The demise of the Church comes from the inside
Charles Spurgeon said something along the following lines: a boat is safe in the widest and deepest ocean, until a few waves start lashing over the sides let water into the boat. Then it can sink quickly. It is not the width or the depth of the water that causes the boat’s demise, but water inside the boat.
This pretty much sums up the modern Church. If would be perfectly capable of surviving “the world” around it and its influences, as long as those influences stay out of the church. The world is not interested in the Church. How then is the Church affected to the point that it is ready to sink? Let us look at a few examples of waves crashing over the sides and filling the boat.
The hunt for numbers
Instead of understanding that to function in the Church, newcomers must be taught solid biblical doctrine, we are so glad to see our numbers increase each Sunday that we just do not take the time to ensure they are properly schooled in sound doctrine. But wait, Jesus loves them, and we should not be too pushy, right? Just let them do their own thing and never challenge them. Create sermons so that they hear what they want to hear. Offer worship services where they can sing the same stuff they sing in the world, but slap on a few “Jesus” phrases to make it sound acceptable. Thus, we allow people who have no real desire to be transformed by thinking in a new way, as commanded in Romans 12:2, to continue like the world, in the Church. If there is no transformation to the new life, it remains conformity to the world, inside the Church!
1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. – Romans 12:1-2
Unrepented sin
Don’t challenge them about their sinful lives, which they are not willing to leave behind. We want the Holy Spirit to convict them when we who believe we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit have the authority to speak to them and confront them with their sin. Of course, we do not want them to feel uncomfortable and leave. We want to accommodate them at any cost and keep them. Thus, they and their sin remain, and this affects the core of the church. Even more water fills the boat.
The Word
We do not check that the Bibles members bring into the worship service are accepted versions, and not some of the false translations and paraphrases we have today. Oh no, we want to meet them on their level as immature believers, so their Bible translation is OK, even if it is a paraphrase with more comments and parentheses than actual original text. You do not have to explain the Word by using paraphrasing and parentheses inside the text. I am not interested in hearing the writer’s opinion about the Word. I want to hear the Word as God gave it to the original author. I heard a youngster say she does not want to read the 1611 Bible because the text is too difficult to understand. Young woman, if I could learn to use the King James Version and other accepted versions of the Bible, then so can you.
Here is an example of a particularly bad paraphrase translation, from The Passion Translation:
Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you.
Guess where this is taken from? Ephesians 3:20 in a more accepted translation reads as follows:
20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, – Ephesians 3:20
You may argue that this is what the text could mean. It is very self-centred though, and the wording takes away the focus on the power that comes from God. If the text was explained this way in a sermon, it could have gone through as legitimate as commenting on the Word of God. However, it is found in a “bible” (lowercase intended) and is no longer the Word of God, but assumptions about God. Sound doctrine is critical, but it can only be understood properly by using a proper Bible.
Here is the real Word’s take on this:
3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. – 2 Timothy 4:3-4
- In modern times, most want an easy way out – sound doctrine is too difficult, and it cuts too close to their sinful lives, which they do not want to relinquish;
- They want to hear what is not offensive to them, so they get the worship they want, and teachers who tell them what they want to hear;
- They turn away from sound doctrine as given by accepted translations and read stories and fabrications instead.
Worship
They do not like the solemn and Godly atmosphere of the Sunday service and so our worship becomes a noisy affair. Organs and pianos are considered archaic. It is therefore acceptable that older, more established believers who have carried the local church for many years have to endure this new form of worship in order to entertain a younger crowd. And oh man, the music must make them feel good. It is about them and their feelings. This is a self-centred worship, not God-centred.
Refusal to accept authority
I hear many say that they do not like authority and that as believers, we are all equal before God. The latter may be true, but you have just misapplied the Word, because you would not allow yourself to be subjected to older and wiser believers and learn from them.
17Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. – Hebrews 13:17
I consider myself to be a leader in the church with a solid understanding of the Word of God, and enough years to my credit. I have walked a path of faith with God, longer than many others have done so far. Once the “old” members are no longer there, you can do what you want. Right now, those who have rule over you set the example, tone, and direction.
Why am I this strict? Because as a young Christian I also thought I “had arrived”, and as a result made many mistakes – “blunders” is probably a better word. I did not always appreciate correction from those older and more experienced than me, but today I know it was necessary to form me to be useful to God as a servant, rather than be an arrogant wannabe. The most important lesson to learn here is that it is not about me; it is about God and his will for my life.
An unwillingness to accept authority adds some more water in the boat and is against God’s will.
Prayer
I wanted to start a traditional prayer hour in the church. Then I was told that the programme for the week is too full to accommodate “yet another activity”. However, good as some of those programmes can be, most of them are directed at making the attendee a better whatever. The focus is on the person, not on God. It turns out that many in the church feel the traditional prayer meeting is too long and they find it boring. Jesus’ words resonate:
40And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. – Matthew 26:40-41
One hour only. That is all Jesus asked of his disciples in His hour of need.
Men of faith knew how to pray effectively. Just read Nehemiah 1:5-11 and Daniel 9:4-19. Their prayers were not about any benefit for themselves, but rather confessing their sins and begging God for mercy and forgiveness. I think most Christians today have never learnt to pray effectively or do not care about it. Why? Because essentially prayer focuses on God and not on them, and they do not like this one bit. A prayerless attitude is flooding the Church.
What are we to do?
While the Church is being filled with worldly standards, there are those who clearly hear the voice of God and are committed to proper doctrine and order, as instructed by Jesus:
11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. – Ephesians 4:11-16
There are a few things to be noted here. First, the five-fold ministry is progressive and to be seen in context. There are no prophets and apostles in our time anymore. Those two ministries have run their course, and they were required at the start of the Church. They are like the foundations of a building. We know the foundation of the building is there, but it does not play a visible part in the house anymore, and we do not continually dig up the ground to make sure it is there, or continue to build a new foundation. There is no more foundation to be laid. What we need more than anything today are committed pastors and teachers who will teach what the Word commands, and not be swayed by the opinion and will of the masses.
See these two articles for more information on false apostles and false prophets:
We need people to grow spiritually, rooted in sound doctrine, so that they will not be carried away by false doctrine but can identify it instead and stay away from it. Identifying false doctrine, pushed by false teachers, is vital. Speaking truthfully, even if it hurts someone, is necessary, so that the body can operate as a unity, with the sole purpose of glorifying Christ.