Playing Church When it was Most Needed

We are literally watching the world unravel, Catastrophes from nature, rumors of war, financial collapse, its hard to say if this can get turned around, stalled or will complete the downward course its been on. The world does not know where this is all headed, we as believers do.

In three gospels and possibly three different times, Jesus speaks of us having salt.

Mark 9:50 “Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”

Matt 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”

Luke 14:34-35 “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? “It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Salt was used in the sacrifices, It was called “the salt of the covenant of your God” in Lev.2:13 the Lord says “With all your offerings you shall offer salt.” Practically speaking, salt has the ability to preserve food from putrefaction and corruption and it was included in the sacrifice as a symbol of impurity and make sterile. It was even used for the decomposition of dung. Salt was added to the sacrifice, Jesus told us to have salt in ourselves, as we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice.

We are all to have a ministry of doing good (God’s will): to hold up a standard and withhold the spiritual corruption in the society we live in. Salt is a symbol of having grace in our hearts for each other, to have us do what is right, to have wisdom in our speech (Col. 4:6). We are to be living sacrifices (Rom.12:1), which can have things become uncomfortable as we yield to our service to the Lord. When we as individuals or the church become as Jesus warned, with no influence to others our message, our purpose and mission is looked upon with disdain, mocked, belittled by those around us.

Has this happened; what can make has this happen? As far as the reasons for this taking place…

Too many pastors can’t think past their commentaries, it is especially exaggerated among those who promote the Purpose Driven model of church. In his interview with Alan Colmes he is asked: what does it say for all those people who do not accept Christ as their personal savior.” Warren- “I’m saying that this is the perfect time for them to open their life and give him a chance I’d say give him a 60 day trial.”

We all make statements we would like to take back, however this is Warren’s philosophy to present Jesus to the “unchurched,” well at least there’s no money back guarantee offered. Because the way this is being done he would go broke.

In a malnourished church they are fed just enough to be led into what the leaders want them to do. Individualism becomes a rarity as the leaders become indispensible.

What they hear does not promote further introspection, thinking on the subject, but they are satisfied with whatever scraps of info they may hear.

When the people live on milk and receive no meat we should not be surprised that they will not be mature or be spiritually active. When there is No word of God to challenge the people should we expect the people to do what is necessary? When they give them sips of milk we can’t expect them to have the strength or motivation to do what a healthy believer would do.

They ask for bread but are given programs, group think in our gatherings, philosophies of the world but no discipleship because people don’t want to work at their spirituality. We get out of it what we put into it; no more, no less. Living a spiritual life in accordance to the word takes effort, a willingness to die to self and be a disciple as Luke14 states. It is only then when the life of Christ begins to form and change us to his likeness.

The world is always in flux, changing but we should not regulate the word of God to the same standard since it is absolute truth and does not change because it is from God who does not change (Mal.3:6). We are to submit to the word (which is the same as submitting to the one who gave it), then the fruit Jesus spoke of will come into our lives.

Look at all the things we do in the church that have us focus on what is not important, what is not essential or will last. Eph 4 is not the basis for leadership practiced today or Luke 14 discipleship. So how can the body be healthy. It is for this reason (and some others) we will continue to see other religions and cults grow – because of their dedication. And the new age influences will expand insides the walls of the church because we are not living in the Spirit but the flesh and we have no armor on when we do this, we have no discernment to counter its influences. Could it be that this is why the Lord said to the church of Sardis “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God” (Rev 3:2-3; Isa35:3-4). “Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed” (Heb. 12:12-13).

There is a place for churches to concentrate on the ABC’s of Christianity but there is also a whole alphabet to learn. So few put any time in to reading and drawing nourishment from the word that their spiritual life is nearly extinguished. A weakness sets in that affects them facing the challenges from the world, the flesh and the Devil. In the modern church faith is something they believe in, not live by.

I have seen the church rise to the challenges before but its different now. I have seen the church do what is right and I have also seen the church fail tremendously. Unfortunately there is more of this than the former.

A witnessing friend used to say: “be encouraged in the Lord Jesus Christ.” We can encourage ourselves, we must encourage ourselves or we cannot encourage others. We can do this by being busy doing His work, His will, His way. The church is to strive for excellence. Ministries are to encourage people in the Lord, serve them, not just friendly smiles at church service but to be there when people really need help. Real caring commits to those who are in need, both spiritually and physically. Leaders will make mistakes but if the mistakes are continual and do harm then they should not be in ministry until they learn not to do them. If the leaders are not leading in their example then you must become that example to others.

But we are more often taught to look for the comfortable zone to avoid confrontation. Tolerance is now considered a way of peace. We avoid challenges, so we do not have to be prepared to answer those who object. We even adopt the world’s genre, using words like positive and negative which are anecdotal and amoral positions, instead of using good or bad or right or wrong (Biblically related).

