A Word of Warning!!!
For the Church...
This week I was working on another Bible study when one morning I felt the Holy Spirit impressed this message. It s not a particularly pleasant message, but it is one that needs to be said. And it is one that I prayed about, and the Holy Spirit kept coming bringing it to the fore. So I must say it….
THE CHURCH IS ILL!!!!
For too long the church (as an institution - and meaning every single denomination) has sold itself to the culture of its day - it is commiting adultery with the patterns of this world and not being obedient to the will of God. Over the centuries the church has turned aside as much evil was done in the name of God, and allowed evil to seep into our nations, our communities and our homes as it tried to be ‘relevant’ with each passing decade and century.
The church, as the body of Christ, as the corporate body of believers (not the institution) needs to return to being the church found in the book of Acts. The church as an institution will die, and those that cling to it will be dragged down with it. In the near future - across the world - our ability to hold services in church buildings will disappear. A time of persecution is coming upon the church, and the soft, weak church that lives off of a diet of concert-like worship, and self-help, motivational sermons that leave the listener feel good about themselves will blow away like chaff in the wind. And much of the church has its head stuck in the sand about what is coming upon this world prior to the return of our beloved saviour Jesus Christ.
The Church needs to learn how to be Daniel’s again and to turn away from being King Saul.
King Saul was described in 1 Samuel 9 as being the most handsome man in the land and being physically taller and fitter than everyone else - the modern church is much the same. It strives to look good in the eyes of the world as it tries to ‘attrack’ people in through its doors.
Yet, the church needs to act more like Daniel. Daniel was a nobleman who was carried off into exile and worked as a servant in the midst of a kingdom that was the opitomy of evil in its day. The church, in the days and years to come will face such a situation. Either it refuses to bow down like Daniel and friends (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) but is protected and lifted up by God - or it complied with the evil and bends its knee to it.
The Bible actually has much to say about this. However, two sets of scriptures that are found in the book of Matthew illuminate the issue
Jesus (Matthew 25:31-46), in talking about how righteous and evil people will be separated in the days of judgement, says…
Verses 31-34: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”
Jesus is already talking about HIS return. He is not just speaking prophetically, HE is speaking fact.
HE is telling HIS disciples that when HE returns it will all be different.
There will come a time of judgement that separates the righteous from the evil ones.
The sheep represent the believers of Jesus, and the goats represent those that have turned their back on HIM.
Those that are believers will be set aside by King Jesus, and ushered into a blessed eternity in the presence of God within HIS heavenly kngdom.
Verses 35-40: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
In these verses jesus outlines some aspects of what living righteously means.
Living righteously does not mean strict piety to doctrine and church protocols and procedures.
Living righteously means to “Love God with all your heart, mind and soul…and to love your neghbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:36-40).
The problem is that many churches these days are engaged in surface level, shallow programs that do not actually meet the needs of those in need. Rather, they have programs that are tokenistic at best. The reason for this is that indivudual believers have abrogated, or handed over their own responsibility to care for their community to the church and its programs.
And when they do give or be directly involved in church programs that are aimed at helping the disadvantaged it is looked upon as a point of personal pride, rather than loving care.
Verses 41-45: “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
It is interesting that the same set of parameters that was used to measure out righteousness is used to measure out those who are seen as unrighteous.
It is not necessarily the deeds that are being done, rather the heart, and the foundation of beleif in Christ that is being measured.
It is true that many non-beleivers do good things for others out of the love and care in their hearts for others. But it is not done to the will of God, nor does it absolve people from their sins.
But it does serve as a warning to those who think they are ‘saved’ - but are basing their salvation on the good works that they complete.
Verse 46: “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
All our righteousness, and our good deeds are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) - our righteousness only comes from our relationship with Jesus, and acceptance of HIM as Lord, as Son of God, as God, and as the one who died and rose again.
All those who deny those things can do all the good works they want, but in the end it will be meaningless to them if they do not turn their hearts to God,a nd repent of their sins.
Matthew 7:21-23 ““Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
These are perhaps the saddest and most painful words to ever hear.
Imagine being someone who worked and worked and worked hard for the church only to hear this on their judgement day.
The issue is that they were ‘working’ for the church, and not necessisarily doing what God had intended for them to be doing for HIS kingdom.
Much prestige has been built around the offfices of the church (pastor, priest, bishop, etc) and being involved in certain ‘ministries’ (worship, sound, youth). This is both unbiblical, and ultimately destructive.
The church has replicated the world’s ‘popularity cult’ mentality, where leaders are presented as rock-stars and the like. The church, and the individuals that form it are called to be “Servants of God” which means that they are meant to be humble and lowly.
Furthermore, we are called to be ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5) - which means we represent the Kingdom of God, and we can only speak what HE speaks. Ambassadors cannot merely make up things to say to other leaders and other kingdoms for their own sake, or their own profit - yet this is exactly what the church is doing today.
At no point in these scriptures does Jesus talk about people having the most epic worship services, nor the most invigorating and engaging sermon presentations, or being the most pious in their zeal for God. What we see is a godly life lived out and whether an individual has done that or not.
Too much of the church is engaged in folly. They spend endless hours debating and attacking the ‘doctrines’ of one denomination compared to another. Or they spend endless hours as keyboard warriors - fighting the good fight - against what they see as evil and wordiness, yet all they are doing is emulating the patterns of this world.
Perhaps we should consider the wise words of the sages in Proverbs 26:4-5 which informs us that we… “Don’t answer a fool in terms of his folly, or you will be descending to his level; but answer a fool as his folly deserves, so that he won’t think he is wise.”
Or perhaps we should consider Paul’s words to the infant church in Rome, where he instructs them by saying in Romans 12:2 … “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
If we want God to move in our lands, if we want revival to break out - then we need renewal and a reawakening of what has been lost - not worldy pep rallies that only serve to give participants an emotional high. And that starts with us, in our own lives and in our own homes and in our own churches. The church needs to repent of following the ways of the world, and it needs to reorient itself with the will and direction of Jesus Christ.
Perhaps we should consider these verses - “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
We as indivudual believers, and we as the church need to have a good hard look at ourselves as see who we are reflecting.
Are we reflecting the world?
Or are we reflecting the Kingdom of God?
So, I leave you with this question… “Where do you stand?”
I pray that as you search yourself and you call out to God for guidance, that you are open to the call and instruction of the Holy Spirit. May you strive to be close to God’s will for your life, may you follow the path that HE guides you on. May HE give you strength and wisdom for the difficult days ahead.