Crash Cart for the Church
"The church was once a ferocious lion able to shred all avenues of immorality in the world. That lion has now been manicured into a tame house cat."
I cannot recall a time when I actually devoted two weeks to a particular subject, but I believe with all my heart that this is absolutely necessary.
If you will remember, last week, I wrote about the necessity of showing love to our "neighbor." I was so bold as to say that if we cannot get this principle down that we will not successfully make it through this economic crisis. Well, I think based on the comments I received that what I wrote went down a little hard in some people's throats. Nevertheless, I think it struck a cord. If you will, I want you to go some place with me for a few seconds. I wish that I could have you close your eyes and imagine this scenario but that would be self-defeating since I would need you to actually read this to induce your imagination.
Imagine for a moment, being the captain of one of the largest cruise liners in the world. This ship is massive, about 480 ft. long-similar in size to God's ark as built by Noah (Yes, I cannot call it Noah's ark-). This boat is "humungoidous" and is full of people-maybe even ten thousand people-but don't get hung up on the number. At some point in your journey, across the normal travel tested shipping routes of the North Atlantic, you encounter a significant problem. Amazingly, in the middle of the night everything has gone dark. All communication with the known world has failed. The radios have ceased to operate correctly. The compass (or GPS navigational system) is going berserk. No cell phone has a signal. Your on-board, tech-savvy, radar equipment has "bleeps" all over the place, and you have no earthly idea what is happening to your vessel. You have no clue how long the ship has been off of "cruise-control", and you don't know where you are. On top of that, it is pitch-black, there is no moon, and you hear the faint booms of thunder looming in the near distance indicating that a storm is fast approaching.
About an hour goes by and the only sane thing you could manage to do, besides frantically screaming on the radio every few minutes, is to bring the vessel to a full stop by dropping anchor. But you really wish you could actually come to a complete stop, because now the storm is directly over you and the waves are so high that they are crashing over the top of the six-story high boat; every second the storm pushes the ship further off course. As if matters couldn't be worse, now there is an eerie fog that has settled in and visibility is greatly reduced. It would seem that this would be the last ship that you will ever navigate. You are in dire straits! You have but a few moments to live...
Oh, but Ahoy Matey! "Der ser, git off de edge of dat der plank-"
All may not be lost. In the midst of all the turmoil you spot a lighthouse that seems to be less than a nautical mile away. It is a faint light, but the massive spot-light atop the house is cutting through the fog enough that you can make out the appropriate direction that you need to head to safety. Then the unimaginable happens. In one fail swoop, your rescue beacon of hope has been blotted out like a child spilling a pail of black paint on a white canvas. The light is gone. What's more, you know that without that light for a direction that the treacherous waves will push you into the jagged cliffs you saw in the shadow of the light and break the vessel and everyone aboard into small pieces.
Just moments before your great ship ran aground to be smashed to smithereens, you address the passengers of your boat. You tell them what has happened and that all the instruments have gone haywire. Then you tell them about the miracle of seeing the lighthouse just off the shore, but that just as soon as it appeared, it disappeared into the night. Finally, and trying not to speak as to show an obvious dreadful fear in your voice, you convey to them that you will continue to watch for the light again until the very last second-because, in your own words, "It is the only hope of survival."
Is it really that hard to understand that this world is like a ship full of passengers that are just seconds away from total destruction? It is so complicated to fathom the spiritual blindness that they find themselves in? Isn't it superfluous to say that the church is supposed to be that beacon of hope shining bright amidst the pitch-black darkness that the world is living in? What happens when the light goes out? No, really, what happens then?
The world doesn't know they need Christ on earth (i.e. the church) until everything they have been depending upon and trusting in has gone berserk-then, and only then, will they reach out in a groping insanity to the only light that is available. But what if that light has gone out? What if the lens on the light has become so badly corroded that it can only be seen just a few feet away? What if the generator supplying the power has ran out of fuel? Or what if the generator has been entirely neglected for years? What if some hoodlums decided to climb up in the tower dressed like the lighthouse attendee and played with the light until it eventually broke? What if the lighthouse attendee thinks his light is shining like it should, but it really is not? That's a lot of "what if's", and I think you get the point.
