82: Why Fixing the Church’s Worldview Is a Catch-22

Most Christians don’t think biblically and pastors can’t teach what they don’t know. Congregants often fail to recognize unqualified leaders, creating a Catch-22 that keeps the church trapped in cultural thinking instead of Scripture. In this episode, we unpack the research, explore why this cycle persists, and highlight what it will take to restore biblical thinking and leadership in the church.

Read: https://ready4eternity.com/why-fixing-the-churchs-worldview-is-a-catch-22/

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
I'm Eddie Lawrence and this is the Ready
for Eternity podcast, a podcast and blog
exploring biblical truths
for inquisitive Bible students.
Pastors can't teach what they don't know
and congregants are failing to identify

(00:21):
unqualified pastors.
The church is stuck in a catch-22.
Born-again churches
face a serious problem.
Only a small minority of
believers think biblically.
Recent research shows that just 13% of
born-again Christians

(00:42):
hold a biblical worldview.
Among pastors, the number rises to 37%
which is better, but still
shockingly and unacceptably low.
This is more than a statistic.
It's a crisis.
Without a biblical worldview, Christians

(01:02):
adopt cultural practices rather than
applying God's Word.
Without it, the church loses its power to
influence the surrounding culture which
now shapes the church instead.
What is a worldview?
A worldview is the lens through which you
see and interpret everything.

(01:25):
It shapes how you understand the world.
Take decisions and
determine what is right and wrong.
Everyone has a worldview, even if they
don't think about it.
In a biblical worldview,
Scripture shapes the lens.
You believe God created the world, gave
people purpose, loves them deeply, and

(01:46):
calls them to live in a way
that reflects His character.
Scripture guides your decisions,
priorities, and
understanding of right and wrong.
George Barna's research finds that among
believers, syncretism dominates.
Syncretism blends Scripture with cultural

(02:07):
trends, personal preference, and emotion.
It creates a patchwork worldview drawn
from multiple and
contradictory philosophies.
People think they are following God, but
in reality live
according to society's rules.
This is where the catch-22 of church

(02:27):
reform comes in, and fixing this problem
is like climbing out
of a deep, slick well.
Here's why.
Only 37% of pastors have a biblical
worldview, and pastors cannot teach
others to think biblically if they
themselves lack a biblical framework.

(02:48):
On the other hand, churches need pastors
who possess a biblical worldview, yet
most congregants lack a biblical
worldview themselves.
They can't recognize
leaders who meet God's standards.
Even worse, they not only neglect what
the Bible says about qualified shepherds,
they're largely apathetic

(03:09):
about ignoring the standards.
It's a circular failure.
Biblical thinkers appoint unqualified
pastors who produce
more unbiblical thinkers.
The result?
Churches appoint leaders based on
charisma, popularity, or perceived

(03:30):
success, not biblical qualifications.
The solution begins where it always
should, with Scripture's
description of a pastor's true work.
What does the Bible say pastors do?
The New Testament clearly
defines pastoral duties.
They are to pray, teach,

(03:52):
shepherd, protect, and equip.
Acts 20, verse 28, and 1 Peter 5, verses
2-3 urge pastors to shepherd the flock
not as overlords but as examples.
Ephesians 4, 11-12 calls pastors to equip
the saints for service and maturity.

(04:13):
In short, the job of pastors is to pray,
teach, guard, equip,
shepherd, and model godliness.
This ensures that the Church grows in
truth, holiness, and unity under Christ.
Jesus is the chief shepherd of the
Church, intimately knowing
and caring for His sheep.

(04:34):
Human pastors serve as under-shepherds,
called to emulate His example by knowing
their flock personally, guiding them
faithfully, and
protecting them sacrificially.
Anything that takes a pastor's focus away
from these duties is an
unbiblical distraction.
But what do pastors actually do?

