“Compromised Church Leadership & Preaching Is Contributing To Our Cultural Rot…….”
I look at the world around me, contemplating the state of global spiritual and physical affairs, and never has the old adage “what is the world coming to?” had more relevance than right now. It appears that the entire world has lost its collective mind and its’ moral compass.
It has been said that in 1873, Charles Finney, a Presbyterian revivalist minister, preached that “If the public press lacks moral discrimination… If the church is degenerate and worldly… If the world loses its interest in religion… If Satan rules in our halls of legislation… If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it.”
Decision magazine recently reported: “A new study from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University (ACU) has found that just 37% of Christian pastors in the United States have a Biblical worldview.” 37%, that’s barely over a mere third of ALL pastors in the US…. let that sink in a minute.
Perhaps this is why very few pastors will preach and teach the ancient prophesies, inspired by God, that are so relevant to the questions and needs of the times we find ourselves in right now. But biblical sermons on those subjects force folks to come to the realization that time is coming when the sands in the hourglass run out and that isn’t a happy thought for a lot of people out there. So, just as prophesied, the congregations are being fed what they want to hear, but not what God wants to say. Quite to the contrary actually.
Sadly and to their shame, many Christian leaders have expended more effort and emphasis on discovering what’s trending in society (in order to draw more people through the doors) than prayerful study of the Bible in order to learn and then convey to their congregations what’s on God’s heart and in his Word. Indeed, many pastors are performing regurgitated, pre-fab, ear tickling, popular sermon series.
In their prideful quest to become relevant on the world stage,
(ie bigger buildings, more campuses, bigger contributing congregations, more books and videos and merchandise in the lobby ….using bigger TV screens and louder speakers and smoke machine effects, for pop culture raided Christian worship)
……they have become irrelevant on God’s.”
We, as the church, need to stand against those that would preach a watered-down version of scripture in order to avoid ruffling someone’s “sensibilities”. Imagine how ruffled some will be at judgement when they protest that they never did anything that wasn’t condoned by ‘the church’, and yet they are denied entry into heaven. I am reminded of James 3:1 that says; “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” And later, Jesus Himself says “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” ~ Matthew 18:6
PRAISE GOD, there is repentance. PRAISE GOD for His faithful and patient mercy. Let God’s judgment begin in the House of the Lord; let His perfect and true conviction bring us to our knees in humble confession, repentance and prayer. The answer now is for God’s people to confess and repent of our sins (both corporate and individual), and to turn back and seek His face and His forgiveness.
The Way I See It... 