The church, God's beacon of hope to a lost and dying world, finds herself in a great dilemma. She is much like Israel in the Old Testament-that group of people who really didn't understand their calling as a "light" to the world. Just like Israel, the church's once bright shining light is fading into the foggy darkness. You know, I get this comment often; it goes something like this: "Why does it seem as though you are always writing negatively about the church?" That is such a good question. But before I answer it, I must also ask a question. Answering a question with a question, I despise that!
My question is such: If you worked in a doctor's office and knew that each child that came in for their routine shots were being injected with a devastating, nine-times-out-of-ten, life snuffing poison, what would you do? Would you pretend like everything was fine? What if every doctor's office was doing the same thing? Would you simply roll over into a hole and declare that the system is whack, and that you really couldn't do anything about it? Or would you stop whining about how bad it is and stand in front of your clinic waving off every potential child victim? I hope you chose the latter.
The current church finds itself in the same position as this fictional murderous clinic. People are coming in with eternally fatal heart problems, and like one author says so eloquently,"...We [the church] have fog machines, colored lights, TV cameras, and lots of action, we have padded pews and crystal chandeliers, but we manifest none of the power necessary to produce permanent change in the hearts of people."[i] Deep down everyone knows that the church today is drastically different from what it was even ten years ago. Some do not want to openly admit it. Some are blinded because they are standing too close to the problem or because they are convicted as being a part of the problem. But very few would say that the church is working as effectively as it should as the Body of Christ on earth. And, I'll tell you a secret: it doesn't need to stay this way. Like so many times before, it can reform again. Although, I personally believe that Christ will come before she goes through a complete reforming, it can do better at turning the hearts of men toward the Father in heaven. Regardless of the current situation, everyone can make a difference, even if it comes off as pompous or ludicrous. Yes, I recognize that the church is not perfect, nor will it ever be, but that should not stop us from pointing out where she has gone wrong and taking action to correct it. And, yes, of course, it starts with all of us individually. I would pray that by now everyone recognizes that the church is not a building or a personality cult-it is literally you and I. We are all at blame.
In every major transitional phase of the church, every new concept of the Holy Spirit or salvation that brought a fresh freedom, there was someone drawing attention to what was wrong and how they could stop it. The Protestant Church actually began as a peaceful revolt against the callous, unscriptural, doctrines of the Catholic Church. A man named Martin Luther-although satiated with his own sin issues-spoke truth in a dark time in church history. But what are less known are his supporting cast members. He was just Protestantism personified, but it took so many unmentionables to keep the wave moving. I pray that I am an unmentionable for Christ. I just wish people would stop saying that we cannot do anything about our deplorable conditions in the world AND in the church. (If I gave you Barna Research Group statistics concerning abortion, homosexuality, promiscuity, adultery and general immorality in the church you just might faint.)
Do you remember the story of the little boy who would wake up early every morning before school and go to the nearby beach to whisk the washed up starfish back into the ocean? Do you remember what the pious clergyman told him as he walked by on his way to the church? He said, "Little boy, why are you wasting your time-you cannot possibly make any difference. There are starfishes washed ashore on these sandy beaches for the next few hundred miles." The little boy ignores the priest and keeps bending down and picking up the washed up fish, when he finally replies, "Oh pastor, I thought if anyone would understand, it would be you. You are right; I cannot make a difference to every fish." Then the boy pauses, reaches down to grab his last fish for the day and says, "But pastor, don't you think that it makes a difference to this one!"
God help me to view the world like this boy! God help us to realize that we each have a role to play, that we each can positively change for Christ. God help us to literally make a difference, not with the audacity to change an entire world as some pride-filled junkie, but with a goal of making a difference in one person for You, our Father in heaven-and then one more soul at a time. God help us to realize that we don't need to open up new buildings or hold larger crusades; we need to genuinely show the love of Christ to those we can impact everyday. God help us not to have the desire to be known in the halls of the church and with our religious affiliations-that is where pompous clerics make their home-but to be known at the grocery store, in the neighborhood, at the bank, in our child's school, etc. God, this country needs You to step in like never before. Step in starting with us.
