In the last couple of weeks, the Lord has pressed my heart about some issues concerning the churches in America. I write this post not to put a particular group of people down, but to rather awaken the slumbering churches in America. Before I go any further, I want you to reflect if you think the average church is truly fulfilling the Great Commission as Jesus instructed in Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV), “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”.
For most people going to church means only going to hear a sermon once or twice a week, and maybe a Bible Study. Do not get me wrong all aspects of church discipline are important, but I want us to really ask ourselves are we really doing what Jesus called us to do. You might have good sermons, good staff, good worship, good congregants, sound doctrine, and everything else you can think of with your church seems okay. But what is your church doing about the people who are unsaved in the community? Are we just praying that God would raise up laborers, or are we seeking God on how He might use us to reach the lost souls in our community? When was the last time you wept over someone you know is on the broad road to hell?
Most Christians today would rather drive an hour or more to go to a conference on ‘End Time Prophecy’ than go with a group of people from their local church and witness to people in the community. Most Christians today would rather drive an hour or more to see some televangelist’s ‘healing crusade’, heck some people might even get on a plane to attend one of these, but they will not take the time to go and witness the Gospel to the lost people in their community. The problem with the church in America is we do not want to get our hands dirty with Biblical evangelism, we just want to get busy with other religious activities to make ourselves feel good. I myself have been guilty of this as well, and we must all awaken to what Jesus has truly called us to do which is found in Scripture.
I am not saying every conference is bad, some of them do have their place and produce good fruit. At the same time, we really need to take a step back and seek God on what He is truly calling us to do for His Kingdom. I would like to encourage you to read the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. There is so much to learn just from this one parable, but I would like to make a point. As you read this parable, read this once, and then read it again looking at the rich man as the modern-day church and the poor man as the modern-day sinner. This is an exact reflection of the problem with the churches today, there is no zeal for the lost, instead, we do not even want to bother at all with the lost, we do not want to get our royal garments dirty. Dear church it is time we get dirty with Biblical evangelism!
There are so many people in the world today who are unsaved. Look at how many colleges are indoctrinating students with the very things God hates, and many students are buying it. College campuses are a mission field! Look at how many cars are parked outside your local bar or the nightclub. Look at how many of the youth are reading Harry Potter books. Just take a second and look at how many people are willingly participating in sin; it is all over. We do not need any more conferences instead the local church needs to regularly go out in small groups into the community and witness to unsaved people. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:21-25 (NIV), “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”.
This should cause all of us to tremble, even myself. It is time we wake up and do what Jesus truly called us to do. We need to be like those in the Book of Acts who prayed for boldness for when we speak. We need to cry out to God daily for greater manifestations of the Holy Spirit operating in our lives. We not only need to operate in the Spiritual Gifts the Holy Spirit has given us, but we also need to bear the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Please take time to pray about this, and seek God with a pure heart on how He wants to use you.