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The Seven Woes for the Church Today- Part One

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Continuing on in this introduction from Jesus we see that they tie up heavy burdens for people but do nothing to help them carry them. They preach at people. They use the Bible as a blunt instrument instead of a two edged sword. They seek to do the job of the Holy Spirit instead of doing the job of a pastor. There is very little "shepherding" going on. As we see the rise of the mega church we see more and more people who call themselves pastors who do not know any of the sheep God has entrusted to them personally. The Bible says we are to bear one another's burdens but we are being taught by example the opposite. Somewhere along the line the management of a church fell under the worldly vision of a business model. The pastor became the CEO. The sheep became consumers. The Gospel became a product to sell. There is so much unscriptural about that I am not sure where to begin! When a pastor becomes a CEO he ceases to shepherd the flock he has been given, despite Biblical instruction to the contrary:

The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed:   Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.  - 1Peter 5: 1-4 (NKJV)

Within the business model of church the sheep become consumers and we lose sight of the fact that they are lost. With the consumer mentality we think it is not a big deal if they shop around. We fall into the trap of forgetting that tomorrow is promised to no one and that one week we see them might be their only chance to hear the Gospel that could save their soul. Last year Rick Warren advised pastors to not preach a Gospel centric message on Easter because you want "to give your visitors a reason to come back." Despite being a completely asinine idea, it shows the heart of the problem of turning the church into a business and convincing people their purpose is somehow outside of Christ. Man made wisdom infiltrates our thinking. The Gospel is not a product to be sold because when it is cheapened as such, we start to devise schemes to market it. We take out the parts we think might offend people despite the fact that the Gospel is supposed to offend and the parts that we remove are the parts that actually lead to salvation. We put the Gospel in the discount bin and tell people it won't cost them anything when in reality it will cost them everything. We are called as a pastor to shepherd. Not to be a CEO. Not to be a businessman. Not to cast vision. If you want a vision - read your Bible. Let me make it real simple - preach the Gospel. Remember, we do not have the words of eternal life in us:

From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"   But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  - John 6: 66-69 (NKJV)

Any vision we cast is doomed to fall short of the mark Jesus has already set. Only He has the words of eternal life. Therefore all we need to do is preach them. 

The next thing to be wary of is leaders who do everything for show. To be seen by man. One of the more obvious problems in modern churches is this sense of style over substance. Flash over substance. We see pastors trying desperately to fit into the culture they should be trying to lead people away from. I have heard mega church pastors proclaim their desire to have their church be relevant to the community it sits in and that is simply a lie from the pit of hell. We are not supposed to be relevant beloved. We are supposed to be different. We are supposed to offer the world something different. They do not need to see a pastor in skinny jeans, a leather jacket, and a faux-hawk haircut. They need to hear the Gospel. Likewise, the church should not be a production. It is not a show. It is not entertainment. Unfortunately however, we see churches pay the best voices (saved or unsaved), to sing the most contemporary worship songs (Biblical or not). Only the finest trained musicians are allowed. The pastors of old with a shepherds heart have been replaced with motivational speakers designed to amaze us with their great oratory. In ancient days the Greek societies loved great oratory. It was what was celebrated. When the Apostle Paul came to town however it was never about his speechcraft but rather his message:

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  1Corinthians 2: 1-2 (NKJV)

The modern church needs to come back to the simplicity of the Gospel message - Jesus Christ and Him crucified! The final point for today deals with humility and titles. It seems today you cannot walk a block without tripping over an apostle or a prophet. People who are just dying to tell you how spiritual they are based on their title. Or people who got their ministerial credentials out of a cereal box. One day they are part of the laity and the next they are "Reverend" without so much as a class in theology or an understanding of sound doctrine. I have seen where you can buy your apostleship for $50 on the Internet - complete with your own crest and business cards! The International Coalition of Apostles charges $450 per year to allow you to lie to the church and call yourself a title that only Jesus bestowed upon people. While this might just be considered sublime, the ridiculous comes when we see all the wannabe prophets out there in the church today. Celebrated by the church today. Promoted by the church today. "Prophecies" filled with puppy-dogs and rainbows. Open heavens and unlimited blessings. Everything our itching ears want to hear. None of the warnings or judgments the prophets of old brought to the people of God. 

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Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to (more...)
 
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