We are saved by Christ alone. We have our doctrine correct, but our message is not Christ alone. We add a lot of water to Jesus to dilute the true gospel because we can't or won't drink the cup of suffering that goes along with the consecrated life of a disciple. Like Andy Stanley, who has the correct doctrine of a marriage between one man and one woman, but his fruit bears LGBTQ+ meetings in his church, so goes much of the church in the Western world; biblically sound statement but a tree that is not producing the fruit of the spirit or true seed-bearing disciples of Christ. Jesus claimed He is the true vine for a reason.
Christ alone is the truth, but we don't preach Jesus crucified in our churches. We preach a message mixed with whatever itching ears of people we wish to influence. Our Jesus has become a Barbie Jesus. A different Jesus that fits our crowd. A political Barbie Jesus, a social justice Barbie Jesus, a country club Barbie Jesus, a new age Barbie Jesus, a group therapy Barbie Jesus, and even a Barbie goes to Hollywood Jesus.
Last week, the church had another wrinkle and spot on her wedding gown. There was a fallout between two ministers at the 'Stronger Men's Conference.' I'm not taking sides of either because my point doesn't have to deal with the ministers but rather the state of what we call the church. I don't understand why Jesus isn't enough for a man to be strong enough that we need to include Vegas entertainment in a Christian conference. There is plenty of time in a week to see a clean Vegas event. Why must we upsell Jesus after an entertaining event or whatever else we can conceive?
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/04/15/pastor-mark-driscoll-kicked-off-state-christian-conference/73331462007/
Why can't the church be the church? Why do we have to cater to carnal Christians and bait-switch to sinners? Why are we using our resources to be all things to all people? Can't we stick to Jesus' mission statement: the great commission? Can't we stick to the vision of the book of Revelation of a mighty groom receiving His bride without spot, wrinkle, or any such thing? Why must we add 'Red Dye 40' and other ingredients to Christ alone?
How many people come to church expecting Christ alone because everything else they have added to their lives is empty calories? But we gift them with the same empty calories of the world and not offer them a crucified Jesus. Even the bait and switch of the eighty's pizza parties are part of the past; we often don't even get to the center of the gospel, Jesus. We may ask people to nod to Jesus at the end of a service, like asking for the check because the meal is over. But we are served appetizers and not a meal. And not appetizers that lead to eat my flesh and drink my blood. When we subscribe to the thief on the cross theology, we don't see the need to read the whole council of God publicly as Paul told Timothy to do. Instead, our message is to live the life you want and give Jesus the glory with your dying breath. Thumbs up! You're going up!
A few years ago, I concluded that if I bite into bitter fruit in the world, it is because the tree is bitter. And if I bite into bitter fruit in the church, it is because the fruit came from the same tree growing in the world, not the world God created, because He created many good trees that we can take part in. I'm describing the world where satan is god, and the trees are bad seeds. As a sovereign nation in Christ, the church is importing the world's ways as if we don't have the way in Christ. Many things brought into the church are not sinful but not part of the mission; they are leafy and green but are not producing eternal fruit. We can enjoy those things another time, not in place of Christ alone or added to Christ alone.
The twenty-seven books of the New Testament were canonized in early Christian history. Some books or letters didn't make the cut because they didn't fit the narrative of Genesis to Revelation. I wonder how many Sunday sermons could be canonized because they are faithful to the original text or so far removed that you can't tell it is the gospel.
If it is Christ alone, Jesus crucified, why all the fluff? Isn't the message that we are all sinners defaulted to Hell unless we call upon the name of Jesus to be saved enough? The message does take an acquired taste that one doesn't receive until you bite. We must be born again (regenerated, discipled) to enter the kingdom of God. Many are called, but few are chosen; why aren't we telling people? Instead, we convey universal salvation that many are saved; choose the gold, silver, or bronze plan. The lie that many are going to Heaven and are just not going to enjoy the ride has hamstrung many from becoming true disciples of Christ. It is Christ alone. Jesus also said the cost of following Him is the surrender of our life.
