So often, in our churches, we believe that the man or woman delivering the sermon has been sent by God, and they are speaking truth. You automatically assume that they have your best interest at heart. Because of this assumption, you never check. You never read your bible. And you never ask questions. We have blind faith that we are covered by the very person before us.
We have to be careful what we are ingesting. In today’s society, we must have a sense of discernment because we have motivational speakers who proclaim to know and disperse the gospel. We have churches whose sermons center on finances. We have mega churches that present themselves as the best thing to happen in a city. We are told to be careful because what comes out of the mouth of a man is a revelation of who he is. “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world–the desires of the flesh and the desires of eyes and pride of life–is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:15-17) One pastor on social media went so far as to say that some churches are more of a performance than a worship service. Parishioners go in listen and get excited by a praise and worship team or a dance team, and hear words of inspiration from the speaker/pastor (notice, he said words of inspiration, not truth from scripture). Be careful, because in some churches the pastor is worshipped and revered and not the Lord. Some pastors believe that they are the only people who know the truth. It is not so much that they know the truth as much as it is they don’t want you to know the truth. They will discourage people from listening to sermons by other people or attending a bible study outside of the home church. Be careful. These are the type of people who prey on seekers, new believers, and the gullible. Searching for a person’s weakness and vulnerability is a predator’s mentality. It is a means of molding a person into what they want him to become. This type of behavior lends a false sense of acceptance and importance to the pastor and to the church. What does God require of you?
John tells us to walk in the light. He says that we have everything that we need by way of truth. In 1 John 2:24-25, he states “What you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us eternal life.” We have the resources and a sense of discernment when listening to false prophets and teachers.
Knowing your purpose and the purpose God has for you is crucial in your Christian walk. It is easy to lose focus if the main objective is to be seen as a leader or great person in the eyes of the congregation. It is hard to focus on the main objective when the messages are skewed and grow farther away from the truth. Titles and perceptions mean nothing if your life is not a reflection of Christ in you. There is nothing more disheartening than to see a leader act one way on Sunday and then become unrecognizable Monday through Saturday. Let’s not forget that he or she are human beings, not perfect. However, it is difficult to watch families leave a church on Sunday with no conviction, no empathy, no love, and no discipleship.
Periodically, we must complete a self-evaluation to see where our values are. Before completely submitting yourself to a church family ask yourself some questions. Is your purpose to hear truth and stand on the word of God or are you seeking faulty fallacies to make yourself feel religious? Ask yourself what is God’s greatest command? Who do you serve? What stands in your way of surrendering and serving Christ completely? Are you immersing yourself in the Word? Are you using a discerning spirit when making decisions? Are you serving and using your gifts or are you waiting to be served? Sometimes we need to be still and ask ourselves the hard questions and what is our motive?
In a society that is always in “Go” mode, we can easily become less attentive. This is the enemy’s distraction that leads you down a rabbit hole. Is attending church another weekly duty to check off? Is it an easy route that doesn’t require much thought or effort? We must be cognizant of distractions like preoccupation with jobs, family, money, recreation, schools, friends, etc. Perhaps, your prayer life has decreased, your quiet time does not exist, and your time reading the Bible has become tedious because you are busy.
I don’t know about you, but I want truth that leads to conviction. I want truth that leads to a desire to be as Christlike as possible. I want a word that fills me throughout the week. I don’t want to talk about money, new buildings, new programs without missions, community, and people.
Who do you serve? Are you drawn to truth or motivational inspiration?
CrayDawg (c)2024
Coffee Reflections 