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Restoration: Broken Cisternsby Darris McNeelyJeremiah stood on a street in Jerusalem and gave one of his typical strong and pointed sermons. People rushed around him with the business of the day. Some stopped for a while to listen while others passed on, too busy. This day's message focused on the theme that people had gone after gods "which are not gods" (Jeremiah 2:11). Nothing like this had been seen among the gentile nations—people changing their gods—yet God's chosen people, Israel, had done just that. The result was a spiritual restlessness reflected in many social problems that seemingly had no solution. The cause of the problem was twofold. God, through Jeremiah, summed it up in one sentence, "For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water" (verse 13). I thought of this passage recently when I read the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey done by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. The survey documents the diverse and dynamic religious population of America. The survey says the United States is 78 percent Christian, and the majority Protestant segment, about 51 percent, is about to lose its majority. More than 25 percent of American adults have left the faith of their childhood for another religion or no religion at all. When moves from the many branches of Protestantism are considered, this number rises to 44 percent. The survey reveals a fascinating perspective on the current U.S. religious scene. It is clear there is a churning taking place as people move in and out of different denominations, beliefs and positions. Generational divides have affected traditional views about religion and faith. One religious sociologist said there is a "dropping confidence in organized religion, especially in traditional religious forms." Nearly half of adults are moving from one faith to another, from one denomination to another in search of something they find missing from religion. Let me suggest what that missing dimension might be. It can be found in Jeremiah's sermon. American religion, like that of ancient Judah, has forsaken the true God. Churches have gone after other gods in the form of teachings, beliefs and religion that are not the faith delivered by Christ and the Church He founded. Today's churches are not based on the true teachings of the Bible and resemble in faith and doctrine the pagan religions of the ancient world more than they do the Church of God described in the book of Acts. American religious leaders have carved into the bedrock of society broken cisterns that cannot hold the "waters" of biblical truth. Like water from a cracked jug, the life has seeped out, leaving hollow shells that do not satisfy the deep spiritual needs of this generation. The people who flow into and out of the churches are not always finding the answers to the burning issues of their lives. The church on the corner may provide a nice sermon and good music. People may flock in to attend social events, ball games and classes on health or finance. Today's megachurches provide a total lifestyle program for today's audience. But scratch this shallow surface and look at the core beliefs; you'll find they do not square with the Bible. In the end people are not spiritually satisfied. The solution lies in a return to biblical truth. Restoring the true faith is the first step in achieving meaning in life and answers to the big questions. There is a cure for spiritual restlessness. It begins by worshipping God in spirit and in truth. WNP |
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Origin of article "Broken Cisterns"
Keywords: U.S. religion religion decline
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