The church is to be a place of healing. People need to know their condition of sin. To do this we must diagnose the problem to give a solution. We are all doctors and nurses when it comes to new believers and the people of God. The idea is that the Church is to be like a hospital, we only send out patients who are healed, who have become strong, that are proven – they become as doctors to other patients who can’t come in. But instead we allow the naïve and untrained into ministry. Those who want to do something; who have zeal but are weak, unknowledgeable – they are unaware what awaits them as they step into ministry (1 Tim.3:6-7). It is a battlefield, not a picnic.

Some know the battle and have become accustom to staying inside, instead of going outside its walls. They are timid, unsure, mainly because they are not nourished to be strengthened. We are to get behind those who are actually prepared and already engaged in doing ministry; instead we play church on the inside and think we are affecting people in the world, those outside our walls.

The Church is not a Playground, it’s not a Carnival, where everyone is having fun; nor is it a party as some describe it. We are God’s emissaries to mankind. Priests for the new covenant he has given us the ministry of reconciliation, (2 Cor. 5:18-19) and we should be dressed for the mission (Eph.4:24; Col.3:10). Do we understand what He has entrusted us with? This is deadly serious because it involves people’s destination, their eternity. Are we playing church while the world slips into darkness? This is no game, and no time for jocularity.

The church, even those who call themselves evangelicals seem to make the message softer, easier which then has it lack the power to do what it supposed to do. They preach by grace you are saved (Eph.2:5) but that is not what the Bible actually says, it is Grace through faith (Eph.2:8). If you eliminate the requirement to believe, you are preaching universalism, that everyone is saved by Jesus without responding to him the way He gave – by the gospel – to believe (Rom.3:28; 2 Cor. 1:24). Furthermore this faith is to continue, otherwise it was in vain (1 Cor.15:2; Heb.10:38; Phil.3:9) and one is not possessing salvation.

Maybe it’s the way we present what we believe that seems to have no weight. It’s hard to convince others of something to be absolutely true if our presentation wavers.

In an interview with Alan Colmes, Rick Warren is asked: “what does it say for all those people who do not accept Christ as their personal savior.”

Warren: “I’m saying that this is the perfect time for them to open their life and give him a chance I’d say give him a 60 day trial.”

We all make statements we would like to take back, however this is indicative of Warren’s philosophy, presenting Jesus to the “unchurched” by trying him out like one would do a pair of pants. At least he did not offer a money back guarantee like the products we see in advertising.

We have been bought with a price for good works in Christ, let’s prepare ourselves, ready with answers. God has called all of us to evangelize. We have all been gifted in certain ways to make the church a healthy place, and to help others. The church should be noticeably different then the world. This does not mean we go around looking for anyone whom needs help, as if we are required to do works for the Lord. If the Lord wants you involved to minister to someone He will put that person in front of you, He will guide you into their path or lead you in prayer for them.

We need to keep in mind - The smallest thing you do for Christ is significant, it will have more of a lasting effect than anything anyone else does without Christ in the world. Think about it ….You are part of God’s plan in history, not just the worlds. The biblical principle: When we are faithful in the little things, He will trust us with more.

So what do you think the most important thing we can do?  What do you think the most important thing we can do for the Lord?

To serve the Lord is to love people, and one of the most important ways is to present the gospel to them. Unfortunately there is a myriad of opinions and few contain the presentation of the gospel. Jesus gave the instructions that Christians (believers who follow Him) are to 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature' (see Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-16 and Luke 24:47); we are called, and respond in faith to that call, we are immediately given a task to perform. And it is to take place for the rest of our natural lives, we effectively become 'Ambassadors for Christ' (2 Corinthians 5:20). As go on in our daily lives we look for opportunities to present the solution to others.

Maybe it is because some just don’t care about the truth any longer, or care about people and this is why we do not go out of our way to give the gospel.

The Evangelicals in the church are in a crises because they are not focused on the gospel. We live in a period where the gospel is not being told often or accurately, what we need is renewal, a back to basics campaign. Not a revival but an honest examination of what WE KNOW. Over the years the church has collapsed on the ground as an experience. They laughed, they cried, overcome by emotions and experiences, being speechless and have not said a thing to those in need of the gospel. There has been no unified effort for the gospel to increase to those who need to hear. Have we done what the lord has given as the primary command for the New Testament believer?

First: we need to know “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God.” (2 Tim. 1:7-8). Why does the church not have courage to speak what is right or necessary?

Boldness was the common denominator of being filled with the Spirit. Before the Sanhedrin “Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit said to them, referring to man healed by Jesus ... they saw the boldness of Peter...”

“They [the believers] were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness”

“And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit...speaking boldly in the Lord.”

Boldness comes not by a spirit experience but living in, and by the Spirit.

In Matthew 9:37-38 Jesus said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. “Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Another time in John 4:35 “Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” Here, Jesus used the feast periods (summer and fall) to explain to them in a prophetic manner what the church is to do before the last feasts are fulfilled.

How can we have people come to Him if we don’t directly tell them? Can a blind man find his way out of the dark without help? That’s where you come in …we need to step out in faith, to speak. There is truth and there is falsehood, but one cannot find if they are wrong in unless they hear the actual truth.

