From the perspective of the entire world, our country, our Christian heritage (certainly not perfect or ideal), our Christian ambitions, lifestyles and general wealth— should cause us to take note of the major issues confronting Christian beliefs and activity today.
1. The threat of Islamic actions, terrorism and creeping sharia.
2. The threat of homosexuality to society and the church.
3. The threat of sexual chaos, abortion and adultery.
4. The threat of spiritual deadness in the Churches, let alone the world.
5. The threat of Christian persecution in Islamic countries.
As I see it, these are some of the major issues confronting Christian activity today—but what do you find when you enter a Christian church? How long has it been since you heard a sermon warning Christians about adultery? When was the last time the preacher taught the congregation about what the “peaceful religion” of Islam actually teaches about women, about the rule of law, about democracy or about its antichrist attitude toward Jesus as God’s Son?
Have you ever heard anyone preach about how homosexual marriage is so directly opposed to God’s laws and has such a devastating effect on marriage, the family and the forgotten ones, the children? Are these issues declared as sinful or is it just assumed by the preacher that people know? Have you been told what Jesus meant when He said, “Watch and pray?”
What about the terrible plight of persecuted Christians in other countries, and how Christians here in the U.S. can help by frequent prayer and giving? Just last week I came upon this list of headlines put out by Barnabas Aid:
INDIA – Concerns for Christians as Hindu Nationalists Win Election
SUDAN – Pregnant Christian Woman Sentenced to Death for Apostasy
NIGERIA – Islamists Release Video of Kidnapped Girls
TANZANIA – Two Churches Targeted in Separate Attacks
UZBEKISTAN – Christians Face State Harassment and Restrictions
SYRIA – Believers Driven out from Christian Village
PAKISTAN – Christian Girl Gang-raped by Muslim Men
INDONESIA – Church and Christian School Targeted in Separate
Do the pastors actually keep up-to-date on these things or are many of them just as blind as their congregations? I know of one church where, on many occasions, the main prayers offered by the worship leader covers local issues only and deals only with the sick members, the need for helpers, the church business and what a delight it is to be part of the Christian family.
There is no mention of any of the weighty issues affecting our society, overseas Christians or our 21st century lukewarm attitude that only can be cured by returning to the Lord, our first love. And from the pulpit it is not much better.
Now here is where you may misunderstand me. None of those issues mentioned in the previous paragraph are wrong. All have a legitimate place in a church or family prayer. But to concentrate on someone’s routine operation in hospital, without even mentioning the sickness of our society, the spiritual warfare we are all in and how to handle it, as well as our sinfulness and our weak faith— is ignorance at best and thoroughly reprehensible at worst.
I am afraid some churches are quickly drifting into the model of the church in Sardis: “… you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead” (Revelation 3:1). Jesus continued His warning to this church: “But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you” (Revelation 3:3b).
I can close in no better way than to quote Revelation 3:6: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Lindsay Smail
lindsay@geelongweatherservices.com.au