Romans
1:18-19 says, "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in
unrighteousness, because that which may be known of God is manifest in them."
Romans 2:1 says, "Therefore, thou art inexcusable, O man,"
O how grieves God that we have been complacent and Blind, and how God has
spoken of his judgement and his righteous anger to all of us. How we have
been so lapse and blind to his calling for churches in the United Kingdom
to repent of their ways, and their ill logic.
We have provoked God to anger, and we do not see what is going on. Do we not see how much we are becoming tollerant in our views of cultural relivence and not on the God's views. The world conspires and yet we make friends with with the world. God wants us to repent from our wicked ideas and currupt theology, our teachings and our compromise. Judgement awaits us, and our conscience is seared with a hot iron, we have grown callous and we do not hear God's vioce of warning.
How we spritually prostitute ourselves harbouring the New Age Movement, Islam, Roman Catholicism and other religions in the name of "peace". We call this "Love", yet this is no different than what the Maharishi taught, in his book "A Transcendental Meditation (TM) portal for Creating Heaven on Earth" he states "Fill the Earth with love and create Heaven on Earth." Christians lean towards promoting this model of "Love evangelism" and away from the traditional street preaching model and how the Apostles spoke of Jesus and how the Love of God was expressed in the Bible. John Lennon was very much in to the idea of living up to a culture of Love, creating the concept of a heaven on earth yet also a deleberate attack on the Bible.
We are being taught that we need to be "Culturally Relevant", when we evangelise, this does not take into account the fact that the multitudes come from many diffrent world views, pilosophies, from diffrent religions or non-religous beliefs and many different cultures. We forget the more important view, the fact that evangelism is not about looking to please other men but seeking to convince the world of sin and the need for salvation. This, by it's very nature, places us in direct opposition to the World and in conflict with the basic nature of men's hearts.
The danger is that in seeking to be relevant to this generation we are rejecting the Biblical warning, 2 Timothy 3:1 - 7. This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Just as many churches sought to "christianise" pagans in their attempt to make Christianity "culturally relevant" and ended up paganising "christianity" as a result, we too are in danger of making the same mistake.
We taint the very words of Jesus to suit our own views rather than what God thinks. The heart of man is the same today as it was in the times of the Bible and we should not preach the gospel any differently simply in order that the world will accept it. We must be faithfull to God's word rather than adopt that which will popularise Jesus,doesn't the Bible also teach, Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (James 4:4 )
When dealing with the multitudes we should not fear what the reaction of people may be. When confronted with sin people will not always react favourably, nor will they happily recieve the message of repentance. In our zeal for "persuading men" it should not be the Gospel that conforms to culture, but the inherant culture in men that should conform to the Gospel of Christ When it comes to the Gospel, there is no middle ground we can walk on, nor should we walk on.
Churches
have lost their militancy. In the past street evangelists would speak out
against the evils that men practice, today we are being partakers with them.
As time has
gone on more and more have lost faith in the gospel message as "The
power of God unto salvation" (Romans 1:16), either because they afraid
of what other people might think rather then having a fear of what God thinks,
or they have a mistaken view of what Jesus said, "Go out into the highways
and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my
house may be filled." -Luke 14:23
What does that word "compel" mean ?? According to Websters dictonary it says:
"Make someone do something."
"Besides being made from an indestructible material, it also carries with it the power to compel people to tell the truth. "
This means we are to tell the truth about what Gods judgement really means, in fact, in the Bible, Jesus talks more of hell then He does about love. Apostle Paul was compelled to dispute in the market places often causing "no small stir amongst the crowds.
Jesus preached about God's Kingdom and the judgement to come, He even took a whip in order to drive people out of the temple. (How culturally relevant or loving was that seen to be?)
When we
are out preaching we must have the whole personality of God and act in a
godly manner. The Apostle Paul often disputed and contended, in our modern
age it is unpopular to dispute and considered very unloving, Paul's actions
in Acts 17:17-18 would be criticised today. How often they preached Gods
judgements more than just love, as we also read in Acts 6:9; 9:22,29; 11:2;
15:2,7; 17:2; 18:19,28; 19:8,9; 28:23, Nehemiah 13:11; 17,25; Proverbs 28:4;
Ephesians 5:11;
1st Thessalonians 2:2; Jude 3,9; see also examples in Matthew 22; John chapters
7&8,
What
does "preaching" actually mean? This is not simply witnessing
one to one, or handing out tracts. If a person has the holy sprit and is
a true believer in Jesus Christ he will openly do this anyway. The Apostles
declared the gospel to the crowds all at the same time. The apostles try
and make the gospel acceptable they just preached the message out loud,
as the Bible says "What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light,
and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops." (Matthew
10:27) Preach means to shout out so every one can hear. This is not to say
that one to one witnessing is wrong, I am simply stating that preaching
as 2 Timothy 4:2 is for all believers to obey and a comandment "Preach
the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with
all longsuffering and doctrine."
