Health Check-up #2
1 Corinthians 5: 6 – 8
6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
I compose this message for ‘Believers’ in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is addressed to a minority of ‘Sold out’ men and women who are 100 % dedicated in following our Great King and God. For church leaders and others who are just playing church, I suggest that you do your own inventory and see how you are weighed in the balance of faithfully following the directions of our Adoni Yeshua.
I think one of the biggest sins we can commit as co-shepherds is ‘compromise’. We fall into the lie of adjusting our ministry to society. It is okay to adjust our worship to what brings people into closeness with our Holy God, yet, we should never compromise His Word. Have we forgotten the words of Revelation chapter 22, ”6 Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. 7 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” 8 Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. 9 Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” 10 And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. 11 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.” 12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” 14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. 16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” 17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. 18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
We all need to remember that our lives are but a vapor. What matters is what we can do with the time allotted to us to love and honor our Holy God while ministering to people. Some of the ministers think that they are God’s gift to the world. No, we are all sinners trying to get to the finish line and be with our Lord forever. Many ministers are talking the talk but not walking the walk. They teach about how great it will be in heaven while establishing their own personal kingdom on earth. They have exquisite homes with vacation get away mansions in the mountains and along the ocean resorts. Instead of giving to those in need they misappropriate church funds for the needy to finance their own personal pet projects.
It is amazing at how quickly churches go south in sound doctrine and following the Great Commission. It seems as soon as our Precious Holy Spirit does an amazing work Satan sends his emissaries to join the leadership. The apostle Paul writes that there were people who crept into the church even after the church’s birth. They were called Judiazers.
These flatters main mission were spoilers. They fit the Lord’s description of leaven. Most of them have certain noticeable gifts. They might have come from a musical, sports, or educational limelight. They convince the Senior Pastor that they will greatly improve on what our Wonderful Holy Spirit has been doing. The Pastor thinks the passage in Galatians says ‘what you have begun in the Spirit you can make better in the flesh.’
The new age Judiazers put hindrances’ in the way of those who are making progress in the truth. Paul explained to us that the little false doctrine and fleshly additives spreads quickly as a little leaven ultimately affects the whole batch. If you look at Scripture we find out that leaven spreads furtively, secretly, and unseen until it permeates everything. The only way you can get rid of this effect is to apply extreme heat as when bread goes into an oven. In case you are not aware this is why our Great and Holy Master allows the extreme heat of church disruptions to occur in order to bring everyone back to basics.
I remember right after high school a bunch of the guys I went to school with would gather once a week to play some pick up softball games. It was a lot of fun. Someone came up with the idea that we should try out our talents against other players. The best way to do that would be to join a league. So, we entered a league and won the championship. We moved up as a team to a more difficult league and won that championship. Then, some leaven was added. Someone came up with the idea that his cousin used to play minor league baseball and would be a good replacement for one of our original friends. In two years the team had a major overhaul. In four years the team disbanded.
Is not this same action occurring in our churches today?
I believe another sure popular ‘leaven’ being added to healthy churches is the passing on the mantle to the Pastor’s son. I have not read anywhere in the bible of Pastoral succession. It’s the Protestant way of imitating the Catholic’s false apostletic succession which suggests that Peter was the first Pope and somehow created a way that the leadership is passed along to others.
I have personally witnessed God’s selection of certain men. With His anointing as you know from church history our Holy Lord has done amazing things through certain handpicked men. There is nothing wrong with a man wanting his son to follow in his footsteps in serving our Great God, however it is not their decision to just make this happen. It is up to Adoni Yahweh, our Father God. Don’t forget that the son is not the clone of the Pastor. He is part mom and part dad.
If the son inherits the father’s ministry he knows how things work but does not have the same conviction his dad had. He knows all the church ways and beliefs but has not gone through the school of hard knocks that his dad endured. He most likely went to a Christian elementary, high school, and college and never had any interaction with people other than those he grew up with. He somehow thinks that he knows about the pressures and pains others are going through while having been sheltered all his life. He may be likeable and charismatic and know bible stories but has not walked in the shoes that many others have traveled.
If this church somehow continues and now the grandson becomes part of the ministry team you will see how new thoughts and opinions get introduced. Those who may have been around at the beginning know that things are not as good as they use to be. Now I can understand more clearly about what is taught in the book of Ezra chapter 3 relative to men comparing the new Temple to Solomon’s Temple, “But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers' houses, old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes. Yet many shouted aloud for joy”
The biblical truths are watered down. Compromise is the way of doing things. The Pastorate becomes effeminate. There isn’t found a man who stands on the Word of God and says this Bible is what I follow for truths. The ministries become social agendas. The calendars are filled with all kind of worthless activities that are fun night outs. Everyone plays church like this somehow pleases God.
The time is short I suggest everyone in church leadership take a good review of the seven letters to the churches in Revelation and honestly think about the church’s spiritual health. We live for one purpose and that is to follow our Master’s Will.