JESUS, TURN OUR TABLES!
(a little more advanced)
I'm sure most have read the story about how Jesus cleansed the temple in the New Testament. It is recorded in Matthew chapter 21 and elsewhere. After Jesus justifiably turned over the tables of those operating in a spirit of greed, He simply gave one little statement. He said:
"It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves." 21:13.
Just a little clue, but whenever Jesus says, "It is written" that means that His succeeding words can be found elsewhere in the Bible-namely, in the Old Testament. I have found it extremely helpful to review these places in the Old Testament as they ALWAYS shed light on what is happening in the New.
First, I know that almost any biblical commentary will give some great facts about this story, but they will not provide everything that the Holy Spirit wants to tells us individually. Commentaries are great for facts, but extremely lacking on the fullness of truth and are also narrowly one-sided and bigoted. I personally do not use commentaries for that very reason. It is suggested to first read the Bible, meditating on it day and night, which will sometimes involve dissecting a passage for months (I have personally contemplated certain passages for over six months and still not gained everything I knew the Lord wanted to tell me), and then, if you must, listen or read a favorite commentator to see what he also discovered about it.
So, what about this passage in question? Is there something we should know in reference to what is happening in the church today? I believe that there is, but we have to go back to understand the forward. Common sense dictates that if you saw a car traveling 100 mph you would have no idea why it was going that fast. It could be in a legitimate race; it could be a test car for a manufacturer; a person could be joy riding or any number of other things. But if you get a picture of what happened when the car started its journey you could get a more complete understanding. If you saw a police officer trying to pull it over in the beginning you would have a more complete picture of what was happening when it was traveling at 100 mph. The same is true of the Bible. Sometimes, very often, we must reference the older, often perceived, drier and less interesting, portions of Scripture in the Old Testament in order to fully grasp what is culminating in the New. But believe me when I say that there is "gold in them there hills." It has been said, "The New is in the Old contained, the Old is in the New explained, or the New is in the Old concealed, the Old is in the New revealed." It's the same philosophy. OK, I promise I am getting to the point.
If you will take the time to reference this Old Testament passage you would see that there are two words that were not spoken by Jesus in the New Testament equivalent. In the OT it is written this way:
...My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations. Isa. 56:6-7
There you have it. The two words, "all nations" were not written in the New Testament. But why? Did you know that from the time a Rabbi was five or six he would have memorized the complete law or Torah-the first five books of the Old Testament. Don't you think these rabbis would have paid attention if someone left out a few words? How about you? What if I quoted John 3:16 as such?" "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever would believe in Him would not perish but have." Ummm, even the most ardent sinner would recognize that someone didn't know what he/she was talking about if they quoted this famous verse as such. Almost everyone knows John 3:16; just ask the guy who holds up that sign at every sporting event. Yes, for a person who knows their Bible they can easily recognize when someone leaves out a few words.
If the words "all nations" were purposely left out by Jesus to draw attention to what these religious men were doing in the temple that would make complete sense. Now, surely, these moneychangers were acting in greed and making a profit from the things of God, but I think that there was much more to this story (cf. "den of thieves"). In relevance to this story, you must know that God had originally set up a specific court for the Gentiles (non-Jews) near the entrance of the temple complex for them to worship Him. This was His plan from the beginning. He wanted "all nations" to have access to the temple, not just a select few. But, according to tradition, these depraved religious leaders-conducting their more-than-profitable business in the temple-had set up their tables in the only place that was reserved for the Gentiles. In God's eyes this was deplorable. The Jews had become a greedy, prejudice, super-elitist nation with no love for their fellow Gentile neighbors in other nations. They felt that they had the monopoly on God, and they anyone else must suffer with them if they were to worship their God. Does this, at all, sound familiar? The Jews were not fulfilling their obligation, their number one priority, of leading other people, ALL NATIONS, to the Lord.
