Talking to a visiting preacher from India recently, I asked him what he found the most in the church throughout the UK? His answer neither surprised nor thrilled me. He looked me straight in the face and said, very simply, “The whole Western Church is full of Fear and Complacency”. When pressed, he said it was fear of speaking out and upsetting someone and full of smug, self-satisfied complacency – a sort of “I’m saved, so I’m all right Jack” attitude. I was appalled by his answer and oh so sad.
So I sought the Lord on this and He said to look around us in our own church, home group, and yes – even in our family. He confirmed what the preacher was saying. The Lord took me back to a very recent event locally when one of our local churches celebrated a somewhat unique ‘double’ in that two couples were celebrating their ruby, or 40th, wedding anniversary. Over 400 people turned up for a grand barbeque held on a local school field. The Lord pointed out that every person there was from the one church. Where was the outreach to other churches? Where were the local non-church families? Nowhere – it was a closed church event. The only reason we even heard about it was that it was held on the playing field of the school where my own church meets
I believe that we all probably agree that the church has of late become fearful of speaking out lest we upset someone. This is true wherever political correctness rules – and that’s just about anywhere in the West these days. So where has our courage gone? Where has our right to free speech gone? When are we going to speak the Gospel again without fear of anything man can do? When will we learn to obey God rather than man? AND oh - what a condemning phrase that is – “a closed church event”. How many events do we as Christians hold that are closed to the world when, to open them up a little bit, may spread the gospel to a new family or two?
Surely we, as 21st Century Christians, must be more like our 1st Century counterparts. Where is our zeal for the Gospel? Where is the burning inside us that says that I must speak to people about Jesus Christ – whatever the consequences? Oh – I know I am asking more questions than giving any answers but my whole purpose here is to try to regenerate in you the joy of your salvation and the zeal you had, however shortly, for the Gospel.
If I can encourage just one person to seek a deeper relationship with God, then I'll have a fruitful day. If not, my efforts will be in vain. Come on people, shake that complacency off. Cast out that fear of speaking the truth. We plant seeds. We may not see them grow and ripen, but someone will harvest them eventually. God will honour your sowing and planting, so lose yourself in Him today - let the Holy Spirit loose in you - watch what He will do with your life if only you allow Him to do it.
Jesus is returning soon – how will you and I stand before Him on that day?
Political correctness just doesn't prevent people in the church from speaking out to the rest of the world, it can keep people from speaking out *in church*. I've never been in a more "politically correct" environment than when I've been in some churches. If you say *anything* that questions doctrine or church "politics" in any way, you get the cold shoulder and are made to feel as if you've questioned God Himself.
ReplyDeleteJesus said we were supposed to love each other, not criticize each other when we didn't say the right words.