February 26
I love the book of Revelation. I read something in chapter 1 that really struck me this morning. In verse 9 John identifies himself as our “brother and fellow partaker of the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, . . .” His words opened my eyes to something I had never before considered in the past dozens of times I have read this book. We are already living in the tribulation. Of course, it’s not final seven years of tribulation which John is about to tell the church will be much more severe in many ways than what they were experiencing at the time; but the fact is the posture of churches all over the world was completely different in the first century than it is today, because they believed they were living in the tribulation.
In contrast, we in America believe we are not being persecuted, that we can worship when and where and how we please. And, of course, theoretically that is still true. But all one has to do is suggest a particular local church is not doing things exactly as prescribed in God’s word today and he’ll quickly discover what tribulation, persecution, and perseverance is. One will quickly learn how incredibly shallow friendships are among Christians if he has the unmitigated gall to suggest the local church is wasting money or that the local pastor is possibly doing things unbecoming a pastor. You’ll quickly discover it isn’t acceptable to have an opinion, even if it is based solidly on scripture, and express it in any public forum. It’s truly amazing how entire denominations will fall lock step behind a local pastor if he graduated from one of their own hallowed bible institutes. The thought one of them could be corrupted by his own lust for money is apparently not in their list of possible scenarios for a local church pastor.
I’ll close today’s instruction by posing the following food for thought. Has it ever entered your mind that in today’s churches all across this land it just might be the men standing behind the pulpits who are the real wolves? Maybe, just maybe, it would be an idea worth trying to be as the honorable Bereans of Acts 17:11 were and check everything they are preaching against the word of God. Just a thought. Maybe we would do well to test the axiom to know them by their fruits. If hey're not living sacrificially, for example, their fruit stinks. If they're frequently failing to maintain a calm demeanor with anyone who challenges their thinking or when the sound system doesn't meet their expectations, their fruit stinks. If they call other people's ideas stupid, their fruit stinks. If they preach one thing and do another, their fruit stinks. If they refuse to acknowledge their own sin and confess it immediately, their fruit stinks. If their an ineffectual parent, their fruit stinks, If they have a well earned bad reputation with those outside the church, their fruit stinks. If they don't deal with church discipline in a biblical manner, their fruit stinks. Wow! Could someone who really preaches well but has a lot of stinky fruit be a wolf in sheep's cloth
I'm considering doing some research. I think I'm going to go to a different church each Sunday for the next 17 weeks (there are 17 churches in our community), recording the pastor's sermon, and checking its contents against the light of God's word on this blog for the following week. It should be an eye opener. I’ve decided this morning that my next exhaustive study is going to be titled "Who are the Real Wolves?" According to the apostle John, we are living in the tribulation. By comparing preaching in churches across this land today to God’s word, I believe we’ll discover who the real wolves are; and then we’ll be able to avoid getting too comfortable in one of their pastures. I report. You decide.
I really am weary of dealing with the arrogant childish rantings of bible school graduates who seem to think their degree gives them some divine authority to be the big cahuna of the church where they preach. Jesus is the only true Big Cahuna, the only true Chief Shepherd, and the only true Senior Pastor. Do you think we are not in the tribulation? Copy this blog and give it to your pastor. It won't be long after you do so that you'll learn who your true friends are. And if you discover you have none, praise God! It's better to enter the kingdom of God with one good hand than to enter hell with two. Now, go and tell someone what great things God has done for you today.
No comments:
Post a Comment