class
• Political
• Nation States
• Academic
• Renaissance
• Christian Humanism

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A True Renaissance Man
Erasmus
Da Vinci
Michelangelo
Raphael
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The World in AscendanceThe Church in Decline

• Sociological
• Urbanization
• Rise of Middle Class
• Political
• Nation States
• Academic
• Renaissance
• Christian Humanism

• Papal Humiliation
• Capture of Boniface
• Clement in Avignon
• Multiple Popes
• Broken Succession
• Conciliar Movement
• Moral Spiritual Corruption
• Murders Immorality
• Relics
• Superstition over Scripture
• Position vs. Character
• Indulgences

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Pope Clement VII
Pope Boniface
John Tetzel
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Early Reformers (Pre-1517)

• German Mystics
• John Wycliffe (England) 1325-1284
• John Hus (Bohemia) 1372-1415

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John Wycliffe

• Scripture into English
• Priesthood of Believers
• Authority in Character not Title
• Anti-Transubstantiation

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John Hus

• Follower of Wycliffe
• Preached against Indulgences
• Preached the Gospel

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Conclusion

• The lines were being drawn
• The world would never be the same
• The wood was on the pile
• A match was needed

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The Swiss Reformation

• The Center of European Protestantism

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(No Transcript)
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Factors in the Reformation
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Two Major Players
Ulrich Zwingli 1484-1531
John Calvin 1509-1564
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Ulrich Zwingli

• Priest Preacher (pre-dated Luther)
• Zurich Pastorate
• Verse by Verse
• Sausage Controversy
• 67 Conclusions
• Official Protestant City
• Military Leader
• Sent missionaries
• Jacob Kaiser martyred
• Led campaign against Catholic cantons
• Killed in battle
• Succeeded by Heinrich Bullinger

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John (Jean) Calvin

• French exile to Basel
• Wrote Institutes of the Christian Religion (at
  25)
• Moved to Geneva
• Partnered with William Farel
• Created systematic approach to the faith
• Exiled to Strasbourg
• Recalled to restore order in Geneva
• Wrote Commentaries on the Holy Scripture
• Ministered for 27 years

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What About the Rest of Europe?
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Result of the Reformation

• Lutheranism
• Calvinistic Presbyterianism
• Anglican Protestantism

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The English Reformation

• Sort of

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The English Reformation
1500 1600
The Plethora of English Leaders
The Impact of the English Bible
The Impact of the English Throne
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Uniqueness 1 No Specific Leader

• Thomas Cranmer
• Hugh Latimer
• John Frith
• Thomas Bilney
• Anne Boleyn
• Farmers
• Merchants
• Unknown Preachers

Latimer
Cranmer
Anne Boleyn
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The Martyrdom of Ridley Latimer
Be of good courage, Master Ridley, and play the
man we shall this day light such a candle, by
Gods grace, in England, as I trust shall never
be put out.
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Uniqueness 2 The Word of God

• Jon Wycliffe (1320-1384)
• William Tyndale (1494-1536)
• Fled to Germany
• Lived in Holland
• Martyred in Belgium
• Dozens of Preachers

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Uniqueness 3 No Political Support
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Persecution of Evangelical Christians

• New Testament Banned
• Cardinal Wolsey
• Thomas More
• 50,000-100,000 Martyred

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Gradual Reformation of the Church

• Edward VI
• Queen Mary (aka Bloody Mary)
• Elizabeth I

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A Mixed Outcome

• A Romish Anglican Church
• A Protestant Anglican Church
• Puritanism
• A Church Ready for the Impact of Scottish
  Presbyterianism

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Awakenings

• Evangelical Decline Revival

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The Big Picture
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Understanding Revival
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The Period of Awakenings
1700 1900
The Moravian Revival
The First Great Awakening
England
America
The Evangelical Awakenings
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The Moravian Revival

• Lutheran Decline
• Prince Nicholas Von Zinzendorf (1700-1760)
• Christian Commune
• Revival
• Impacted Wesley

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First Great Awakening (England)

• John Wesley (1703-1791)
• Anglican
• Preached in the open air
• Founded Methodism

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First Great Awakening (America)

• Jonathan Edwards (local)
• George Whitfield (1714-1770)
• Massive appeal
• Strong Calvinist
• Influenced the Revolution

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The Evangelical Awakenings

• The First (1802-1812)
• Ivy League
• Unitarianism
• The Second (1857-1862)
• North New York City
• South Confederate Army

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The Rise of Modern Missions

• The Golden Age

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The Big Picture
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The Great Commission
All authority is given to me in heaven and
earth. Therefore, as you go, disciple the
peoplesbaptizing them in the name of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to
obey all that I have commanded. And, behold, I am
with you even to the end of the world. --Matthew
2818-20
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The Golden Age
1800
1900
Today
British Empire
India South Asia Missions
China Missions
Africa Missions
Muslim Missions
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Causes for the Rise of Missions

