A while back we asked the kids to do a little survey amongst their social circle by asking "how can man come to God? Or by what criteria is man accepted by God?" The answers, although predictable, were very sobering. There was no real difference between the various religions, and ALL the people asked listed a number of "works" that man must do....ranging from church attendance to baptism and respecting their parents. Some of the people asked were teachers at Christian schools, others were pastors or seminary students. It's so sad to see how this world has managed to obscure the gospel of complete and utter dependence on what Christ has done for us on the cross. God looked at what Jesus did on the cross, and He was FULLY satisfied (Rom 3:24-25). Man had no part in it at ALL! We got into this mess because of acting independently of God, and now we're daft enough to try to fix it independently of God.
So, that is our challenge. Help the local church reconnect the dots by presenting a "big picture" narrative of scripture and a clear gospel message. And maybe more importantly, disciple those who can more efficiently share this wonderful truth with those who still haven't heard.