-Mark 4:3-9
Since coming home, I am realizing more and more just how many of my friends have traded the truth of Christ for the lies of this world. Recently I visited a couple friends' churches, and both of my friends were so excited to take me to church with them. I was so discouraged after both of those services and it was easy to see how the lack of sound teaching had affected my friends' lives.
At one church, I was told there was no need to bring Bibles to service because the pastor gives topical sermons. (Since when did giving a topical sermon mean no biblical content?) My other friends' church was lively and upbeat. The atmosphere was very inviting and pretty much everyone in attendance was younger than 40. But when the sermon got started, something put me on guard. The sermon was taken from a passage of scripture in Matt. As the pastor expounded on the passage, I waited patiently for something... There was lots of Christian tag words, but only twice in his message did the pastor mention Jesus, and never did he explain who Jesus is or why we follow Him. He never even mentioned Jesus' death and resurrection!
These experiences made me question: How is it that my friends, who profess to believe in Christ, could end up in such empty churches? Then I realized it is easy, if you have grown up in church, to fill in the blanks yourself. If you aren't paying attention, you don't always notice that these things are missing, and slowly as you receive more and more empty teaching, these important truths become less significant to you. Have my friends, who seemed so on fire for God, become like the seed in the rocks and among thorns?
The state of the church saddens me. Christians are being led astray by charismatic leaders and false teachings. Social action has become more important than the Gospel, creativity more valued than truth, and the very meaning of love has been twisted. Churches are more concerned with being culturally relevant than being theologically or biblically sound. Rather than being a salt and light, christians are encouraged to blend into society, under the guise of tolerance. Instead of reading the Word of God, we read bestselling authors that appeal to our postmodern ideals. We keep the verses that make us feel good, and ignore or discount the ones that make us uncomfortable.
Real worship takes a back seat as churches promote social activities and charity. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with serving. In fact, the Bible makes it clear that we ought to be serving others. My problem is that instead of teaching people following Christ, churches are teaching people to be nice. We are quickly losing focus when we decide that Christianity is about 'doing the right thing', 'being fair', 'loving others'.
Christianity must be, first and foremost, about Christ. There is no good news without the Messiah, and there is no need for a messiah without the recognition of sin. Our culture may have changed, but the Gospel has not. The Bible is clear: Christ did not die to teach us how to be better people. Christ died to pay the price for our sins, and His resurrection shows that He has overcome death. In Christ we are free from sin, new creations. And yes, part of being a new creation means our lives will look different.
"Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve."
- 1Cor. 15:1-5
How important it is to be rooted in the Word of God, and filled with the Holy Spirit! Grant your people discernment, Lord.
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