REBUKE THEM

We just got back from a trip to Poland and Czech Republic when I heard from some of the pastors about the Christian influence and statistics in their culture I was truly shocked. My last memories of Poland and Czech Republic was from 20 years ago when there was a great move of God within the people. Here are the numbers. In Poland: 71.8% Catholicism, 1.2% Other Christian, 20.9% Unanswered, and 6.9% No Religion, In Czech Republic it is worse. In Czech Republic: 47.8% No Religion, 2.0% Other Christian, 9.6% Believers without Religion, 1.2% Other Religions, and 30.1% Undeclared. Of note, while in Czech Republic the love, dedication, and commitment of the Body of Christ in Cesky Tesin was magnified even brighter by the darkness of their culture. But if you look at the influence and numbers of Christians in America, who brags she is a Christian nation, I must be honest America is not much better. Here are some of the latest statistics on America’s culture from 29 Mar 2024 by the Public Research Institute. More than 26% of Americans questioned said they were unaffiliated without a religion a 5 point increase since 2013. One in five or 18% of Americans left a religious tradition to become religiously unaffiliated - 35% Catholic and 35% mainline non-evangelical protestant. In 2016, three out of ten people left their religion, because of negative teaching and/or because of the treatment of gay and lesbian people. In 2023, that number rose to 47%. Among unaffiliated Americans under 30, 60% cite the LGBQT+ agenda as the top reason they stopped going to church. The LGBQT+ agenda is evil, it always has been and God has always called it an abomination, and He has not changed His mind no matter what man says and does. Christian Nationalism and GOP State legislatures pushing anti-LGBQT+ laws also caused young people to leave organized religion. Atheists, from 2% to 4%, and Agnostics, 2% to 5%, has more than doubled since 2013. Only 53% of Americans say religion is important in their lives, down from 72% in 2013. In 2013, 18% of white Americans, mostly Catholics grew, but 1/3 of those now no longer identify as a member of a church. 12% Hispanics who were raised Catholic 13% of those no longer identify as a member of a church. What happened? America, who use to be number one, now ranks 13th in spreading the Gospel message, after the collapsed spirituality of England, around the world is but a shell of what she use to be in God. Oh, my friends around the world please do not hook your wagon to the Church in America she is adrift from God. What happened? Well, I will tell you, the “Church” has drifted from what the Word of God instructs us to do. America stopped preaching against sin and switched to humanism for church doctrine, even in their Sunday School literature, which fosters a steady diet of useless conferences, separating people for ministry into groups by their sex and age (ladies, men, and children ministries), and counseling for every problem under the sun instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to deal and judge in the lives of people, and probably the biggest reason Americans are falling away from the truths of the Word of God like flies is because the Church in America has turned her back on the Person, the power, and the workings of the Holy Spirit. Yes, the Church in America has gotten away from the truths of the Word of God. Being non-judgmental, soft and mushy, and searcher sensitive to people who know not God is far more important to the Church in America than telling those who know not God the truth, what the Word of God says. So now the Church, I would say now world-wide, leaves people in their sin not wanting to offend them, but, this my friend is not what the Bible says to do. In Luke Jesus tells the disciples, “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.” (Luke 17:3) WOW, “rebuke him” not forgive him and let him do it again and again, but “IF he repents (or stopping trespassing against you) forgive him.” So, we are NOT suppose to let things go unchecked. And, only if the person repents are we to forgive them. Now, this is far cry from what you hear coming from most speakers in the church when they tackle the topic of our brothers and sisters trespassing or doing or speaking evil against us. Oh no, we are told to fold our hands and look within our selves to see if we have caused an offense in our brother or sister, but that is not what Jesus said to do. Jesus said, to “rebuke them.” Paul also knew this truth. In 1 Timothy Paul shares, “Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.” (1 Timothy 5:20) In 2 Timothy Paul carried this truth forward to his spiritual son Timothy, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Timothy 4:2-4) And also to Titus, “This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;” (Titus 1:13) and “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; 14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 15These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.” (Titus 2:11-15) With all of these verses in the Bible that teaches us to rebuke sinners I wonder why we have gotten off track? You know! In Ephesians Paul gets to the heart of the issue, “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ. (Ephesians 4:15) Sadly, we live in the age of relativism. Relativism is a philosophy behind which is the premise that there is no such thing as absolute Truth. In other words, I can adjust the Truth to fit me, or my situation. Furthermore, Truth is not constant -- nor the same for everyone. It is made "relative" to everyone and everything. Now, if we really give it some thought, we will see what "relativism" is really saying. It is saying there is NO Truth. That's right. For if Truth changes it is not Truth. Truth, by definition, never changes. We might expect such insanity from the world. But unfortunately, relativism is invading the body of Christ. Except that we don't call it relativism. We call it "tolerance," or "inclusiveness," or perhaps worst of all, we call it LOVE. "Love?" Yep. It has become "love" to lie to people, or to water down the Truth. After all, we certainly wouldn't want to hurt their feelings or offend their pride. We certainly would not want to be "judgmental." So just tell everyone, no matter whether they are lost or living in sin, that they are just fine. Pat them on the back and send them off into further darkness. Of course, I am not suggesting that we ought to go around trying to straighten everyone out. Not only would we be obnoxious, but we would not straighten them out. But there is a big difference between remaining silent and letting God work, and proactively agreeing with someone that sin is ok. There is a huge difference between bearing with the sins of others, and forever allowing them to think that what they are doing is not sin at all. God tells us to "speak the Truth in love." Here we see three things. Number one, we are to SPEAK the Truth. We are not to always or forever remain silent. We are to speak. Is it ever best to remain quiet? Sure. But if we remain silent about the Truth, we should remain silent in love. Too many of us remain silent out of the fear of looking bad or of making enemies. No. If we are to speak the Truth in love, then when we are silent it should be for the same reason: Love. Secondly, we are to speak the TRUTH. But Truth alone will not do. Thirdly, we must speak the Truth in LOVE. Truth which is spoken in love is always redemptive. There is carried with it the purpose of pointing someone to Jesus Christ so that they can find freedom in HIM. Now notice: Speaking the Truth in love is not some whimpish, soft-spoken plea. No. It is a direct statement of the nature of things, without apology. But always with the hope and intent of redemption. Speaking the Truth in love can quite possibly offend people. It is possible that they will get mad at you, and even hate you as an enemy. That's what happened to Jesus, and He ALWAYS spoke the Truth in love. In this day and age of relativism, if you speak the Truth in love, you WILL make enemies. You will make enemies of those who want you to sanction sin. And you will make enemies of Christians who refuse to face their own accountability before God. In the final analysis, if I refuse to speak the Truth in love with regard to others, it is because I am probably not speaking it with regard to me. I am probably refusing to face the Truth which God has before me. I need to decide: Will I allow God to adjust ME to fit His Truth? Or will I insist that I adjust the Truth to fit ME? Will I suggest that the Truth of God is relative? Jesus Christ said, "You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free." This starts by calling sin by it's name. It starts by calling myself what I am: A sinner. But that's not all. Knowing the Truth means knowing Him. And that spells a redemptive freedom which I cannot experience by any other means. Written by David Stahl