The church that Jesus is building has been given an exclusive message. No other organization has been given what has been given to us. Salvation is of the Jews. But the mission was taken from the Jewish nation and given to whomsoever has ears to hear. We are the whosoever's! We are a nation of kings and priests, Jew and gentile alike.
The Jewish nation temporarily lost the call of salvation because they didn't value the gift they were given to bring to the nations of the world. When the nations met throughout history, they all brought something God gave them to share. The Jews brought salvation, but it was rejected, first by the nations and then by Israel. So, Jesus gave birth to a new nation, a spiritual nation called the Church.
The church has one gift to bring to the nations of this world, just like in the days of Israel. The gift of salvation is through Christ alone. But now that we are being rejected from the world stage, and our gift is not valued, we too are neglecting such a great eternal gift. Must we hide Jesus in a Jack-in-a-box? Hoping to surprise people with the Holy Spirit if the opportunity arises. Do we have to add to Christ alone because it is not enough?
Do we, the church, want to become more like the world? Do we prefer what they bring to the table more than what we have at the table of God? It seems so. Many churches across the United States have their doctrine right, but their presentation is anything but Christ alone.
I can't imagine having a health emergency and going to a hospital to be entertained rather than helped. We were told to get a coffee and eat a donut. Take a seat, and you will soon experience why this church is your desired church. Our niche of Instagram influencers is a cut above the others. No church hurt here. If you get offended by the message of Christ, let us know, and we will get you a band-aid.
Entertainment is not the only issue in the church. Many other programs and 12 steps are in the church, pushing Christ alone to the side or corner, certainly not front and center. Church is no longer the emergency room for those who are afflicted with sin but a clinic where we bandage fatal wounds and call it good. Sinners don't need bandages. They need the paddles because they are dead to Christ!
Our churches lack disciples of Christ alone, not because we lack fog machines, secular music before and after, or a Superbowl Sunday. We lack the paddles that cause a dead man to live again! If we think the church is insufficient unless we add other activities that are not wrong in themselves, then we don't know what repentance and a time of refreshing are about. We haven't found the hidden treasure of the Word of God valuable enough to sell all we have to purchase that field.
A cup of living water given to a little one is refreshing enough to loose a tongue from the roof of a dry mouth. If the rich man in Hell asked for a drop of water, then a single drop of living water would be enough to save a man from going to the pit of Hell. However, a drop of living water is lost in the church that wants to be accepted by the world. We turn both faucets on. We would rather glory in the gifts of the world than the glory of God.
The Church has one message: Christ alone. We have cornered the market on grace and truth. The world knows about grace. The world knows about truth. But the world doesn't know how to combine those two to make it work. We, the church, deliver the truth with the grace of God to face it and abide in Him.
For the next few weeks, I will overthrow a few tables on the command from Heaven. I only bark when told to bark, and I only bite when told to bite. I hope you prefer the wounds of a faithful friend to a kiss of the enemy. The church has blatant evil things, but that isn't what I will address. I'm addressing a fig tree with plenty of leaves but lacks fruit. In gardening, it is called bolting or going to seed. Instead of producing fruit, it uses all its energy to reproduce, stay alive, and look good. A lot of the fruit we buy from grocery stores are seedless, not because they were made that way but because they were picked before a mature seed could form.
Why did Jesus curse the fig tree, speaking to it; you will never bear fruit again, and then head to the temple and carry out what He said to the fig tree? We don't need more churches of our making and in our image. We don't need theaters, monster trucks, or strong men hanging horizontally from a pole. Unless the church is built on the Rock, the gates of Hell will overcome it. We need churches that produce fruit that has the seed of Christ alone to make true disciples. We can enjoy all the fruit from all the trees that God has given us outside of the church, but do we need to bring those trees inside to the only tree that offers eternal life?