Nothing Is Killing The Church

     Within the last few months I have read a number of articles whose titles went something like this: “______ is killing the church”, or “______  is why the church is dying.” In fact, I began this article Wednesday and came across another article with one of the above titles Wednesday afternoon. The writers insert whatever particular problem they feel needs to be addressed. In each case I believe the issues they addressed are important and many of their warnings quite valid and needful for Christians today. However, I do take exception to the statement that something is killing the church today or that the church is in the process of dying.

     Many centuries ago an interesting and extraordinarily important discussion took place between the Lord and his apostles. He asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:13-18) Christians correctly believe that the rock upon which Jesus would build his church was the confession that he is “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” No force existed that could keep him from building his church and no force exists that can kill it while innumerable saints across the world boldly continue making that confession. And friends, innumerable saints across the world are boldly continuing to make that confession!

     No, beloved; the family and household of God (Ephesians 2:19), the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-12), the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17), the church purchased with Christ’s own blood (Acts 20:28), is most assuredly not being killed nor is it in the process of dying.

      But have we not all seen local congregations close their doors, begin treating one another abominably, simply start going through the motions, or wander off into error? Yes. But are we to conclude that the entire body of Christ throughout the world has been taking its cues from that one group (or even several groups) and is about to follow suit?

     Many times I believe statements about something killing the church or the church being in the process of dying are made as the result of frustration and discouragement upon observing ungodly behavior among Christians. I can certainly understand that. However, we must not allow frustration or discouragement to cloud our vision or cause us to ignore facts. Here are some incredibly heartening facts: there are Christians who have left the truth to promote error, yet there are so many who remain intensely dedicated to God’s truth. There are Christians who compromise to be accepted by the world, yet there are so many who would rather be approved before God. There are Christians who just go through the motions, yet there are so many who worship God in spirit and in truth. There are Christians who are hypocrites, yet there are so many who have truly given themselves to the Lord. There are Christians who mistreat one another, yet there are so many who outdo one another in showing honor. There are Christians who never pick up a Bible outside of the assembly, yet there are so many who search the Scriptures daily. There are Christians who elevate their own uninspired traditions to the level of inspired revelation, yet there are so many who would never dream of doing so. There are young Christians who have abandoned their faith and been lost to the world, yet there are so many who set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. We could extend this list much further if we were of a mind to do so.

     Other times I wonder if small numbers cause people to make statements about the church dying or being killed. I’m not sure how many people live in Lexington. I am sure that of that number only an extraordinarily small fraction are Christians. Every Christian who reads this knows exactly how Paul felt when he exclaimed, I would to God that not only you but also all…might become such as I am! (Acts 26:29) Sadly, that is not going to happen. Only a very small number of people will come to Jesus Christ on his terms. Yet let us recognize this for what it is: not a sign that the body of Christ is dying or being killed, but that the body of Christ will only ever be comprised of a remnant of the people (Mathew 7:13-14). Elijah, overcome by discouragement and frustration, was convinced that he was the only faithful servant of God left. He was wrong. Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him. (1 Kings 19:18). Out of all Israel seven thousand was such a small number, nothing more than a remnant, yet God said that remnant was His. Such is the church today.

     Further, let us not mistake the need for continued spiritual growth as a sign of impending death. Would we claim that our newborn son is as good as dead because he has not yet learned to walk? Would we claim that our toddler daughter is doomed because she cannot yet do arithmetic? Growth and development are required and will come in time. The same is true spiritually. Peter shows this when he finishes his second letter in this way: But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18) A babe in Christ is not a veteran soldier of the cross and it is silly to expect them to be. This is not the say that their mistakes and errors are to be ignored. It is to say that patience and much training is required. Let us not mistake growing pains as precursors to spiritual death.

     Finally, let us not present that for which our Lord died in such broad, negative terms. A preacher, not too long ago, exclaimed that “our problem today is that we just do not love the Lord.” This was said during a sermon to a group of brethren and visitors about the Lord’s church generally. What a terrible and false thing to say! Were I a truth-seeking visitor I would see no reason to be among those people any longer. Were I a weak Christian feeling a very strong pull from the world that statement may very well have been the catalyst that sent me falling back. As was mentioned earlier there are innumerable saints throughout this world who love the Lord with all of their hearts, who love the brethren with all their hearts, and who love the souls of their fellow men. Besides this, Jesus paid the ultimate price to purchase the church. It would be better for us to bite off our own tongues than to speak broadly and disparagingly about that which he loves so much. This is particularly the case when just a little thought demonstrates that what is being said is not true! After cautioning brethren not to take becoming teachers of God’s Word lightly because teachers will be judged with greater strictness, James immediately began to speak of the great danger of the tongue and the terrible destruction it can leave in its path (James 3:1-8). Let us take great care in our words at all times, but especially when we are speaking of the church our Lord loves and died to establish.

