A.W. Tozer once wrote, "It's not that we don't want God, we do; we just want other things more."
When I look at the condition of the world today, I find it hard to believe that even the first part of that statement is true. It seems to me that the god that most people want is actually not God at all.
We want a god, but a god we can control. We want love, but we want it on our terms, not His. We want to know only the parts of God that make sense to us, not trusting that it all makes sense to Him.
God called Jeremiah to speak to His people, to bring the truth of His word to many who did not want to hear from Him at all.
A discouraged Jeremiah said,
To whom can I speak and give warning?
Who will listen to me?
Their ears are closed
so they cannot hear.
The word of the Lord is offensive to them;
they find no pleasure in it. Jeremiah 6:10 NIV
Not much has changed. Unfortunately, God's word remains offensive in the public square. It's actually called hate speech. I for one used to be very offended by it. Why? It's upside down to everything I was groomed to believe.
I used to believe that love was about fairytales and feelings. I mean, it does usually begin in a similar way; God is the one who created hormones you know. But remember, flip it upside down. Love is not based on feelings at all, it's actually a choice. So when things don't feel good or even look good, true love grows stronger, not weaker. Think about it, people are not exactly lovable, yet God chose to love and Jesus chose to die for that love.
I also used to believe that everyone would go to heaven. I didn't think thieves or murderers or anyone like that; but most everyone else, you know, the good people. Well, again flip it upside down. If a thief, for instance, like the thief on the cross next to Jesus, was to turn his heart over to Him, he'd be with Him in paradise. So what about the good person? Well, he'd have to do the same. It's not his goodness that gets him to heaven, it's Jesus. After all, if heaven was based on goodness, what's the measure?
Now, fast forward, as a follower of Jesus what stupefies me the most is the offensiveness of God's word in the church. How in the world can God's word be offensive there? Why would the church of all places choose to forgo large parts of what God says?
Paul warned Timothy—Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 NIV
Has the church adopted the same doctrine as the public square; that God's love is fickle and superficial? Have pulpits been given over to itching ears? Have they taken on the false belief that they must be attractive in order to save people, as if it's their responsibility to do so? Sometimes I feel like we are in an old commercial ad that promotes peace and love for all, no matter the cost, even to themselves.
But God does not take kindly to dressing the wound of His people
as though it were not serious. Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace (Jeremiah 6:14, 8:10). Can a shepherd shepherd his flock without declaring the whole counsel of God? Now yes, there is a time to preach peace, but there is also a time to preach what God is against, what we need to pay attention to, and what we need to turn from. Is there any better time than now?
I wonder how anyone who calls themselves a follower of Christ can at the same time stand for what God is against and stay silent on issues that God would have us raise our voice. How can anyone truly see themselves if not from the eyes of their Savior? And how can they turn away from sin without first knowing they are sinners? Is there a so-called silent majority and are the pulpits part of it? I personally don't believe there is a silent majority, otherwise our world would look very different.
Have we truly become the apathetic (Laodicean) church?
Is there room for revival?
[Jesus speaking] To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. Revelation 3:14-20 NIV (emphasis mine)
I pray that pulpits turn from apathy and begin again to look very different from the world, declaring along with Paul, "Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God." Acts 20:26-27 ESV
As for the rest of us, may we receive His perfect love, be earnest and repent, and open the door for crying out loud! Pastors may be accountable to God for their calling, but we will not be able to stand before Jesus and blame them for our own apathy.
God says, "In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. Jeremiah 29:12-14a NLT
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