(04:56):
In many congregations, especially those
exceeding 175-200 attendees, pastors act
more like CEOs than shepherds.
They manage budgets, staff, volunteers,
events, programs, and technology.
Most churches have only one pastor, and

(05:17):
this is both unbiblical and impossible.
It's unbiblical because the New Testament
consistently depicts each congregation
having more than one pastor.
It's impossible because one man cannot
personally know, teach, and
disciple hundreds of people.
The chief executive officer model is a

(05:38):
major problem for larger churches.
Pastors cannot effectively teach
scripture while also
running a large organization.
Spiritual formation takes a backseat to
administration,
marketing, and growth metrics.
Another problem is that too many

(05:59):
unqualified men serve as pastors.
Pastors frequently choose pastors based
on their personal opinion of what makes a
good pastor, focusing on attendance,
revenue, or popularity.
Scripture however, prioritizes
faithfulness and character, not
performance metrics.

(06:21):
The consequence is predictable.
Unqualified men occupy spiritual
leadership, perpetuating a culture that
neglects biblical worldview formation.
Without systematic, consistent
instruction in scripture, believers
default to cultural assumptions.

(06:43):
Ethics, politics, relationships, and
personal decision making all reflect
society more than God.
Many sermons prioritize encouragement,
entertainment, or personal application
over Bible exposition.
Perna notes that a 2019 survey found that

(07:03):
only 3% of sermons even mention sin.
Believers leave with
partial knowledge of God's Word.
They miss the framework needed to
understand culture,
morality, and creation.
Encouragement without depth produces
spiritual consumers, not disciples

(07:26):
capable of thinking
and acting biblically.
The biblical church model
is simple and relational.
Elders pray, teach, protect, and equip.
They shepherd real
people in real relationships.
In contrast, churches often adopt a
complex program driven model.

(07:49):
Pastors manage staff, programs,
technology, and budgets, and they lead
from behind a desk instead
of alongside their flock.
Perna found that a greater number of
people now view the local church as a
source of benefits rather than a center
for mutually
accountable faith-based community.

(08:11):
The relational model produces disciples.
The program model produces consumers.
One prioritizes obedience to God.
The other prioritizes comfort,
convenience, and
tangible material results.
So why is the problem hard to fix?

(08:31):
Forming a biblical worldview
faces four major obstacles.
First is structural.
Many churches are too large for
relational discipleship.
Many congregants don't know each other.
Pastors don't know
all of the congregants.
Pastors become
managers instead of shepherds.

(08:54):
Reason number two is cultural.
Congregants expect comfort,
entertainment, and convenience.
They resist and reject
correction or accountability.
Number three is leadership.
As we've already mentioned, many pastors
themselves lack a biblical worldview.
Their example and
teaching remain incomplete.

(09:17):
And fourth, spiritual.
Biblical thinking requires humility,
repentance, and submission to God.
And many believers simply avoid this.
Each layer reinforces the others, and
addressing one without the rest fails.
Worldview formation is not a casual task.

(09:39):
It requires intentional discipleship,
personal example, and systemic change.
Pastors must prioritize relational,
spiritual growth over attendance,
marketing, or popularity.
They must appoint as many qualified
pastors in each congregation as is needed
and equip them to

(10:00):
share the shepherding load.
They must teach scripture deeply and
consistently, not merely entertain.
George Barna said, "What we have been
doing for decades—topical preaching
series, small group discussions,
demographically segmented programs,

(10:22):
ministry through hired staff, treating
ministry to children like spiritual
childcare—clearly is not working."
Believers must learn to evaluate life,
culture, and decisions
only through God's Word.
They must seek truth, not comfort.
They must serve, not be served.

(10:44):
The American church
faces a formidable challenge.
Most believers think
culturally, not biblically.
Many pastors lead as
managers rather than shepherds.
Church structures and selection processes
reinforce this problem.
Fixing it will require

(11:05):
courage, wisdom, and obedience.
Pastors must model and
insist upon biblical thinking.
Churches must return to
relational discipleship.
And congregants must
engage scripture actively.
The task is
difficult, but not impossible.

(11:25):
It will require hard choices by
courageous people whose
desire is to serve God.
God causes people to think, act, and live
according to His Word.
And without effort, syncretism will
continue to dominate.
With courage, teaching, and prayer, a

(11:46):
biblical worldview can
flourish in the church again
if we choose to pursue it.