I believe the church is splintering for a reason. Something is up. It’s not just fights about carpet color either, it’s about whether or not prayer styles being brought in to church are of eastern root and are biblical or not. It’s about whether churches should follow plans of men like Warren, Hybels and if they should follow men like Pagitt or Maclaren. Are authors like Dallas Willard leading us to a closer relationship with God or into works based faith and pagan practice? It seems like there is a lot of fuzziness in Christianity, a lot of cirlces and rings that overlap. Some churches are just beginning to use these authors, and preach these methods.
In congregations everywhere on Sunday (and Saturday for some) warnings are popping up in the heads of believers. Did the pastor just say that? Really? Is that what he meant? What is this new program? Who is this author? How annoying to hear quote after quote. How annoying, we’re using this term again this week, didn’t we have a sermon over this five weeks ago? I sure wish we’d do a verse by verse study for a change. Does this passage really mean what he says it means? What do they mean I need to practice this way? Is that works? Did they forget something, like we need to repent?
All over Christians are finding themselves lost in the church. What is going on? Why do we feel like we don’t belong anymore? We cannot always put a finger on it, but something is wrong.
Then there is the other side. Some of us have figured it out, and we float from church to church. We are no longer trusting of men’s tongues. We know that when you ask questions, things can be worded in a way that is meant to cause you to stop asking questions about the church and begin asking questions about yourself, your loyalty, your obedience, your willingness to change. We find common ground online with people we do not know, or with distant friends who have gone through this and share a letter or email about their experiences. Pastors have preached strange doctrines, new things have come up, or grandparents pushed out because they wouldn’t reach the youth. Church changed quickly and when people asked what was up, and began to point out error, they were ushered out the door. Some were encouraged to stay a while, but were told their decision to leave was good because they were no longer teachable, no longer with the plan. “It’s your perception that matters really, so going to a new church where your family is comfortable is best.”
So now, these people have to watch out for evil in their own approach. Do they broadcast the problems to the world? Do they share what they know in public? Pride may creep in, and these folks have to watch for it. It’s possible a reactionary church splinter may come off of this.
It is easy to get trapped and tripped in a “we’re better than them.” If *they* are telling lies, and are spreading false Christianity, we are still no better. We are all sinners. However, how do we approach this without sinning? We must speak the truth in love. We must share the Gospel, we must warn others of the dangers. We must watch for evil that wants so much to make us ineffective. The world is watching, the church is watching both apostate and true. Our children are watching. We need to proceed with wisdom. Our mouths need to say what God would have us to say, no more, no less. This is so hard. If ever we needed to pray, to be close to our God, the time is now. Draw near to Him, dear saints, draw near.
You’re right, CL. I’m sensing more than ever that it’s nearing a time to gather up our Bibles and head for the hills. That day will come. The whole world is beginning to feel like a giant pig pen, and my feet are getting more stuck in the muck than ever before. I’m miserable over pastors preaching more about sex in the bedroom than preparing hearts for what lies on the horizon… These are dark times and they are only a hint of things to come, yet “sex every day should whisk our troubles away…” some would suggest.
Quite frankly, I’m not strong enough in my spiritual walk for what has hit the fan of late; those things you describe above, this new trend of “sex-talk Sunday’s”, the political scene… I know enough to know that this is all so horrific, but I’m not strong enough spiritually to manage what I know.
It is clear to me that things are only going to get worse, so what should I do? It makes me ill to think that at certain moments my solution has been to cut and run, to even give up on Christianity as if my giving up will somehow make Jesus and all this mess go away. Dear God, to know what I know about Jesus and to think that I have entertained at all the idea of giving up…?
We’ve got to repent, bury our heads in the Word, and fast and pray, and ask God to prepare our hearts like never before for the nightmares to come, because they are here, on the edge of morning and there is a day fast approaching when we will wake and wonder where it is that we now stand, unless of course we have been reading and memorizing and fasting and praying and pressing into Him along the way.
I’m frightened, but that only tells me that my sight hasn’t been on what it’s suppose to be on. The only one whom we should fear is of course the Lord, himself. Everything else should only cause us to draw closer to him and in the end I suppose should make us grateful for such persecution and suffering and false gospels spilling from the pulpits.
If those who are preaching lies have, in the end, caused us to turn our eyes from man’s preaching and into the Word itself, then this is yet one more example of how God works all things for good for those who love him. That being said, I suppose w should be thankful for such people, except for the fact that so many are being drawn in by them and are missing Jesus all together.
What a mess! Oh what a mess, and to think that it will get worse. O’ Lord have mercy on us.
1 Peter 4:17-19
17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God ; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
18 Now “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?”
19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.
I believe that God is setting His house in order. I believe that the line of distinction between the genuine believer and the “poser” will grow sharper and clearer in the days ahead. And (it’s not very popular) I believe that it will involve suffering – yet I also believe that God is faithful and that our faith in Him will get us through that which is to come.