As The Church Goes, We Go

AS THE CHURCH GOES, WE GO

In these days of the falling away from God, the church has taken a beating. Sin has not just crept into the church, but it has come on and attacked the church at full force.

Churches after churches are seeing their membership drop to an all-time low. We are now seeing where more people are not going to church than going to church, the first time in our history has that happened.

What seems to be growing are churches that have left the blueprint as to how God wanted the church set up.

Preachers and I use that term loosely here are preaching watered down sermons to church members who want to feel good about their lives.

Preachers are preaching this new style and that is called the “Name it and claim it” gospel. All that is, is the fooling people into thinking God is more interested in your wallet than your soul.

Preachers today are now preaching sermons that do not offend people. I remind you this morning what the Word of God says about this in Hebrews 4:12;

12 -For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

I am seeing less and less young men that are being called into the pulpits to preach the Word of God.

I’ll say this and it is not to puff me up or those that I look too as inspirations but if a church has a preacher that can stand in the pulpit and preach the Word of God , loud and clear and not being afraid if it offends anyone, but the sole purpose is to say what God has him to say…… you better count your blessing right now because it is getting rare to hear this happening today.

But what does the Bible say is a good church? What does God look at and see that that church is seeking his grace and lifting up His son Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of all this world.

What does it look like, what does it sound like, what does it do to make sure that they are not falling to the wayside into the ditches Satan has planted along the way.

Let’s take the time this morning to answer those questions?

I want us to center ourselves on four (4) things this morning concerning, preaching on this subject “AS THE CHURCH GOES, WE GO”

1. The Bible is preached faithfully from week to week.

If a church claims to believe and obey God, that church must be reading and teaching God's Word.

In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Paul writes,

16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

In our pursuit of Christlikeness, what better resource is there to help us than God's own letter to us?

The Bible is trustworthy, and without it, we will be led astray.

Let me just say this, you can get a Bible but you may not be getting Gods Word. In the last 100 years more different Bibles have been printed that all the rest of history. You have so many different Bibles and different translation it will boggle you mind. Last count I knew about was over 900 different Bibles in English to read from.

We only need one, we just need to read and obey it and we have eliminated a lot of confusion in our life.

I believe in the KJV Bible it has been tried and trued for hundreds and hundreds of years. I am not saying that the KJV is the only Bible you can read, no…there are some out there that can really help you understand in depth what is being said. BUT BE CAREFUL, Satan has printed some of these Bible with the very intention of confusing those seeking the truth.

Who is NOT the author of confusion? The answer is found in 1 Corinthians 14:33

33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

Then who is? You can read in John *:44, Jesus explains just who and what the devil does. But if God is not then there only leaves 1 other….yep, the wily old devil, who is a snake and an liar.

If the Word of God isn't being preached in the church, what is?

Are these churches listening to motivational speeches, practical how-to guides, or simply good stories?

These seemingly innocent things are poor counterfeits for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The real Gospel will stir our hearts to repentance and cultivate in us a desire to conform our lives to Christ.