One of the most disturbing trends (other than the spreading of the prosperity doctrine world-wide) in the church is the move NOT to have a Sunday night nor a mid-week service. If they do have something on a Wednesday night it is centered around eating or choir practice and not on the preaching of the word of God. I find it remarkable how in the Bible when Jesus got a bunch of people together and fed them they had no stomach for the things of God, but just wanted their bellies full. I guess there is nothing new under the sun. Most churches today in America have one service; a Sunday morning service where they go all out and some even preach a 15-30 minute sermon, but sadly most churches in America have substituted eating, fellowship, and other church activities for the preaching of the word of God. Now this trend has been going on for some time, but recently it has really become noticeable to those who can remember a time in the church when the Spirit of God moved among the people and lives were truly changed. I thought maybe this is why America has been going downhill for some time. When the preaching of the word of God in any home, church, country, or civilization stops the only way for the sociality to go is down away from God and His ways. On a recent ministry trip I asked the LORD why this trend is increasing and He told me. Believe it or not if you ask God something He will tell you if you have ears to hear what He has to say. But on the way back I was meditating on this thought and thinking about some churches where this is going on and the LORD told me, “these churches and others really do not believe in the power of the Gospels message so they have substituted other messages, activities, and functions into the church thinking they will bring people in to see what the church has to offer, but this my son will never work.” There is a spiritual principle here in operation; what you lead people with is what you have won them to. So if you lead people to church with eating, singing and dancing, showing a good Christian movie, or other things then you have won them not to Christ, but to those activities. Now if you lead people to church with the preaching of the word of God then you will win them to the word of God and to Christ. There is a Baptist association of around 15 or so churches in Jacksonville every Super Bowl they throw (no church that night if they are still have a Sunday night service) a huge Super Bowl party at their administrative building to watch the game and maybe at half time they say something about the LORD. Their thinking is people will not come to church, but they will come to a party and maybe someone will say or do something that will lead them to Christ, but sadly all they have done was to lead people to the Super Bowl. And they do this every year. They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing, but expecting to get different results. They keep having this Super Bowl party every year expecting to lead people to Christ when all they have done is lead people to the Super Bowl and here is why they really do it (like other denominations) they lead people to the Baptist denomination.
The Church does not seem to do well with eating, here a few examples. The communion table in the Gospels was always set in jealousy and confusion. Before the meal the Disciples were arguing among themselves who would be the greatest in the kingdom. The New Testament Church in the Book of Acts had problems when they mixed food and God. “And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. 2Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. 3Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. 5And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:” (Acts 6:1-5) I guess the Disciples were serving the least and problems came as with most things in the church. Moses made the same mistake the Disciples made here. God told Moses to judge the people, but the Bible (Exodus 18:13-26) says, Moses (verse 24) “hearkened unto the voice of his father-in-law” and selected leaders that were “able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness;” to judge the people. They may have been God- fearing and up right men, but God told Moses to judge the people and out from that we now have the Ten Commandants which are good (and many people still follow, but did you know you can follow the Ten commandments to the letter, die, and go to hell? As I said before I truly believe it was not God’s idea to give us the Ten Commandants. God told Moses to judge the people because God knew Moses’ heart condition and it was his heart condition that was the basis and baseline for his judgment. But when Moses selected other leaders there needed to be a new basis and baseline of judgment for the people and because of Moses’ disobedience he had to use the Ten Commandants instead of the work God did in his life. Here in Acts the Disciples should have dealt with the issue, instead of adding another layer of human flesh into the church structure. When the “whole multitude” was pleased this should have been a sign to the Disciples not to do this. Anytime church leadership is lead by the people things that God has put into place are up rooted and disappear. Later in 1 Corinthians we see another contention around eating and church. “Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. 18For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. 19For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. 20When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper. 21For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. 22What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.” (1 Corinthians 11:17-22) What a telling statement about the spirituality of the Church at Corinth. Paul was saying they were better off not coming to church because when they did they depart worse off than for the better doing all of this eating and other activities. Sadly this is the same spiritual conditions we find today in many churches.
Now please do not misunderstand me here, I am not saying we should never eat, but we must never substitute the message of the Gospel for eating, singing and dancing, church activities and programs for the preaching and teaching of the word of God. I was shocked when God told me, “these churches and others really do not believe in the power of the Gospels message so they have substituted other messages, activities, and functions into the church thinking they will bring people in to see what the church has to offer, but this my son will never work” because God has established the message, format, and median to deliver His message to the world and this my friend does not change with the times nor with cultural shifts.
Let us be honest the culture in most of America has shifted away from a conservative home spun lifestyle to a more liberal contemporary lifestyle. And this my friend is not good for America. The more America goes after this liberal contemporary lifestyle the less of God will be in America. Sadly you can track it over the years and sadly you can see the ruination of the people and the country.
My friend God’s message does not change. God’s delivery method is still the same one on one. How can we make disciples if we never talk to people? How can we make disciples if we preach and teach over the internet? The Gospel message (the death, burial, and bodily resurrection) is still the basis for our salvation. But did you know many churches today in America do not believe in the bodily resurrection, burial, or even the death of Jesus. Paul said it true, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17) Many churches today in America and others parts of the world are “ashamed of the gospel” and it is the gospel that “is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” not eating, drinking, church programs and activities, Super Bowl parties, and the like. Sadly over the years many false preachers and teachers have crept in and weakened the foundation of many churches and turned their heads from the truth of the word of God so that they could establish church organizations, denominations, and institutions that will serve their agendas and pursuits. Paul also dealt with this with issue warning us this was going to happen and even gave us the answer when he was with the Church in Galatia, “Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:7-9) Not once but twice Paul admonished the Church, “If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” I do not know about you my friend, but if I attended church that spends more time eating, singing, and dancing then preaching the word of God I would get my family and run as fast as I could out the door. The facts are clear and indisputable, yet many Christians stay in churches that do not preach or teach the word of God and wonder why they are not growing spiritually in the LORD. And yes, my friends we are to “grow in the grace and knowledge of the LORD Jesus Christ.” God expects us to grow up and become mature men and women of God able to handle some responsibility in seeing the Gospel message shared with every man, woman, and child in the world, but this will not happen if we are always getting offended and falling out of the way God has for us to go. Jesus told us the way is narrow and straight, He meant that. To walk in God there is no wiggle room, our way is limited and restricted to the things God has established for us to do and say. In God we do not get say what we want, but are under restraints to our desires and wants by the Holy Spirit.
I am afraid in this age of contemporary “anything goes” world the preaching of the message of the cross has become out dated. Other messages have taken its place, but how is that working out? America and other so called Christian countries slip further and further into moral and ethical decay, sodomy, lesbians, and anything else that appeals to their imagination and evil heart condition. God’s message does not change and His message is the price upon the cross His Son died on. Paul again helps us, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” (1 Corinthians 1:18-19) The wise and prudent of this world think God’s ways are out dated, “let’s have a Super Bowl party and say we are having a church service.” Well, God has a word for you, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” God will get the last word. Let us fear the LORD with all of our heart, mind, and spirit, and get back to His ways of preaching the word. Written by David Stahl
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