Over the next few posts I will preach on a few things that the modern day church has caused and hopefully one of these will wake you from your euphoria experiences of being led down the wrong path.
I’d like to bring up something that is for some reason overlooked and that is at what point did the “falling away” start happening? And who is part of this falling away?
I believe we are living in a time that the attacks are more of a psychological war on the mind. And I believe 2 Thessalonians 2:2 backs that up when it reads, “That ye be not soon shaken in mind….”
Coincidentally this passage is about the day of Christ. The rapture as some like to define it.
It’s interesting that the first words spoken to guard against is to not be “shaken in mind.”
It doesn’t take much of an effort to look around and see how we are attacked through lies and how those affect our mental state. It’s a constant battle of processing information and trying to determine who is right and who is telling the truth. An ongoing battle for the mind.
However, notice what has to happen before that day of Christ comes and that is there come a “falling away first.” I don’t believe many churches focus on this part too much, probably because they assume they are not part of the falling away. What does is mean to fall away? In 2 Timothy 4:2-4 we can see what we (the church) should be doing and what is going to happen. In verse 2 we are to “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.”
We are to preach the word. Not sing the word. Preach. The. Word. But we are to do so with “all long suffering” and one that is skipped a lot “doctrine.” We are to give grace when we preach. But we are to preach doctrine because it is doctrine that we do not err.
Where do we get this doctrine? From the word of God. Not some feeling. Not some experience. Not something we make up in our mind thinking it’s the Holy Spirit leading us. It is from the word of God (by which the Holy Spirit can lead you in that).
Speaking of spirits, did you know that in the “latter times” people will depart from the faith (which is another form of falling away) and give heed to “seducing spirits?” Let me ask you, where are those seducing spirits coming from? How are they getting in? Maybe most importantly, WHO is receiving these seducing spirits? I can help address this, but, forewarn, there will be a LOT of people that view me as legalistic and “stuck in the traditions of men.” When in reality, if I were a betting man, I would wager I am one of the most grace given preachers there is. I preach that we are so free in Christ, have so much liberty in Christ that the apostle Paul instructs us to not to use this as “liberty for an occasion to the flesh…” Read Galatians 5:13 and that will prove that point. But the church has let these other spirits in and we are seeing effects in the modern day churches. All fluff, no substance. Stay tuned for that part of this series of the “The Falling Away.”
Part of the falling away of the church is found in verses 3-4 when it says, “….they will not endure sound doctrine…And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” One of the ways the modern day churches are falling away is the methods they are using to “attract” people. Let’s set up carnivals, put on rock concerts, and if that doesn’t work, we’ll just sprinkle in the word of God or at least tell them that whatever they are reading is A-O-KAY. We wouldn’t want to offend. We want to love.
Then, as weeks go by and they realize their people are NOT growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, they become frustrated. Why? One reason is these approaches are FLUFF. There is no substance and it’s aim is to appease the flesh. Sure, they sound cool, but when is the church going to realize we can’t use worldly methods to share what God has for us in the bible. What happened to just lift up the Lord Jesus Christ. The power of God is in the PREACHING of the cross. The power of God is from His word. The power of God is the gospel of Christ.
One of the reasons there is no power of God is because the church doesn’t even understand what the gospel of Christ is today. The gospel of Christ is found in 1 Cor. 15:1-4,
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
Don’t believe me? Ask someone what is the gospel and see what response you get. The gospel of Christ is that He died for your sins, was buried, and rose again the third day.
I’ll break this series out into parts. The modern day church is to blame for causing a falling away with two main things.
1. Watering down the word of God. “It doesn’t matter what version, just as long as you read, study, and obey it. That’s all that matters.” – said by lots of modern day “pastors”
– This will be backed up with proof.
2. Introducing worldly music into the churches.
– There were people in the late 1980s and early 90s that tried to warn the modern day churches about this, but most thought they were too extreme. But after 35 years of this occurring and with people being more open to at least entertain the thought that there is something spiritual going on in this world they are more willing to give this view a consideration now. For this topic, I’ll mostly provide hours of a video series that a pastor created that proves that new ageism/occult/mysticism has entered the church realm. And it has been welcomed with open arms because it has been called in because it’s came through the music.
I’ll start with the word of God lineage in my next post, but these two main points should help anger (I mean interest) some to read what I’m about to preach.
I realize there will be some that bypass what I will say. Some will be angered. Some will consider it. But, lay aside the sin that hinders us all, which is pride, and at least think about if these two points are truth or not.
My mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. And part of me doing that is to clear the path so that you can hear that message without these doubts about the word of God and distractions that music brings with it.
Take care,
-Brent