• The Awakenings
• The Rediscovery of the Priesthood of Believers
• Rise in Global Trade
• Growth of the British Empire
• Wealth of the Middle Class

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The Players

• A List of Household Names

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William Carey (1761-1834)

• British Teacher/Pastor
• Proposed organized missions
• Went to Bengal (Bangladesh)
• Formed Baptist Missionary Society

Attempt great things for God expect great
things from God
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Adoniram Judson (1788-1850)

• American
• Congregationalist
• Became Baptist
• Burma

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David Livingstone (1813-1873)

• Scottish
• Planned for China but ended up in Africa
• Explored much of African continent

Dr. Livingstone, I presume? H.M. Stanley
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Hudson Taylor (1832-1905)

• Medical Student
• Called to China on Brighton Beach
• Opened the interior of China
• Founded China Inland Mission (OMF)
• Father of Faith Missions

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A.T. Pierson (1837-1911)

• American Presbyterian
• Pastoral Catalyst for Global Missions
• US
• England

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C.T. Studd (1860-1931)

• English Cricket Star
• Member of the Cambridge Seven
• Missionary to China (CIM)
• Missionary to Africa (WEC)

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Guess Who

• Calvin College
• Florida Atlantic University
• Westminster Seminary
• Pastorates in NJ, FL, and NC
• Missionaries to Eritrea

Don and Jeannette Taws
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Major Impact

• Countless Para-Church Agencies
• Gospel Spread to Every Country
• Missions Part of Fabric of Evangelical Churches

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Missions Today

• Sending has shifted to other countries
• More countries are closed to missionaries
• Alternative strategies are being created
• Missions minded people are bypassing the agencies
  in favor of direct engagement

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The Church in the Early 21st Century

• A Series of Contrasts

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The Big Picture
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Contrast 1 American vs. Global Christianity
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Contrast 2 Traditional vs. Contemporary Churches

• Styles
• Music
• Dress
• Format
• Underlying Reasons
• Appeal to the Past
• Appeal to the Public
• Appeal to Scripture

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Contrast 3 Impact vs. Relevance

• Impact What difference are we making?
• Relevance Does anybody listen to what we say?

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Result of These Tensions Emergence of New
Types of Churches

• Media/Celebrity Churches
• Emerging Churches
• Organic/House Churches
• Mega-Churches/Relevant Environment Churches
• Renewed Traditional Churches

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Media-Celebrity Churches

• Mass Appeal
• Entertainment Focused
• Drama
• Music
• Glitz
• Attractive Pastoral Teams

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Emerging Churches Organic Churches

• Emerging
• Geared to the ADHD generation
• Gen Y
• Simultaneous Multi-Media
• Organic
• Without structure
• In homes

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Mega-Churches

• Focus on relevance
• Stripping all but the gospel
• Mass appeal seeker emphasis
• Heavy use of marketing thought
• Multiple campuses
• Built on brands and names

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Mega Churches Pro Con

• Positive Side
• Focused on the gospel
• Appeal to the unchurched
• Evangelistic effort and impact
• Massive cash generation

• Dangers
• Boundaries slippery slopes
• Watering down the truth
• Minimal discipleship
• More strategy than spirituality
• Relocation of malcontented sheep

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Renewed Traditional Churches

• Focused on Scripture
• Connected to their history
• Emphasis on reverence in worship
• Structured
• Liturgical

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So

• A time of CONFUSION
• A time of TRANSITION
• A time of EXPERIMENTATION
• Wheres it all headed?

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Whats Next?

• The Future of the Church in America

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Globally

• Decline disenfranchisement of the American
  church
• Fragmentation of organized mission activity
• Ascendance of the Asian-Chinese church

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3 Factors Well Face in the U.S.

• Ultra-liberal, Established Church
• Government Interference
• Discipleship Persecution

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The Mainline, Established Church

• Fulfill the human need for worship
• A god of humanistic design
• Focus on social fellowship and social issues
• Christ presented as a way to God

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Government Interference

• Elimination or limitation of tax-exempt status
• Control of Hiring Practices
• Application of Tolerance Doctrine to teaching
• Acceptable messages
• Hate Speech

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Persecution of Evangelicals

• Starker difference between believers
  unbelievers
• Decline of professors vs. possessors
• Restriction of Free Speech via the Tolerance
  Doctrine
• Ridicule and alienation via media

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The Shape of the Church in America

• The Good News
• Jesus Christ will continue to bring people to
  himself
• The Unknown News
• Revival will change the outcome
• The Bad News
• If things remain the same

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A Possible Landscape

• Public open tolerant church
• Despised evangelicalism
• Informal home oriented Christianity

121
Upon this rock I will build my church and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against
it. --The Lord Jesus