Adhere

The Church has great potential to impact our society for the Lord; it is strong because Christ, the
Head of the Church, is strong. Colossians 1 says:
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

When things are in their proper order, it positively impacts the individual and the culture at large.  When our lives are submitted to Christ, we can display His love and walk in His ways.  This can affect those with whom we interact.  When love is evident and hearts are touched by the Spirit flowing through us, viewpoints can change, and the principles of God can permeate our society. I believe this is God's intent - that the Church would grow in spiritual maturity and that His people would reflect His glory.

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Jesus addressed the durability of the Church in Matthew 16, where we read this:
15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

We are being duped.

Christians are being told that the future of the Church is dependent on our inclusion of those who embrace the LGBT agenda.  Historic Biblical teaching is being redefined, somehow, to say that those who practice homosexuality should be allowed to identify as gay and to continue in that practice without Biblical prohibition.  If we don't do this, we're told, the Church will fold.

Trouble is, for them, it's not true - Jesus emphasized the longevity of the Church, built of the foundation of His truth, and Glenn Stanton of Focus on the Family has the data that shows Christians don't have to accept homosexuality to preserve the Church.

On The Federalist website, Glenn responded to a USA Today article by Oliver Thomas that predicted doom and gloom for churches if they do not embrace homosexuality.  Stanton begins by quoting Thomas, who said, "Churches will continue hemorrhaging members and money at an alarming rate until we muster the courage to face the truth: We got it wrong on gays and lesbians..."

Stanton writes:

We don’t have to wonder whether Thomas is correct. Not only is he wrong, but an impressive body of very strong data and experience demonstrates the precise opposite of what he claims is true.

Yes, many churches are hemorrhaging members, and have been since the early 1970s. But anyone who studies these things carefully will tell you this is happening almost exclusively in the more politically and theologically liberal mainline churches. These are the same churches that are doing exactly what Thomas calls for: rejecting the credibility and authority of Scripture.

Stanton contends that the Church should not acquiesce on basic teachings, and points out:

Research done jointly at Harvard and Indiana universities makes this clear, reporting that the number of adults attending liberalizing mainline churches has tanked precipitously from 35 percent of the American population in 1972 to 12 percent in 2016.

He relates, "This decline of the mainline churches began in the early 1960s when they started to question and officially change their positions on historic Christian basics..." Stanton writes, "The Harvard/Indiana University research also shows that the churches that take the Bible as the reliable word of God are doing very well. Compromising on biblical truths was, and is, a devastating church-growth strategy. Holding fast to these truths and preaching them boldly is a very effective one."

This is consistent with Pew Research findings, as Glenn states:

Pew’s “America’s Changing Landscape” explains that, between 2007 and 2014, mainline Protestant churches declined by 5 million adult members. This is hemorrhaging by any sober accounting. Churches in Pew’s “evangelical” category grew in absolute numbers by about 2 million between 2007 and 2014.

And, in what might be regarded as a rather surprising finding, Stanton writes:

Research conducted jointly at Columbia University and the University of California at Los Angeles by scholars who are not shy about supporting gay politics found that gay- and lesbian-identified people are 2.5 times more likely to attend churches that took a more conservative view on Christianity (including homosexuality) than the so-called “welcoming and affirming” congregations that celebrate it.

There is also a study from Canada, which found this:

Comparing and contrasting mainline churches that were growing with those that were shrinking, their data showed conclusively that mainline churches holding more conservative theological beliefs and practices experienced congregational and spiritual growth. The theologically liberal churches only saw decline.

Regarding the demand by some that the Church change its views on a host of issues, including sexuality, Glenn Stanton writes, "It’s finally time to stick a fork in the liberalizing project within Christianity that has been hard at work over the last 60 years or so. Hard numbers judge it a massive failure on every measure year after year."

The Church does not have to cave.   We are being told that the compassionate and tolerant way is to accommodate what the Bible calls sin.  And, candidly, even though the numbers were to dwindle, we can be satisfied that we have held fast to truth.  But, as Stanton points out, the numbers are apparently NOT declining for the churches who choose to uphold the Word of God.  Remember: Adherence to truth is not intolerance.  Rejection of Biblical truth is.  It's intolerance not only for the principles of God, but for what is best to address the lost, human condition.

We can be encouraged to let God's Word shape your philosophy, not popular culture.  It's very easy to buy in to the popular narratives; they're all around us.  That is why we have to regulate our intake and make sure that we have a healthy dose of Scripture on a consistent basis.