For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 2Timothy 4: 3-4 (NIV)
The time has come beloved. Many will not tolerate sound doctrine
anymore, including mega-pastors who used to adhere to the Word of God. The
truth is being rejected and people are embracing the myths of universalism.
Baal is recreated. Asherah rises from the ashes of
"Son of man," he
said, "I am sending you to the nation of
The modern western church has become that stubborn and hard hearted people. God openly admits here that some will simply not listen. That does not mean that you change the message. That does not mean that the Gospel changes. Most modern day wannabe prophets are nothing more than snake oil salesmen touting the latest excuses for sin as a means to gain eternal life. I have seen these charlatans prophesying against the world. I have seen them compromise the Word of God to sell their next great convention. Or their latest book. But the Prophets God sends do not say what itching ears want to hear. True prophets do not sell out when the message gets too tough. We will know we have had a true prophet amongst us when the Word he gives in uncompromised. When it is unvarnished. When it is thus sayeth the sovereign Lord!
Yes, Elizabeth Taylor died this week at 79. Her life was demanded of her by her creator. I do not wish to get into how her life was led, the eight marriages or the brilliant acting career. Because none of that is going to matter when she stands before God to give account. All that will matter is if she had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ because NO ONE comes to the Father except through Him. NO ONE. Her passing allows us to remember her life but more importantly it provides us with an opportunity to reflect on our own.
The fear of death is still one of the top two fears in this country. Without absolute truth, there is plenty to fear. But our key verses today contain one of the most powerful verses in the entire Bible "why do you look for the living amongst the dead?" It is powerful for two very important reasons. First, it is indicative of how we live our lives before we are saved. We are constantly looking for life but we are constantly looking for it amongst the dead. Whether it is Baal in ancient times or universalism today. Whether it is Asherah in ancient times or the latest Oprah religious fad today. When I see and hear people believing that there are many roads to heaven or that we all serve the same God, I just want to lean in and ask "why do you look for the living amongst the dead?" When I see well intended Christians following false prophets who do not say thus sayeth the Sovereign Lord I just want to lean in and ask "why do you look for living amongst the dead?" When I see pastors leading the sheep astray by walking away from absolutism I just want to lean in and ask "why do you look for the living amongst the dead?" God is not amongst the dead beloved! God has conquered the grave!
This brings us to the second reason why this one simple line in the Bible is so powerful. Because it is the entire hinge upon which faith swings. Man was not created to die. He was created to have eternal life and fellowship with His Creator. Sin was introduced with the fall of man and because of that, death entered the world. But God wanted reconciliation and He had a plan. He loved the world so much that He sent His only Son to die for the sins of man and thus reestablish that fellowship:
