If you missed part one of this series—go here.
How did the church ever get to this point? The Bible tells us that the Church is so powerful and unstoppable a force that not even the gates of hell can prevail against it. Without going into an entire lesson on what “The Gates of Hell” means, suffice it to say, it pretty much refers to the most powerful stuff in Satan’s arsenal! Yep, a healthy, vibrant, biblically solid church is that formidable! When a holy, healthy body of believers faithfully moves forward with the great commission and the great commandment—evil simply has no answer. And Satan can only sit idly by and wring his demonic hands while all the while watching great swaths of his territory disappear before his very eyes.
But you know what? I’ll say it, even if few others will…
Do most churches in America today have this kind of fire power? Not typically. Far from having Satan on the run and taking territory from Him—most churches appear content to let him hang out on the premises and seem to almost pay tribute by succeeding more and more over to the evil one in series after series of embarrassing, Land to Lucifer deals. I can think of so many right off the top of my head.
- The devaluing of human life (Abortion)
- The redefining of marriage
- The watering down of the Message
- The demeaning of all things “Christian” while at the same time uplifting all other religions
- Making excuses for the Word of God whenever something in it offends
- Sorting sins into acceptable and unacceptable categories
Most of us know now that President Theodore Roosevelt was on to something when He said, “Walk softly but carry a big stick.” However, He wasn’t the first. Jesus was meek and mild, but that’s only half the story. He also showed supernatural love and grace when He walked this earth two thousand years ago–again that’s only half the story. He’s also all-powerful and just and will one day return to this earth to set things right in all His splendor and majesty. It’s a side of Christ that far too many Christians seem unaware of. Today Christians in America (and Europe before us) are walking so softly they don’t even leave a footprint! And biblical figures like Moses, Samson, Gideon, Noah, David and Joshua are being pushed to the background in favor of the newer, less offensive, Mr. Rogers protégés.
So, just what does all this have to do with why people are heading for the nearest exits in churches all across this land?
Why does this matter? It matters because most of us have been taught (and rightly so) that we should be more like Jesus. But what happens when the Jesus we’ve been exposed to is a false, weak and wimpy version? Obviously, those who subscribe to such a Jesus will end up the same way until this anemic version of Christianity becomes the norm.
Welcome to 2015
Well, thank God many are finally beginning to recognize the disparity between this false and almost effeminate version of Christ and demanding we preach about the real Jesus! Yes, Jesus was the kindest individual to ever walk the face of the earth, but He was more than just meek and mild. I’m talking about the Jesus who single-handedly cleared the temple (twice)—throwing out charlatans, crooks, and false teachers who had turned the house of God into the Mall of the Americas. I’m talking about the One who was never afraid to take on the most powerful leaders in all of Jerusalem—men who could (and eventually did) have Him killed. And I’m talking about the Messiah who is so interested in truth that He would never worry about being politically correct. THIS Jesus, the real Jesus, left the biggest footprint of anyone who has ever lived! Follow this Jesus and your sure to do the same! And when entire groups of people (Let’s call them, The Church for the sake of argument 🙂 ) follow THIS Jesus, momentum builds. Power builds. A force is created that is unstoppable. One I dare say that even the gates of Hell could not prevail against!
I like what Brian Fisher (Host of “Focal Point”) said,
“Jesus wasn’t crucified for being nice. He was crucified for being bold and confrontational. Don’t misunderstand – he was the kindest man who ever lived. But he wasn’t a sap. He knew when kindness was called for and he knew when it was time to get up in somebody’s grill and challenge them with the truth.”
Want your life to count? Ready for an adventure? Follow the real Jesus and then hang on for dear life!