     Satan is bringing the fight to the Lord’s church every day. Some have fallen by the wayside, some have surrendered, and some continue on blissfully unaware as Satan ravages their hearts and minds. Even so, countless saints around the world, encased in the mighty armor of God, are taking the fight right back at him. We are and have only ever been a remnant, but we are very much alive and we are fighting the good fight (2 Timothy 4:7a). We will continue to love God and our brethren. We will continue to grow and mature. We will continue to worship and praise. We will continue to be opposed and persecuted. But know this: the church will always live within the Word and it will always live within the world as long as saints are willing to stand up and boldly confess, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” I have no intention of ever surrendering that confession. How about you?

O Lord, Our Lord

     “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”

Psalm 8:1, 9

      Rarely have I been so overcome with wonder and emotion that I did not know how to express it in some way, even if the manner and product of expression ultimately fell short of the intensity of the feeling.  Israel’s sweet psalmist (2 Samuel 23:1) possessed the soul of a poet and a seemingly endless collection of the most moving expressions of adoration, praise, devotion, and wonderment. Yet even he could only utter a faint “O Lord, our Lord” as his mind was transported to realms beyond his ability to capture with words. What depth of feeling must have poured from his pen in the four words, “O Lord, our Lord”!

   It is very telling that Jehovah Himself was the object of David’s consideration in this psalm. This righteous man who never seemed to be at a loss for words knew not what to say when meditating upon the glory of the God whose own heart he possessed. It is the fact of David’s meditation upon God that I wish to consider with you at this time.

     How often do you allow yourself to mentally set aside all the activities of the day, to emotionally check out from the daily grind, to spend time in serious thought about all that God is and all that He does? I promise that you will be better for it when you do. These days it’s rare to hear someone speaking of God in the manner David does in the psalms, isn’t it? I have to assume that this is because the vast majority of people simply do not know God the way that David knew Him. David regularly meditated upon the Creator of the heavens, moon, and stars (Psalms 8:3). David often considered the exulted station God has bestowed through His mercy and grace upon man (Psalm 8:4-9). David’s constant awareness that creation proves a Creator lit within him a fire to seek out and cling to this Creator’s revelations as a drowning man clings to driftwood (Psalm 119). 

         Is there any wonder that the only way to express his depth of feeling was simply to say the name of the One whom he adored? After all, His very name is majestic in all the earth. How much more His Person? We would do well to spend more time considering the One who so often filled David’s thoughts.     

Playing With Fire

    “If a man does not repent, God will whet His sword; He has bent and readied His bow” Psalm 7:12

     There is a preacher I know who is now well into his eighties. He is one of the godliest men I have ever known and I have as much respect for him as any man. I was surprised to hear that this veteran soldier of Christ approached one of his brethren, a friend of his for several decades, to essentially “come clean” over an incident that had taken place nearly fifty years prior. As it turned out this older preacher had wronged the other Christian in secret and had never allowed the light of day to shine upon his actions all those years ago. He finally came to the conclusion that he could never rest assured of his salvation until he repented of the action not just to God, but to the man he had wronged. Indeed, he did not believe that he really had repented unto God until he sought to make things right with his friend.

     Does it seem strange to you that my friend would be worrying himself over something that had taken place fifty years prior? Does it seem odd that he would approach that man and apologize to him over something that man could barely even remember? I believe that my friend made the right choice. There is no statute of limitations on our sins. The mere passing of time does not lessen the significance or a sin nor does it erase the stain it leaves on our soul. When a person becomes a Christian by submitting to Christ in humble faith and contacting His precious blood in the waters of baptism (Romans 6), the sins of the past are washed clean (Acts 22:16). Part of that process is repenting of those past sins (Luke 13:3, 5).

    However, repentance remains incredibly important in the life of the Christian. The sad truth is that though the faithful Christian sins far less, he still sins. To continue to be washed clean by the blood of Christ he must be willing to continue to repent of his sins (1 John 1:8-9; Acts 8:22). 

     Let us not play with the fire of sin. When we see it in our lives let us join voice with David. “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.”  (Psalm 51:1)     

Properly Placed Treasure

     “You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.” Psalm 4:7

      I can remember a time when I thought that if I could just manage to acquire a small fortune my life would be as happy and fulfilling as it could be. I think that a great many people who claim Christ as Lord feel much the same way. Obviously we should all know that wealth does not lead to happiness or fulfillment. A simple perusal of the magazine stand as we pick up our groceries shows us that movie stars, music stars, and sports stars are not immune to disastrous lives because of their great wealth.

     Sure, it’s nice not to have to live one paycheck to the next. I can only imagine that it’s nice to pay one’s monthly bills and still have so much money left over that you don’t even know what to do with it. But wealth is just a thing among a world of things. When a person puts all of their trust in things, whether they have a lot of things or a little, a truly fulfilling life is far from them. 

     Perhaps someone says, “I know some people who put all of their time and effort into acquiring more stuff and they seem to be awfully happy.” I have no doubt that there are some who are quite fulfilled with that type of life. But which shoes would you rather fill before God: the shoes of a wealthy man with all of his millions who forsook the health of his soul, or the shoes of a man who lived from one paycheck to the next but lived faithfully to the Lord? I know my answer.

