They Will Cower in Their Pulpits and Pews

The other day I heard a radio gospel preacher tell his audience that Christians don’t really care about God. He said they like to go to church, they like to sing and listen to the music, they like to listen to the sermons, they like to sometimes read their Bibles, but still, “they don’t care about God.” I couldn’t help but wonder what the average church audience’s response in my nation would be if he was to preach that from their pulpit. I believe they would be offended! Christians who are reluctant to face up to truth are always offended. Offence is a sign that the truth has hit them where it hurts most. A Christian not offended, might agree and ‘amen’ him.

I’m noticing church buildings up for sale, only to be pulled down or inhabited by spurious “Christian” groups. Whilst doors are open and car parks full in others every Sunday morning, there’s not a lot of evidence that there’s, “care about God.” There is care about the denomination or the group, the traditions, the rituals, the holy days, the fellowship, the church programs and the church constitution, but beyond that there appears to be little else going on. What else should there be going on? Put it this way; if Jesus Christ was truly confessed as Lord in those places and the Holy Spirit of Truth was freely moving on a surrendered leadership and people the surrounding communities would know about it. They do not know about it.

They know about the churches but that’s it. Is this because there’s no miracle-working God turning up on a Sunday, bringing spiritual, mental and physical healings? Is it because there are no prophecies being uttered from pulpits with regards sin, corruptions, compromises, dirty business dealings, perversions and addictions? Is it because there’s no anointed holy man of God prophesying judgment upon a diabolically sick church and nation? Lots of churches like to kid themselves that the reason people don’t come is because they don’t want to hear, “what God has to say to them.” Could the real truth be it is they who don’t want to hear what God has to say to them?

In my post: Don’t Seek the Approval of Man I say, One morning I had a message that I didn’t really want to bring because, although it was edifying, exhorting and comforting in my mind according to 1 Corinthians 14:3, it was very challenging.  During the presentation I felt the devil’s daggers and darts from people both behind and in front of me.  It was very clear that neither I nor the message was popular that morning. It is a rare preacher who could care less about the devil’s daggers and darts and popularity. Too many preachers are like politicians – every vote counts! So does every dollar … he’s not going to jeopardize too many of those for the sake of truth. He may well say God is his Source, but in reality he knows his people are.

People forever ask the age-old question, “If God exists, why doesn’t He show Himself?” To me the answer is pretty simple; preach the whole counsel (will) of God Acts 20:27 without fear or favor, without respect for “tolerance” and political correctness; preach righteousness, justice and holiness; preach the severity of God as well as His goodness Romans 11:22; teach the curses of God for disobedience as well as the blessings of God for obedience Deuteronomy 28, then He will show Himself! Stand up and speak up for the Jews. Stand up and speak up for Israel. Stand up and speak up for biblical Zionism. Then God will show Himself! Unless a church begins to do this, they will cower in their pulpits and pews in the days ahead.

I viewed a local church website’s statements – Vision, Values and Mission. They sound inspiring … to connect, influence and transform the community. Change in the next ten years or so, by the grace of God and by the influence of the Holy Spirit working through a people devoted to extending the transforming grace of Jesus Christ. They see their church engaging our world with the story of Jesus. Their facilities as a community hub serving as a connection point for the local community – a centre for spiritual formation – a place of healing, restoration and growth – a family that calls people from the loneliness of isolation to the joy of relationships – developing spiritually mature Christians, engaging in ministry and leaders equipped for ministry.

I don’t know if this is a “good idea” or a “God idea” – the vision of one man, a core group or the whole church. But if it’s of God, those who buy into it will pay a very heavy price. They will be tested and tested and tested in the furnace of affliction by God Isaiah 48:10 and they will be bashed from pillar to post by Satan working from within that church, not without. They may have been told this already, but being told and going through it are two entirely different things. Without death to self all around, and a commitment to God’s revealed will as mentioned above, they will fall over like ninepins. They’ve done so on former occasions under different ministries and there is no evidence to suggest there’s been a spiritual change.

