It seems to me that many churches in this late era are wedded to this World. Of course, what we’re currently observing around us has been a problem from the beginning. Still, I can’t help thinking that its pervasiveness in the West is breaking historical records.
By married to the World I mean churches which are largely bereft of Jesus Christ. Sure you’ll hear Him mentioned in sermons and songs. But the over-arching focus in these churches will be a variety of other concerns, rather than the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Many years ago, following my departure from the New Age I decided to do “church” again. So I went back to my Roman Catholic roots – St. Joseph’s up on the hill, half a mile from where I lived. Sadly, the sermons were always centered on “reconciliation.”
Reconciliation was the magic catch-word in Australia way back then. Think Social Justice and pick an issue. We were encouraged to reconcile with a variety of social concerns – Jesus Christ not so much, if ever. Oh, we heard His name mentioned. But that’s about it.
I was reminded of when I began to lose faith in school. The priest who taught our Christian Education classes insisted on exegeting Simon and Garfunkel songs rather than the Bible. Years later, I heard others exegete U2 songs. Perhaps they were all working to some sort of official manual guide. If so it certainly wasn’t the Bible.
The last straw at St. Joseph’s came when during mass we waked outside, gathered around a bonfire and lit each other’s candles. It felt like a pagan ceremony. I’d come full circle and walked away for good.
It isn’t my intention to pick on the Roman Catholic Church in particular. The Protestant churches have similar issues, if not more serious in many areas. For example, many of the churches around St. Joseph’s were already sanctioning homosexual practices long before it became fashionable.
That was then. But look at us now at time of writing (2018). The RCC is rocked with scandals of homosexuality and cover-ups. LGBTQ is being embraced many protestant churches. Moreover, a growing number of them are blessing the abortion mill Planned Parenthood. While the worst examples are found in churches such as the apostate ELCA, apostasy is steadily moving main-stream.
A large sector of the church in America is dedicating much of its time to activism. The “Woke” movement seems to have entranced American churches. I don’t necessarily endorse the Federalist, but I can attest that its observations in a recent article are valid. The title says it all: Preachers, Activists Demanding Largest U.S. Denomination Confront ‘White Privilege’
Rather than preaching Christ, these churches are becoming appeasement machines. A person’s perceived rights and feelings are trumping Jesus Christ. Churches are focused on politics, combating racism, intolerance, defending illegal immigration, Islam, woman’s rights to abortion and a host of other things.
For example, rather than offend Islam, some Christians have wedded Allah to Yahweh. In another example, a woman atheist is retained as pastor! In yet another, a popular female pastor prescribes watching pornography!
I’ve been watching this direction unfold over a number of. What would Jesus say about all this? Are the Seven Letters to the Seven Churches of Revelation relevant to what we’re seeing today? I’m sure others are asking similar questions.
I’d been hoping someone would write a commentary on Revelation Chapters One to Three in light of all this. John MacArthur has done just that in Christ’s Call to Reform the Church. In the excellent Introduction he notes:
In the book of Revelation, Jesus wrote seven letters to cities in Asia Minor. He didn’t write them to city hall; He wrote them to the church….He didn’t advise His people to leverage political power to institute morality, or to protest the rule of immoral men…The church today – and particularly the church in America – needs to understand that God has not called His people out of the world simply to wage a culture war with the world…The push for cultural morality or even social justice is a dangerous distraction from the work of the church.
This isn’t to say that the church and Christians aren’t to engage and affect the culture in capacities available to them. It’s a matter of priorities, understanding where our true citizenship is, and where our first love should be – Jesus Christ.
MacArthur notes how many churches today are proudly tolerant in hosting un-repentant sinners, impenitent homosexuals, immoral idol worshipers and pagans. They are so invested in attracting sinners that they attempt to bury their theology under the welcome mat. As you can imagine, he had a lot to say about the themes of the following verses.
But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place – unless you repent. Rev 2:4-5
Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. Rev 3:19-20
This isn’t a book review, but I recommend Christ’s Call to Reform the Church. It is very timely for me. There are many things I need to work through! My guess is that we all should re-visit the seven letters to the seven churches. What would Christ say in a letter to us?
When I look at the convergence of events which are happening globally I have to wonder how far away Christ’s return is. Now is a good time as any to examine ourselves – before it is too late.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Rev 2:7
Maranatha!
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