Your role in the church is not to invite people to church, it’s to introduce them to Jesus. There is a saccharin sweetness sweeping through the fellowship of believers all around this world, with exceptions of course, but those exceptions are becoming fewer and farther apart. Instead of being the “salt of the earth,” (Matt. 5:13) many churchs are now filled with people who believe that since everything is going well in their lives, God must be in favor toward them, and it is sad to say that many of these have forgotten that there is a lost, unsaved world out there beyond the doors of the church building that need to hear the Word of God and the salvation by grace that He offers.
The organized church has, in some cases, become a hiding place for many, instead of a sanctuary to worship God with fellow believers, it has devolved into a place where many go to catch up on what is happening in the lives of their friends and the community, to let others know what their vacation plans are, to hear about the local forecast. Try this little experiment next Sunday after the service is over, listen to what the people are talking about. Are they praising God for the opportunities to witness that He blessed them with the previous week, are they discussing the context of the sermon they just heard and how they are going to do more research on the subject when they get home, perhaps even discuss it with others, or do you hear a lot of “Hope you have a good day, see you next week” along with the aforementioned ‘local forecast’ statements.
These are they that have fallen into the trap the world has set for them, a happiness that is a cheap imitation of the Joy of the Lord. These individuals feel good, they feel like God loves them because life is going well, but they are generally the first ones to say “Why is God letting this happen to me” when trouble not only knocks on the door, but comes marching right in and takes up residence for a while.
As I mentioned in a previous letter to you, I was actually laughed at and ridiculed in a men’s Bible study once for suggesting that we should pray for God to send trials and tribulations into our lives, but it is in these instances that God allows us to grow the most. (1st Peter 5:10) Too many people want to stay on the mountain top, where the view is wonderful, but nothing grows, and these same ones look at the valley as punishment from our Lord. These are those that base their salvation and walk with Christ on feelings, and nearly each and everyone of them that you debate this truth with will vehemently deny it.
The works that they espouse for a rebuttal are almost constantly and only applied when they are in the church building and rarely Monday thru Saturday, their burdens revolving solely around themselves or perhaps to those they are closest to, but not to the lost that they may meet and associate with each day. They have, whether they realize it or not, attempted to bring God down to their level and are not seeking by His grace to go to His, where there is Holiness. Therefore, their faith is not a fact, but a feeling, one which revolves continually around themselves and what is happening on a daily basis in their lives. These are easily swayed by circumstances and the wiles of Satan, for long ago they took their armor off, (Eph. 6:11) if they ever had it on in the first place. These are the lukewarm, (Rev. 3:16) my friends, and this is not what God has called us to.
I would like to quote something here from “Battle Cry”, a Chick Publication newsletter from Sept/Oct 2019. In a short article concerning your brothers and sisters in Christ in Iran it reported, “But the believers requested that we not pray for the persecution to stop because it was the main motivator for the revival.” These beloved servants did not just pray for a burden, not just for trials and tribulations, but when these troubles came that the persecutions would not cease. This is proof that faith is a fact. Tell me, has Satan noticed you or the church that you attend, for I can honestly say that God has allowed him to notice these wonderful servants.
Recall the account of Job, God did not have to ask Satan if he had noticed this man, of course he had, for he had seen the hedge that God had surrounded him with, (Job 1:10) and when God lowered that hedge, twice, and allowed Satan access to His servant, what happened? “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.” (Job 13:15) The fact of faith. Did Job complain, of course he did, all that he had and loved, save for his wife, was taken from him, great physical pain was laid upon him, and yet his trust in the Lord our God never wavered, a trust that said “You know best, Lord.”
Unless we trust in God’s sovereign will in every aspect of our lives, our faith will never become fact, and even our prayers will fall on deaf ears for we will always ask them in a wavering way. (James 1:16) Unless we rejoice in trials, tribulations and temptations, (James 1:2) we will never fully understand the depths of the riches of His grace that He offers to us. Some, including myself, whine and complain initially when these trials come upon us, but then Hebrews 12:11 comes to mind, and we begin to know a real joy deep inside of us, for the Lord has seen fit to choose us to be partakers in the fellowship of His suffering.
Nothing , not one single thing that He allows to come into our lives in the area of suffering can be compared to what our Savior endured on the cross that day, and though we should never seek for these trials so that we can repay Him, for that is wholly impossible, we should accept them. His Glory will be revealed in those who suffer willingly at His pleasure, for “we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22) If you modify your actions to please family and friends, if you do not “preach the word in every season,” (2nd Tim. 4:2) if you believe that God is going to forget all the times that you sought “the praise of men” (John 12:43) you are deceived, for the Sovereign Lord of all creation is not mocked, and I have no desire to know what the harvest will be for these individuals.
But for those that have placed their entire trust in His will for their lives, for those who do as David did in Psalm 27:8, for those who are placing all, not some, of their treasures in heaven, O the joy they must know, would that I could be one of these wonderful saints!
On that day will you meet Him in the clouds, or will you be left looking up, feeling left out. After that day God is going to send a strong delusion (2nd Thess. 2:11) upon those that professed His name with their lips only, but not with their hearts. Many are being deceived by their feelings in this age, when you meet them, you will know them. Use the truths of God’s word, pray for the Holy Spirit to use you to reach them.
There are only two kinds of people on this planet, the saved and the lost. The lost are misled in many ways and basing their faith on feelings is one of them. The victors know for a fact that He is Risen, and what He bids of them, they will do, for He is worthy of all praise, honor and glory, even unto their lives.