Witnessing is to be a joy not a trauma or drama. But instead of our being confident and willing, we often make excuses.

1 Peter 3:15-16 “...always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.”

The word apologetics comes from the Greek word “apologia.” It means to defend a person or a position by providing evidence for the truth. We defend and explain Jesus, the Bible and the faith we live by.

We do this “by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict” (Titus 1:9). Apologetics accompanies evangelism; it enhances our witnessing, it gives us confidence to speak because we know what we are speaking of. We are to be guided by 2 Tim. 2:24-26.

But we must be settled on what we are to speak. We tell sinners how much we love them, how much God loves them, but do we tell them that God wants them to respond by loving him—by first repenting and follow Jesus.

I had a friend who was to visit his unsaved friend that was sick in the hospital, but he got busy, so he put it off for just a few days expecting to share with him at his convenience. When he went to the hospital he found his friend had died. He was devastated and I had to console him of his burden of guilt for procrastination. Opportunities are our open door. Don’t neglect your responsibility to give the gospel when the opportunity happens. Look for open doors but don’t bust the door down, god will open them. Anytime you are determined to do something for the Lord You will have warfare, a certain amount of resistance. The Lord will shows us when someone is ready, there may be a struggle but not a vicious tug of war.

Sometimes we have to defend Christ or the Bible against attacks. You may need to take a stand – do it, but not in an obnoxious way. Show your care for them as a person but that you are not willing to budge on the truth you live by. They may not like what you are telling them at the time but they will respect you for being principled, and they will appreciate you later on when they believe. I have had a number of people thank me later after calling me names.

What happens when our enemy becomes a believer, someone with a bad reputation; how do we react when we find someone we don’t like gets saved? What if someone that was a known criminal, someone who offended you personally or a real stinker that got saved, how would you feel? Would you rejoice over their entering the body of Christ or be angry that they did not pay for their crimes (Luke 6:27-28). We can look to Saul to see how the church dealt with this. God turned a murderer of the brethren into the greatest of evangelists, so we have no idea what God will do with anyone. God can use anyone, let’s have hope for their future. We are there to encourage them to press on to the high calling that is in Christ Jesus.

A week before I was saved I went to a seminar on the new age infiltrating the church that Dave Hunt and Johanna Michaelson, and Hal Lindsey were speakers. There was a break in between sessions and I got to speak to Dave Hunt with some of my questions that had bothered me, he answered them and the seminar continued for another hour and a half. I was a fee spirited new ager; I had every belief of my liking synthesized into my own religion except for the real Jesus. I was often making fun of Christians, the next week I was one of them and laughing at myself. If you would have known me a few weeks before you would have said no way is this person going to be a believer.

Don’t separate yourself from being in the same predicament of seeing others in need of salvation.

Think back before you were saved at some of the ridiculous things you said or did. Think about being in their shoes and it will better prepare you for any reaction.

Sheep beget sheep

There are only two roads to travel on, the wide road with many various ways and the narrow road. Only one road leads to eternal life -- the narrow way.

The word is alive and should be fleshed out in us first. Check your intentions, then put it in action and let it divide the soul from the Spirit. God will diagnosis their condition with the word.

Mt.13:19: “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.”

The power is seen in transforming lives when people’s sins are forgiven through the gospel. But they must understand their condition first, this means their heart is ready to accept truth.

Its not how studied we are on everything, its not how eloquent we can be in speaking or how convincing and persuasive we are in our explaining.

1 Cor. 1:27-29: “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.”

Are you weak? Good, He is strong. If you not as educated as the scientists – good, because even with all their knowledge a non believer knows far less than you do.

The unbeliever needs understanding of the word, we need understanding of the battle that ensues when we give the word; it is a fight of truth against falsehood. Jesus said if we are light in this world we will be hated for his namesake. (Mt.10:22). Unfortunately too many want to be liked by everyone not understanding that when they take a stand for Jesus the world will direct their hatred toward us because we represent HIM.

John 7:7 “The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.”

John 15:18-19 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.” “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

John 15:23-24: “He who hates Me hates My Father also. “If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. But instead the church wants to be recognized and loved by all. So if we are loved by the world, then we also love the world and we will not be loved by the Father And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (I Jn. 2:17)

Heb. 1:9 “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”

Ps. 26:2-5 “Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my mind and my heart. For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth. I have not sat with idolatrous mortals, nor will I go in with hypocrites. I have hated the assembly of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked.”

Most people do not see where this is all headed. Jesus said we would all sleep but some are nearly comatose. Many have to search for a church where is the spirit moving to do ministry? It should not be like this.

The Bible makes it clear there will be a conclusion coming: to the church and to the world, it is unavoidable.

Peter speaks of  f this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,” That “He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.” And in preparation concludes in 1 Peter 1:13-25: Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

We have been purchased with a price and given incredible opportunity to make a difference in a world that is unraveling everyday, lets consider the calling and become involved.