Success Or Obedience?

Pragmatism in a lot of churches is king. These “Pastors” are doing whatever it takes to get results; i.e. get money because they are greedy. So, if you are in a megachurch with beautiful architecture, a cafe, a wing for the children, a nice bookstore, gifted singers and musicians and plenty of money in the coffers, these optics are supposed clear indicators God is blessing that church. While there is nothing wrong with these aesthetics in of themselves, it does not mean the Spirit of God is residing there.

As we often say, looks can be deceiving. What is being sacrificed in a lot of these large churches is sound doctrine. If you’re preaching another gospel or what I call an alien gospel, you’re not blessed, but rather cursed as per the scripture.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel - not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

As we have said before, so now I say again, If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Galatians 1:6-10

I hope the reader realizes how penetrating these words are from the apostle Paul. The word accursed in the Greek is anathematizo where we get the word anathema which means to devote one to destruction.

To be blunt, what I am seeing and hearing often on YouTube is stupidity. At best it is foolishness, at worst it is demonic - I vote for the latter.  Sadly, we have too many Christians that are babies when they should be mature doctrinally. Every new charlatan that comes to town with some aberrant heretical revelation gets the opportunity to defile a pulpit and butcher God’s holy Word and play spiritual “whack-a-mole” with the parishioners. The under shepherd of that house does not have the courage or the discernment skills himself to protect the flock entrusted to him by God. As a result, the flock is fleeced, and the itinerant hireling (i.e. false teacher) walks away with the money bag to defile another pulpit in a different city.

Now, on the surface those that misuse the Word of God to manipulate the minds of the unsuspecting appear to be successful - they are the ones with the fancy clothes and jewelry, the palatial homes, the private jets and bread in their pockets! In actuality they are poor. 

Here is how I know.

Jesus says:

And to the angel of the church of Laodicea write: The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. I know your works, you are neither cold nor hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have need of nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor blind, and naked.

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

Revelation 3:14-19

Many churches fall into the category of the Laodicean. They are claiming they are successful, but they are not. They are disobedient. This starts with the Pastor. What he teaches often determines the behavior and worldview of his members. Since so many Pastors are deficient Bible expositors, they are misleading their congregations with these “Santa-Ana-Windy-Doctrines” (Ephesians 4:14). To cover up for their anemic teaching, they whoop and holler, babble in non-biblical tongues, and have you turn to your neighbor a 1000X’s in service. The music is banging loud. Nowadays apostate “black churches” are bumping, “They Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar. Your endorphins have kicked in - your emotion has superseded your logic and you’re ripe for slaughter by the pulpit pimp. You can guarantee there will be manipulative language with a Bible twist for the money grab - a tithes and offerings "sermon" of guilt they always teach out of context; lying to you that when you give to God (when it is actually them) He is going to give you a supernatural financial and/or material breakthrough.

The church goer has been conditioned to behave every week like Pavlov’s dogs without knowing it. These types of churches are abusive.

Success or Obedience?

You see, it’s easier to want to be culturally relevant as a church. But, the most important need for the church is the teaching and equipping the saints and preaching of the gospel to the lost. Souls are at stake. Other things while important are secondary like taking care of the needs of the poor and community outreach.

Here’s how a church will be successful and obedient:

For the Teacher/Pastor

Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers

1 Timothy 4:16

Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

1 Peter 5:2-4

When a Pastor practices the aforementioned, he will be successful indeed because he is obedient indeed. There will never be true success without obedience to the truth.

Are We Supposed To Fight For Biblical Truth?

 Lately I wondered if Christians have been too harsh and critical of other Christians regarding their doctrine. Let me explain what I mean. I follow several YouTube Christian Content Creators that are solid Biblical Expositors. They have no problem pointing out doctrinal error in the pulpit of Pastors when they come across it. I agree them with more than I disagree because I share a kindred spirit with them. They are Biblically astute. Those that filter what they see and hear through a Biblical lens are being led by the Holy Spirit and do not habitually fall into error. Those that are emotive more than doctrinal often fall into serious error. Performance based “Pastors” are only interested in arousing the emotions of their congregations; it’s the blind leading the blind. Seeker sensitive “Pastors” love to “Decree and Declare” things to their congregations; God is going to bless you with a new house this year! There’s a healing with your name on it! I prophesy that you’re not going to be broke anymore, etc. While all this positive confession tickles and tantalizes the senses, they’re lying to their gullible audiences. Those of us who have a reverence and fidelity for Biblical truth find this egregious and heart breaking. God has placed ministry gifts into the Body of Christ for equipping and maturing of the Saints, not for us to be merely entertained and to be ineffective in the kingdom (Ephesians 4:11-15).