On the other hand, their statements could all have been written by someone adapting jargon from within the corporate world and none of it will come to pass. Whenever I see Corporate Values hanging on the Boardroom wall I’m aware that their people know the values and they understand the values, but the question I like to ask is, “How many of you live the values?” Then when working with them over a few hours it’s easy to discern who does and who doesn’t. When discussing values there’s a lot of conscious effort put in, but when the pressure is off something else will always show up. It is exactly the same in any church when it comes to the Scriptures of the Bible. However, caring about Values is one thing, caring about God is another.  

In amongst all that local church’s statements this is the one that sticks out most: We see our church as culturally relevant. The denomination they belong to see themselves as “culturally relevant” too, with some of their pastors and spokespeople publicly declaring they stand for same-sex marriage. If this is the case for this local church, then God has already left. Christians can be offended as much as they like about this subject, they can jump up and down, accuse and abuse, they can stand on their heads and look sideways to Sydney if they wish to do so, they can say whatever, they can do whatever but it makes no difference. If that’s what they stand for, then God has gone and He will never return!

A church website and the actual church itself can be two different things. One can read of a vision to make people followers of Jesus, a desire to teach and grow believers into mature Christians who’s primary purpose in life it is to worship and serve the Lord. We can read about their care for one another, addressing the needs of others. We can learn of their commitment to teaching and preaching in order that people will fully understand God’s purposes and live them out. We can learn of the church’s desire to have their people communicate with God and acknowledge that without Him they can do nothing of eternal significance; desires to bring glory to God in all they do and serve Him with all they have and are. But what’s the reality?

Firstly, one can only ever begin to find that out by knowing God, by knowing the Scriptures, by understanding righteousness and true holiness and living them out without compromise to the best of one’s knowledge, so far. There must be a desire to be delivered from the fear of man Proverbs 29:25. Once a Christian is delivered from that they will not care about who they offend when standing against anything God stands against. I’m noticing too that some church websites no longer publish a “What we believe” page. I would be weary of any church that omits this. It tells me more about “cultural relevance” than it does biblical relevance. Even if they do publish one we must still ask for any core beliefs not published.

For example, it’s important know what a church believes about the Bible being the holy inerrant word of God and final authority for Christians, the first eleven chapters of Old Testament Genesis, creation versus evolution, New Testament Revelation of Jesus Christ, end times prophecy, the Jews and Israel today and in the future, the Rapture, woman elders & pastors excercising spiritual authority over men, abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality and lesbianism. Thousands of churches are taught that these are all secondary issues and that love is above all else. Love is not above all else, TRUTH is. Unless a church preaches and teaches the divine truth about these, and unless we embrace the truth of them, we don’t care about God.

Christians who embrace God’s truth about these issues are branded by all as ‘fundamentalists.’ So be it! There’s no need to argue, retaliate or defend ourselves over such ignorance. We need to pray for them. Fundamentalists will be the only ones standing when war, financial collapse, disaster, natural disaster and persecution hits. As stated earlier, on that day the rest will cower in their pulpits and pews … they are already being primed to do so. I don’t believe we can speak of any part of the Bible as containing secondary truths. Truth is truth, and the more solid our spiritual foundation is built on it, the more solid we are in Christ. Certainly there are laws no longer applicable to us such as ceremonial laws, but the principles are applicable.

And no, we don’t stone kidnappers, adulterers, homosexuals and bestiality practitioners, etc, but we must learn the lesson therein that the one and only holy God hates such practices and He must punish such behavior – and already has in His Son Jesus. The wages of sin is still death and those who reject Jesus will pay for it with their own eternal death Romans 6:23. That’s not hate speech, that’s love speech! It’s pointless talking and laboring the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus if we don’t equally talk and labor what sin is and what wages it pays. That’s the job and responsibility of the church. If we don’t do it, who will? I’ll tell you who won’t do it … those who don’t care about God.

So, Christians who care about God, are they perfect people? No, under submission  and  direction of God the Holy Spirit they are obedient people on the pathway to perfection. Only God knows where we are on that pathway but our job is to daily embrace the process of holiness and sanctification. And just as we are daily washed in the blood of Jesus for our daily sins, so must we be daily washed in the word of God Ephesians 5:26. The word of God begins at OT Genesis and it finishes at NT Revelation. We may not understand every word in the pages of the Bible, but we must understand that it is every word that is authoritative, living and powerful, not what we pick and choose to be so. The entirety of Your word is truth….. Psalm 119:160. For the word of God is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword….. Hebrews 4:12.