Someone once said that the Christian faith started in Palestine as an experience. When it got to Europe it became a tradition. When it got to America our precious faith became an enterprise. Because of the consumer culture in America, the Christian faith is now a commodity and our churches have become the mall where different preachers display their wares with the hope that the consumers in the church will be satisfied and therefore patronize them. So we have a situation where preachers must be both entertaining and dramatic in order to satisfy the large insatiable appetite of church members and the preaching of the word must be laced with humor, drama and lots of comedy for the consumers to fully buy into it.
We have so convinced ourselves that church must be fun and entertaining, after all we are doing God and the preacher a big favor by showing up in church. For this reason we can no longer tell the difference between the sacred and the mundane. We do not know the difference between the reverent and the ordinary or the church and the country club.
Jeremiah 5:30-31 tells us …A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; [31] The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so… Because we love to be entertained, catered to and our ears tickled by the stories our preachers tells us, today’s preachers understand the nature of the 21st century church goers so well that they therefore tell them what they want to hear. The bible says The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so:…
Paul the Apostle writing to Timothy concerning the condition of the church in the last days said 2 Tim. 4:3-5 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; [4] And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. There is no doubt we are living in the last days. Everywhere we turn we can see what Paul the apostle wrote about. We see people within and outside the church flirting with the truth. Many do not even know what the truth of the gospel is all about. We come to church and the things we hear are not different from the things you hear on late night shows. The word of God has been so twisted that most do not know what it says anymore. As a result sound teaching is no longer tolerated, motivational speakers are now replacing preachers of the gospel, people now want to be entertained and fiction is preferred over facts. But Paul advice to Timothy is to not follow their example, endure the ridicule of being different and make sure you fulfill the purpose of God for your life.
It must have been tough for Timothy then just like it will be for those who will have the courage to call people today to repentance. The question that comes to mind is, how did the church get to this point. Jeremiah 7 gave us 3 reasons; the church began this downward slid by 1. Misunderstanding the character of God. We are where we are today in the church because many do not understand who God is. They don’t understand his nature and how holiness. Bible says the eyes of the Lord are so pure that he cannot behold iniquity. The church is a messed today because we have misunderstood the character of God. 2. Placing their confidence in the wrong things, the church trust in their own wisdoms and abilities. The Spirit of the Lord is no longer consulted on church matters. We trust more in our programs and methods more than the word of God and his Holy Spirit. But the bible says in 1 Samuel 2:9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. And 3. We are where we are today in the church because we are committed to our selves rather than being committed to God. When the Character of God is misunderstood the result is a void relationship, when our confidence is misplaced the result is superficial spirituality and when our commitment is misapplied, the result is a disappointing devotion.
Because we have failed in these 3 areas we now have a generation of believers who are dubious in their relationship with God (they come to God with an agenda), pretentious in their dealing (they know the entire Christian lingo) and acknowledging God but deny him in daily living.
How can the church rescue herself? Isaiah 1:10-20 tells us that the church must come to:
1. A Point of Disturbance. Until we as a church are disturbed by the way we live, until we as individuals are disturbed by our deceptive lifestyle of Sin and hypocrisy change will not take place in our lives. There has to be a challenging of your status quo if you want to walk with God.
2. A Point of Division: 2 Cor. 6:17-18 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, [18] And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Until we are ready to break from the lifestyle of sin we are not going to make any real progress.
3. A Point of Decision: Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. [19] If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: [20] But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
There is a choice to be made. God demands a decision from you today. Joshua 24:15 the Bible records And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Elijah repeated that same demand in 1 kings 18:21 the bible records And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
Don’t waste your time deceiving yourself thinking that you are a Christian who is going to heaven when you don’t even know what it means to surrender your life to Christ. In Ezekiel 33:31-32. The Bible records And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. [32] And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.
Is this going to be your testimony?