Should we just pray for Pastors and parishioners who are in error and not test their doctrine? It is unloving to correct false teaching?

Those that do not want us to question the Pastor always say to just “pray for them!” One of the most famous retorts regarding the Pastor is, “Touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm!” That verse is almost always taken out of context. For an explanation regarding this verse, read my article here: https://gospelofrepentance.blogspot.com/2024/01/touch-not-my-anointed.html

The Bible does not say we are to just pray for those who teach error. Rather we are to lovingly correct them who contradict the truth (Titus 1:11-14). This is what Paul instructed Titus to do. Those who are able to teach are supposed teach others so that we mature and grow in truth. The apostle John in his second letter wrote to the elect lady and declared that he was happy that some of her children were walking in the Truth (2 John 1:4).              

The Apostle Paul wherever he traveled would enter into the synagogues of that city and preach Christ.

From the Amplified Bible Version

Acts 17:1b-2 – …they came to Thessalonica, and there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul entered as he usually did, and for three Sabbaths he reasoned and argued with them from the scriptures.

Acts 17:17 – So he reasoned and argued in the synagogue (in Athens) with the Jews and those who worshiped there, and in the marketplace (where the assemblies are held) day after day with any who chanced to be there

Acts 19:8 – And he went into the synagogue (i.e. Ephesus), and for three months spoke boldly persuading and arguing and pleading about the kingdom of God

 

Why should we be so passionate about God’s word? Simple, it is the Truth! The world has no problem championing their lies. We have to counter their lies with the Truth. If we keep silent, we are in sin and the following will be the result. This is what Paul commanded Timothy to do:

2 Timothy 4:2-5 - preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound (or healthy) doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears from hearing the truth and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

If you’re a Pastor and you’re not up to the task of doing what Paul commands above, do yourself and your congregation a favor and step down from the pulpit.

Teaching and preaching God’s word is a labor of love and patience. It is also every Christian’s responsibility. This is NOT an option! Paul gave Timothy the command, and by extension us as well. Remember, Paul told Timothy that God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

Jude 3 commands that we are to contend (or fight) for the Faith once for all delivered to the saints.

1 Peter 3:15 says this: Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.

1 John 4:1 COMMANDS us to test the spirits to see if they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world.  That means we are to evaluate what we hear and make a judgment to determine if what we are hearing is true or false.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 commands us to test all things. Cling to that which is good.

Acts 17:11 commends the Berean Christians stating they were more noble than the Thessalonians because they received the Word of God with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so. The Bereans had the sense to examine what they heard from Paul and Silas and compared what they heard against the scripture to verify if they were hearing the truth.

 2 Timothy 3:16 – All scripture is breathed out buy God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly furnished for every good work.

If we say Amen to everything we hear because its coming from the pulpit, we might as well say the Pastor is infallible which of course is not true.

No man or woman that is continually teaching false doctrine is being led by the Spirit of God. God is never the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33).

Living the Christian life the right way is a Truth War. It’s a good fight (2 Timothy 4:7). Why do we have to fight? Because we have enemies of the truth – the arch enemy being the devil himself. Jesus said that whoever is not for Me is against Me (Matthew 12:30). Whoever is an enemy of Christ is an enemy of mine. Despite that truth, we have to love our enemies and persuade them to come to the knowledge of the truth.

So the solution for those in chronic doctrinal error is not prayer alone, its loving correction with the truth of scripture. Sadly, pragmatism in lieu of the Bible is what pervades many churches. If it’s working, then do it is what these false teachers are promoting. The Bible is an afterthought; meaning they will sprinkle eisegetically Bible verses to convince their unsuspecting parishioners that what they are doing is a move of the Holy Spirit.

Once again, to rebuke these false teachers is good and commanded of scripture when its done with love and truth with meekness and fear. We realize those who warn others of false teachers aren’t better than them but fear the Lord enough to challenge their falsehood and lovingly appeal to them to repent of their heresy because if they don’t, they are going to drag countless souls to hell with them.