     So we come to our title. Where are you storing your treasure? The parable of Luke 12:13-21 shows us a man who continues to exist in our world today. He was a man who spent all of his time acquiring money and things. His soul was required of him and his wealth could do nothing to save him. God called him a fool. Verse 21 says, “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

     So where is your treasure? Put it in heaven and understand exactly how David could say what he did in Psalm 4:7. Only then will you know the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). 

The Owner Of Salvation

     “Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be upon your people!”

Psalm 3:8

     What do you desire more than anything else in this world? Is your greatest desire for the type of wealth that will permit you to retire early and never have to work again? Perhaps your greatest desire is for the type of notoriety that makes your name recognizable all across the world. Possibly your greatest desire is to excel at your chosen field above all your contemporaries? Maybe your strongest desire is simply to marry and enjoy the remainder of your life surrounded by family and friends?

     How strongly do you desire the salvation of your soul? In Psalm 3 David was writing during the time of his flight from Absalom. What a terrible tragedy when one’s own child actively seeks his life! With enemies surrounding him and with friends few and far between, David did what he always seemed to do—He placed all of his hope and trust in the One who had saved him so many times before. Psalm 3 reaches its crescendo in the final verse. No matter how bad it became for David he knew that God always possessed the power to rescue him from his trouble.

     I ask you to consider whether God has saved you from the worst enemy confronting man today—sin (Romans 6:23). While salvation belongs to the Lord, we are the recipients of it. The invitation of the Lord has been offered for all (Matthew 11:28-30). There is no one living who finds themselves outside the scope of Matthew 11:28-30. Are you a thief? You can be saved.  Are you an adulterer? You can enjoy salvation. Are you a liar? You can receive forgiveness. How can I say this? I can say it because salvation belongs to the Lord and His greatest desire is to save man’s soul (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9).

     However, the owner of a thing has the right to stipulate how it can be used. Our heavenly Father is no different. Because salvation belongs to Him He gets to determine what man must do and be like to receive it (Romans 10:17; John 3:16; Luke 13:3; Matthew 10:32; Acts 22:16; Ephesians 4:1). 

     Salvation belongs to the Lord. If we would be saved we must belong to Him as well. Read the verses listed above and let the Lord tell you how.

A Warning To The Wise

     “Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all those who take refuge in him.” Psalm 2:10-12

     When you think of the Christ, what comes to mind? Most followers of Christ think of His love and compassion, His sinless life and example, His great sacrifice for the sins of the world. Why wouldn’t Christians bring these things to mind upon hearing the wonderful name of the Savior? These characteristics of His provided the foundation for His actions and for our hope. How appropriately the Baptizer spoke of Him in John 1:29 when he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!”

     “The Lamb of God.” What a tremendous image as one considers the types and figures of the Passover lamb meeting their fullest meaning in the Person of the Christ! Of course, the “Lamb of God” is certainly not the only designation for the Christ to be found in Scripture. Another designation, found in Revelation 5:5, is “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.” That image depicts the Son as powerful and conquering. It is that image of the Son described for us in Psalm 2.

     The Jesus of great might and strength, a powerful conqueror of all those who oppose Him, is frankly a Jesus the vast majority of us are not as comfortable with. While we thrill to speak of His love and compassion, we often find ourselves less inclined to speak of His justice and wrath. Generally speaking this Jesus is not received nearly so well by the masses and can cost a teacher a willing crowd in short order should this Jesus become too demanding and unyielding. “The Lion of the tribe of Judah” isn’t as soft on the ears as is “the Lamb of God.” He is the same Person, however. To accept one is necessarily to accept the other. To reject one is necessarily to reject the other. 

     The only escape from the conquering and vengeful Son is refuge in Him. For those who reject Him, vengeance (2 Thessalonians 1:5-9). For those who accept Him, eternal life (Matthew 11:28-30). So, which Son do you intend to meet?

Folly In High Places

     “Why do the nations rage and the people plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” Psalm 2:1-3

     “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” I’m not sure who first said those words but I do know that when humans are handed the reigns of authority, particularly authority to govern and punish a large group of people, things do seem to tend in the direction of corruption rather than righteousness. In that respect things have changed little from the time of the psalmist to our day and age.

     It would do us all well to keep in mind that setting oneself against the stated will of God is the very height of corruption. Thus, when the rulers and lawmakers of our day, many of whom delight in speaking of their “faith” and how God and His will shapes their decisions, institute laws and dictates that are contradictory or opposed to the revealed will of God they are in essence saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”

     As an example of what I am speaking of consider the laws concerning the marriage of homosexuals. By the time my children graduate high school, I would not be in the least surprised were the “lawful marriage” of those who have chosen the path of homosexuality accepted in most, if not all, states. Many praise lawmakers who fight for these marriages as forward thinking, open-minded, and even godly. Sadly, godly is one thing they are certainly not for God’s will in the matter is quite clear (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

     Our duty to those who rule over us is clear from Scripture (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-15). It is God’s will that His children be in subjection to governing authorities for the principle of government was created and established by God Himself (John 19:10-11). However, when any human ruler, whether it be a single person or a body of people, steps across the line and begins to rage against the revealed will of God, you and I have a duty in that instance as well. It is a duty best explained by Peter in Acts 5:29: “We must obey God rather than men.”