ARE YOU TIRED OF ALL THE TALK?

ARE YOU TIRED OF THE TALK?

(Another message about how “bad” the church is)

 

I think every genuine bible-thumping Christian is tired of all the “Christianese”  talk. That is why I choose to write (oxymoron, I know); But, seriously, we cannot go one more day without some encouragement to reach the lost and hurting.

¹³But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Heb. 3:13 

We have come to a pivotal point in the church where something has to give. We are so concerned with getting our community or city on fire for God that we have neglected the sharing of the Great Commission altogether (Mark 16). We have a bunch of fireworks out there, but nothing that is useful on wet wood. When is the last time your church has unequivocally encouraged you to witness the love of God through Jesus Christ to your neighbors, relatives and friends? Oh, but I am sure they have encouraged you to love them. They probably told you to give a tip to the waiter that you think Jesus would give. Maybe they have encouraged you to drop a few coins in the cup of the homeless man down on Michigan Ave in the name of Christ. On the other hand, perhaps you have been told to bring in some old clothes to give to the churches closet ministry. These are all “good” things, but not if they are a replacement for giving what we should be giving to the world.

The church has something that the world needs. We are the only ones that have what they need. That is why we are here. Do you understand the purpose of the church? Sometimes I do not think we do—or maybe it is that we forget. We are not necessarily here to give out groceries, help an old woman across the street or set up block youth parties. Not when the world is weighed down by a devastating depravity with no hope in sight. Why is it so hard to see that society is desperately groping for faith in someone or something?  Look at the recent presidential election.  Our current president—who had very little political experience, if any at all—arguably won on mere emotion. President Obama ran and defeated the competition on empty, non-specific “change” and “yes we can” slogans. If a mere man can get that kind of following in just a few months, what could the church do with a REAL message that transforms lives? Do you think God is frustrated with us? Maybe I have this inclination to write this for no reason at all:

¹"To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. ²'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. ³'So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.  ⁴'But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. ⁵'He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. ⁾He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' Rev. 3

 

Are these nothing more than just empty words to us? Have we demoted the Word of God to something that we use at the Sunday morning altar to impel fear into the hearts of those who are not right with God simply to fill up the sanctuary the following week? Are we making disciples that are concerned with God’s will? Then why are we not encouraging and providing the tools necessary to witness what we believe. We should not have to go to Bible school for this; we should be this.

The church does not need another building. (God does not reside in buildings)

We do not need more people handing out potluck or presents to kids at Christmas. (There are plenty of good organizations already doing this)

We do not need more share-a-thons to build bigger, personal empires in the name of Christ.

We do not need more pompous pastors acting more like pointless politicians and abusing their congregation through inappropriate “spiritual authority” messages. We ALL have to get back to reading our Bible so we can cast down everything that doesn’t line up with God’s will (2 Cor. 10:5).

Do you really believe that the time of the Lord is near? Then we all need to fall on our faces and seek the Lord.

The real reason that the world has not grasped the urgency of our current End Times message, thinking that it is nothing more than a recycled attempt to get their money, is because they don’t see us living like He is coming. When our actions unite with our talk, then they will walk right up to us and ask us how we can have such a strong faith in Christ in the midst of all the turmoil. They will ask us how it is that we are completely debt free when the rest of the world is barely scraping by. They will want to know where to get the peace that surpasses all human wisdom that we are emulating. They will see us walking in truth and cry out for just a drip.

Please take this as a zealous vent of encouragement. Let’s reach out to at least one person today. 

I pray that you receive this through a resonating in your own heart that this is truth.