The etymology
of this word "Preach" is to "to proclaim publicly,
announce". The issue is not to simply keep it to one to
one. Modern methods are simply an attempt to get people into a church building
and persuade them to "become "Christians", if a person is
a unbeliever and has fellowship with believers then his worship is in vain,
and even the believers disobey what God says,
2 Corinthinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together
with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
and what communion hath light with darkness?
How can we go into fellowship with the unsaved? This is to break the
very commandment of God. How can we have fellowship with a unrepentant practicing
homosexual, a fornicator, a idolater etc? They must first become convicted
by sin and that by repentance, and belief, then they can come into fellowship
with us, not before. Why bring in leaven that contaminates the body when
we should be doing what is right by the site of God?
Many Christians overlook God's dicipline and reject what much of the Word
of God states in order to be what is "relevant" for today. If
we are born again by God's power through the gospel this should be enough
to convict people of sin and cause them to repent. We must defend the Word
of God even though it may offend people, or not be seen as relevent for
today. It is, however, very relevent to God and that is what should matter.
We are not to seek man's aproval but God's, the Apostles intruct us not
to teach any diffrently than what they have taught us;
(Gal. 1:8,9.) If we or an angel from heaven preach another gospel contrary
to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said
before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching a gospel to you than
that which you have received, let him be accursed.
If men and women are trying to repaint Christianity it is simply to conform
it to their own image and not God's. This is wrong and contrary to way the
Apostles taught it. Public open air preaching is not only commanded but
it is nessasay for our obediance in proclaiming the gospel. It does not
matter if we do not have strong voices, one in ten will listen. Many will
continue to make excuses not to do it, many say that they are frightened,
when God said not to be overcome by fear, "And fear not them which
kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which
is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.'' (Matthew 10:28). If we
have the Holy Sprit in us we should not have fear but in boldness we should
overcome our fears by the power of Christ.
Many today are looking for some promise of mass revival, that "the
church has the authority to rise up" I often asked the question how
many where saved on the ark?. How many listened to the prophets? why should
these people today be any different? Do Christians not believe that these
are the last days? The Bible says; And as it was in the days of Noe, so
shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. (Luk 17:26 ).
It is not because we preach something that is not "culturally
relevant" it is because "the preaching of the cross is to them
that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of
God." (1 Corinthians 1:18)
We are rejected, not because we are unloving, but because "To
the one [we are] the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour
of life unto life." (2 corinthians 2:16) It is because of the Gospel
this is why we see a rejection, "a stone of stumbling, and a rock of
offence, [even to them] which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto
also they were appointed." (1 Peter 2:8) Noah tried to warn the people,
all they did was mock and scoff.
Luke 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they
drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; Life continued
as it always had, society has not changed, technologically it has, but if
we take technology away people are exactly the same as they were back then.
It is clear that our message should be no different from what the Apostles
preached and the reformers before us. Many tend to forget that the Apostles,
Reformers and many others were persecuted and lost their lives for Gospel,
why should we not be any execption?
To be effective we must be persistant and consistant in preaching the message
of the Gospel. This takes authority by God and boldness in our approach.
At times it is necessary to shout when we preach as we read in Mat 10:27
What I tell you in darkness, [that] speak ye in light: and what ye hear
in the ear, [that] preach ye upon the housetops... So what if you get Christians
coming against you? At the end of the day it is not them we are supposed
to obey it is God. Yeild to the conscience that God gave us and not a conscience
of the modern age, in accordance to the principals of God.
Many would say that whenever we do it make sure it is done in Love! But
what does "doing it in love" actually mean according to scripture?
To have a attitude of Love is about obeying and serving God inspite of opposition
and persecution, and doing it not self-righteously, but righteously in anger
and hostility toward sin. We need to make a clear distinction between sin
and the sinner when dealing with sin in order for there to be any conviction.
We must never dress it up to make it popular and acceptable to every one,
the Bible says 1 Corinthians 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the
Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness. How can we make
it relevant to unbelievers when the preaching of the word is foolishness
to the unbeliever?
