BE WARNED

Have you heard the saying that there are none as blind as those who don’t want to see? Do you get the feeling that this describes too many churches? Too many are holding the fort, maintaining the status quo, keeping the thing ticking over, patting themselves on the back for another year of do nothing.

Dutch Sheets is not a man given to overstatement. He is man who is passionate about and committed to intercession. The sort of person we need more of. This is what he says….

Sheets also blasted, and subsequently repented of, the charismatic church’s “incredibly inadequate” accountability, as well as its leadership that has “built on hype, sensation, innovation, programs, personality and charisma.”

He said such immaturity has produced, among other things: “shallowness,” “false movements,” “novice leaders [who are] gifted but immature and untested,” “a deficient understanding of God’s word,” “self-centred Christians who don’t understand sacrifice and commitment,” “superstar leaders,” and “prayerless and anaemic Christians.”

Sounds like most of the church.

When was the last time you were part of or heard about a church that was passionate about anything other than their own “bless me” club?

When was the last time you were part of or heard about a church being led my men who made prayer and intercession a number one priority?

When was the last time you were part of or heard about a church where the leadership were shining examples of servant hood instead of lauding it over people as God’s anointed one who is paid to be good as opposed to the rest who are good for nothing?

When was the last time you were part of or heard about a church where mission and serving was more important than religious ritual to the point where more of the budget was given away than what was kept?

When was the last time you were part of or heard about a church where holiness of life was more important than hype, sensation, innovation, programmes, personality and charisma?

When was the last time you were part of or heard about a church where sacrifice and commitment were par for the course rather than a visit Sunday morning will do me.

When was the last time you were part of or heard about a church where they didn’t give greater priority to mission and vision statements than the word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit?

When was the last time you were part of or heard about a church where 100 attended on Sunday and 10 attended the prayer meeting? The truth is that would include nearly everyone.

Like most Christians (and secular organisations) being part of something full of charisma and personality is something to be desired. It is nice to talk about how blessed you are to have leaders that enthuse and fill you with anticipation and give you pep talks every week about how rich God can make you.

Wake up church! Don’t you see how deceived and dead you are? There is only one God and he will not share his glory with anyone else; there is only one head of the church and that is Jesus; there is only one senior shepherd and that is Jesus; there is only one way and that is the way of the cross; there is only one way to get God’s attention and that is through prayer; there is only one way to establish God’s kingdom and that is his way; there is only one way to take back territory from satan and that is to follow the instructions in the bible; there is only one way to live a holy life and that starts with an unselfish giving of oneself to God and making him the centre of our lives, not just one day a week.

If you want to know if a church is doing what it should be doing ask the following questions…

Does the leadership demonstrate the servant nature of Jesus?

Does the church spend more time in prayer than anything else?

Does the church give away more money than it keeps?

Does the church spend more of its money on people than on buildings?

Does the church have a passion for reaching the lost?

Does the church put people before programmes?

Does the church equip the saints for the work of the ministry?

Does the church endeavour to make Jesus the centre of everything it does?

If the answer is no to any of these, it needs to do a bit of soul searching. If it is not doing all these, the chances are that it is making a God of the status quo; you know that thing that ensures the Holy Spirit left a long time ago and doesn’t realise it because it has plenty of charisma and personality. The sort of church that Dutch Sheets is talking about.

More importantly, the sort of church that is spoken of in Revelation. “You do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so that you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so that you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so that you can see”.

Makes you wonder if we have even reached the first post?