Pastor Greg Answers: Is Christianity in Decline?

Everybody Greg Laurie here.

You're listening to the Grigori podcast and my objective is to deliver hopefully compelling practical insights and faith culture and current events.

From a biblical perspective to find out more about our ministry.

Just go to our website harvest.org so thanks for joining me for this podcast we are not popular right now we do believe in Jesus Christ, pretty much everything is tolerated except what we believe because we believe in absolutes. We believe in the Scripture you know media could hardly contain his glee of the findings above findings of the survey of what Americans believe. The only times trumpeted in a headline US is become noticeable noticeably less Christian major study. Five. Did you read that survey and so it looks like there's less Christians in America today. The article went on to say for probably the first time in US history.

The total number of Christian adults has declined. Is that true things are not always as they appear is what I think is really happening. I think cultural Bible Belt Christianity is becoming a thing of the past that was a day when most Americans in the 50s of the early 60s if asked what their faith was they would think I'm a Christian, even if they didn't go to church except for Easter and Christmas. They would say I'm a Christian.

That was a certain qualifying biblical worldview, where we understood that a man and a woman married, raising a family was a good thing.

We understood that there was right, that was wrong with the 10 Commandments were true now as we drifted further away from those things is a lot of people that are playing the game anymore.

They're no longer saying I'm a Christian. I said I'm not a Christian or I'm an agnostic and they come up with a new designation for this category. They call them the nuts that in UMS but in no any ES there none there just in the spirituality. They're not really sure what they believed. So what we have no our people were being more honest about their lack of faith in God. Listen, that doesn't leave me hopeless. That leaves me hopeful is my friend Russell Moore said, commenting on this. He says Christianity emerge from a Roman empire also have the core to the idea of a crucified and resurrected Messiah. We been on the wrong side of history since Roman jet. It was enough to turn the world upside down." I just see more people to evangelize. Now I just see greater opportunities. Jesus said in Matthew 24. This gospel will be preached in all the world and then will be income so we clearly have our marching orders. But here's the thing. The Bible warns that in the end times that will be an apostasy. What is that that means that people will fall away from the faith that the 2412 because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. Second Thessalonians 2's visit, they will come. But first to be a great rebellion against God.

First Peter four says the spirit clearly teaches and in the last times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and the doctrines of demons teach. But here's the deal.

I don't think were so much seeing people who are believers ceasing to be believers. I think these are people were never believers to begin with, or just walking away right now because here's what I believe. If you're a true believer, you may go astray for a time but a true believer will always come back home again will always come back home.

It may take a while. Like my mother raising a Southern Baptist Church. She went to church on Sunday morning and Sunday night and Wednesday night. So when she was of age.

She couldn't get out of that house fast enough and ran from her faith pretty much for her entire life. She didn't teach me anything about the Bible. She never took me to church.

She didn't want it to have any influence on me at all. So what happens why become a Christian, and even more I become a preacher. So things were working out so well for my mom, but in reality they were working out very well because thankfully at the end of her life.

Only a month before she died.

She came back again.

That's because a prodigal will always come home.

So here's a question, ask yourself, are you a pig or a prodigal thing is not to say they're both in the Bible and Peter we read about a pig returning to its law or the Meyer and a dog returning to its vomit. See you can make a pig a pet fix make good pets. I'm told, and so you can take your pig out. Get them a little outfit. I had a friend once at a pig is up and I'm not making this up. They would take it to the beach, he says, but the problem is they get really sunburnt so I said what are you doing since we put lotion on it would want that job. Time to put the sunscreen on the pig again I be like any that spray stuff. I'm not touching it, but the reason the pig will go back to the Meyer's because that's the way they cool themselves off to see so it's the nature of it. An adult will return to its own vomit.

This is one of the reasons I know the Bible is true because it predicts the future, but also because I've seen dogs eat the room barf them into will go through a dog's mind. Does he think I'd really like a hot meal right now and he said he is happy that he'll go wash it down with toilet water and summonses. All dogs are very clean. No okay you little acute them in the face. I don't want to. I think people like kissing the dog always give this to cats. They don't return to their own vomit. Always put in Some of their always choking on furball that's their issue, but one is a dog returned to its own vomit. White is a big return to the Meyer because that's their nature. A pig is a pig just like a horse is a horse of course. Of course you don't know what that meant. That means you're too young as I was an old TV show called Mr. red that had a talking horse and the all the time. He was a old Wilbur Wright, you know, a true Christian by where they end up in a true believer will always come back.

I would've there's not some people here right now listening to me that have been going astray, and it isn't time for you to come back home again and recommit your life to the Lord over some others that have never committed their life to Jesus Christ around him and lead you in a prayer and I want you to pray this prayer out loud after me right where you stand again as I pray pray this out loud after me.

Okay, wherever you are, as I pray for this out loud now pray this, Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner but I know you're a Savior who died on the cross and shed your blood for my sin. I turned from my sin.

Now I choose to follow you, Jesus. From this moment forward as your disciple as your servant is your friend. Thank you for loving me and calling me and accepting me in Jesus name I pray, amen. Everybody Greg Laurie here. Thanks for listening to our podcast and the learn more about harvest ministries. Please subscribe and consider supporting this show. Just go to harvest.org and by the way, if you want to find out how to come into a personal relationship with God. Go to know God.org that's key NOW GLD.org