One thing you learn in your obediance to God you will find much opposition,
and even sadder from our close brethren in Christ, as Gal. 2:11; 2 Tim.
3:12; 4:16 says.
by staying faithfull and being in the firing-line for Christ it is one of
the most honourable ways to serve Christ. We should not seek for popularity
in this life but as Mathew 6:19 - 20 says, Lay not up for yourselves treasures
upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through
and steal but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth
nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.
This is not to boast of the things we do, nor to be filled with pride, but
to boast in Jesus Christ. Our aim should be to deliver the message, it should
not our aim to seek for some revival. It is when we deliever the Gospel
message that seed is planted, and then it is between them and God. It is
wrong to store up points and to have some sort of contest to see how many
people we can save, God saves who he chooses to we have little or nothing
to do with this.
God is their Judge and it is not for me to say who is going to heaven and
who is going to hell. In our message we should show anger against sin and
compassion and patience with the sinners. Dealing with a whole crowd of
people diffrent in a multicuteral society is different than dealing with
an indevidual. We also must have discernment when dealing with people who
stop us to have a dialogue with us. It is helpfull if we know something
about what people believe, ie, Mormons, Catholics, Jehovah`s Witnesses,
Moslems etc.
You may often hear that it is wrong to preach on Hell, and that we should
concentrait on God's love, and less on his judgements. This would mean that
we should deceive sinners into trusting a deception. "That
honeyed charm that he used so effectively to lull his victims".
This form of loving is merely lulling and leading sinners to hell instead
of saving them. We should rock the boat to urge them to repent. As we read
in Jude, 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling [them] out of the fire;
hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. People need to fear God, godly
fear out of respect for God, this is wisdom! Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD
[is] the beginning of knowledge: [but] fools despise wisdom and instruction,
Pro 1:29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the
LORD:
Pro
8:13 also states The fear of the LORD [is] to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy,
and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. God shows much hostility
toward sin, and as such we need that militancy to show people that God takes
sin seriously, people don't much understand what sin is today.
Act 24:16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void
of offence toward God, and [toward] men. Where love comes into this, it
is seen in the fact of Jesus' dying for us. We should not represent God's
Love as His overlooking our wickedness thus giving the impression that sin
is not so bad. You will never find Jesus, or His Apostles, standing in front
of a crowd of people and preaching, "God loves you", there is
no mention in the Book of Acts where anyone preaches in such a way. In fact
Jesus said in Reverlation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten:
be zealous therefore, and repent. Mostly what the Apostles preached was
about the Fear of the Lord, for which they often got arrested and imprisoned.
Why should we be any different or an execption? Mathew 5:10 Blessed [are]
they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven..
John 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater
than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you;
if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
Here is a list of what the Bible says about the actions of God, and this is what was preached publically and openly
"...because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the Lord thy God...the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you." (Deuteronomy 28:62-63)
"The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing; the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man." (Psalm 5:5-6)
"God is angry with the wicked every day." (Psalm 7:11)
"God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and reserveth wrath for his enemies." (Nahum 1:2)
"O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" (Matthew 3:7)
"Woe unto thee, Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. but...it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee." (Matthew 11:21-24)
"O
full of all subtlety and all mischief, thou child
of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness,
wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?" (Acts 13:10)
"...the
Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels, in flaming
fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey
not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ....." (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8)
Billy Sunday was a great Street Evangelist in his day. Though I don't agree every thing Billy Sunday stood for, I do agree with this;
"I've stood for more sneers and scoffs and insults and had my life threatened from one end of the land to the other by this God-forsaken gang of thugs and cutthroats because I have come out uncompromisingly against them." -Billy Sunday
"It would be a Godsend if the Church would suffer persecution today; she hasn't suffered it for hundreds of years. She is growing rich and lagging behind. Going back." -Billy Sunday
The message is plain and simple, if the churches do not repent from their modernising ways, then we shall reap the Judgement of God. For the past 20 years in the United Kingdom, since the new forms of evangelism, the churches are being emptied and the UK, as a nation, is more tollerant towards society and far less towards God.
They forget what God says, 1Cr 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. The trouble is that churches often take what is popular and go in with the crowd. God also says and warns us, James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
But if the churches still refuse to repent then God says, 2 Peter 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
We will reap judgement and our Children shall suffer and it will be our own doing.
30th March '07
Miguel Hayworth
Director/First Plumbline Apologetics
http://www.firstplumbline.net
http://firstplumbline.blogspot.com