I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth. Isa. 49:10 NKJV
Listen to Me, My people; and give ear to Me, O My nation: for law will proceed from Me, and I will make My justice rest as a light to the peoples. Isa. 51:4 NKJV
(Keep in mind that these Scriptures contain what scholars call a double-reference. They are speaking of Israel at the time they were written, but they also prophesy the then, coming Savior, Jesus Christ.)
Reflect back on our illustration from the beginning. Is the church truly shining its light for the entire world to see? Are they just lit up on the inside? Surely the lighthouse attendee can see the lighthouse when lives inside of it, but who else could see it if the light was never turned on to penetrate the darkness of the night? No one. Do you remember that old Sunday school song, "This little light of mine"? You wouldn't hide the light under a bushel, would you? Of course you wouldn't. You would destroy the intention of the light. So why do we turn on the light every Sunday, in a dark building at that, and turn it off the rest of the week? (Stop thinking that I am not referencing you or your church-no one is completely fulfilling their duty; we can all do more!) It's not about earning salvation; we can't do that (Eph 2:8-9). It is about fulfilling the desires of God's heart that "none perish" and all come to the saving knowledge of Christ (2 Pet. 3:9).
Is our light shining appropriately, or do we need a little WindexÒ and EnergizerÒ (cleaning and power)?
- What if the lens on the light in the lighthouse has become corroded so badly that it can only be seen just a few feet away? Translation: what if the church is so full of sin that the world thinks it is just another version of itself, cleaned up ever so slightly? Repent. Start cleaning up the sinful areas.
- What if the generator supplying the power has ran out of fuel? Translation: what if the churches that were once full of the Holy Spirit's legitimate power, have moved on to other wacky agendas? Repent. Get back to teaching the book of Acts and Corinthians, seeking the Holy Spirit to manifest Himself in your church; not so you can gain a name for you or the church, but so people will turn to Christ because of it.
- What if the generator has been entirely neglected for years? Translation: What if the church never turned on the power of the Holy Spirit to begin with? There are so many of these churches out there. Repent. Pray, pray, pray. Start focusing on the Holy Spirit without leaving the Father and Son undone.
- What if the lighthouse attendee thinks his light is shining like it should, but it really is not? Translation: What if a pastor or church member thinks that his church is lighting the path for the world, but in reality it is only another piece of the world's demolishing system? Look at your heart and why you are doing what you are doing. If there is an issue, REPENT. Go back to your first love.
- What if some hoodlums decided to climb up in the tower dressed like the lighthouse attendee and played with the light until it eventually broke? Translation: What if there are some that are playing church, dressed up like sheep but inwardly like wolves, for their own personal gain. God help them! But if they are still reading this there is still time to repent.
Jesus said of His people: "'You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.'" (Matthew 5:14-16)
What can you do to start to bring a reformation to the church?
•1. Love... (Don't go to your pastor, church leadership or members, and tell them they are doing everything wrong. First, they may have no idea what you are talking about. God may not be dealing with they in the same fashion as he is dealing with you. Of course, there are some general principles involved here, but if you go to your pastor and you are not prayed up and led by the Spirit of God you will be laughed out of the church-or worse.)
- Pray for your church, especially those in charge.
- You! Get out and take the "church" to those who cannot come into the four walls of your church. We must understand the first part of "go and preach the gospel to all creatures..."(MK 16). There is no Scripture that affords us to proselytize people to our church or even to invite them. Christ said to go! Go get the hell out-of people that is. Take the gospel message, if you don't know what to say read this (www.unpopulartruth.org/titanictract.html) as a starting point. Don't just tell them that God loves them. They need to hear why and how He loves/loved them, and that they are supposed to love back. Go to the nursing homes, hospital, shut-ins, jailed, etc. where people cannot come to your church.
- Or just begin today by sharing the Love of Christ with someone you come in contact with.
[i] Parsley, Rod. Culturally Incorrect (Thomas Nelson Publishers 2006).
Written By: Scott Smith
http://www.unpopulartruthlorg/
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