Sins Of The Church

From the Moderator: We live in a world where the church tries to be all things to all people. They don’t realize that they are directly responsible to God.
So many people go astray because the church they supported and trusted, failed them. Why did this happen? Wasn’t the church meeting their needs? Why did the church turn them away in their most critical hour; didn’t they care?   Maybe it was a lack of knowledge and understanding,  or was it because the church didn’t have the Holy Spirit residing within its walls? Maybe it was both.
Many people lose hope and quit, some become angry at God, but others will seek Him and try to find Him somewhere else. They know that there is a place where God is guiding His people. That true Godly fellowship and worship does exist…it has too!
We have been blessed in the, sharing the way bible studies, for we know and understand the true church.  It’s not a building, its a people that love God and want to be with others of like mind.  It’s a place where God moves among His people and love is obvious. That move of God wouldn’t be evident, if we didn’t follow the bible and be the church it says we should be. If we didn’t have the bible and the Holy Spirit as our guide, there wouldn’t be any difference between us and the church down the street. Then this article would apply to us as well.

The article you are about to read was written in February of 1999. It wasn’t until now that the author felt, from the Lord, that it was time to publish it and make it public to all.  

SINS OF THE CHURCH
(2/27/99)

By Eric Wheeler
eric@sharingtheway.com

When an innumerable multitude of people were gathered together to hear Jesus speak, He turned to His disciples first and said, “Beware you of the leaven of the Pharisees!” (Luke 12:1). Again, as He trained them which were going to be the leaders and teachers of His people after His departure, He charged them saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod!” When they appeared perplexed at His warning, Jesus groaned “Perceive you not yet, neither understand? Have you your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see you not? And having ears, hear you not? How is it that you do not understand?” (Mark 8:15-21). His disciples just didn’t get it.
And apparently, they still don’t!

Jesus told His followers . . . .

1) Don’t set up hierarchies and governments within the Church like the ungodly do. “And Jesus called them [His disciples] to Him, and said unto them, ‘You know that they which are appointed to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you” (Mark10:42-43).

2) Don’t call yourselves or allow yourselves to be called by titles which show spiritual position or pre-eminence. “Be you not called Rabbi (Teacher), for One is your Teacher, even Christ. All of you are brothers. And call no man your Father upon the earth. For One is your Father which is in Heaven. Neither be you called masters (leaders). For One is your Leader, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant” (Matt.23:8-11).

3) Don’t sell the Gospel. Preach the Word of God without charge. “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand’. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give” (Matt.10:8).

4) Don’t reject the Word of God to keep your own traditions. “And He said unto them, ‘Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition” (Mark7:9).

5) Don’t recite prayers. “When you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their much speaking” (Matt.6:7).

6) Don’t wear religious apparel to be noticed of men. “Then in the audience of all the people, He said unto His disciples, ‘Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts . . . and for a show make long prayers. The same shall receive greater damnation” (Luke 20:45-47).

7) Don’t prepare your messages and prayers. Rely on the Holy Spirit to be your guide and your mouth. “Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall say” (Exod.4:12). “But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say unto them, ‘Thus says the Lord God” (Ezek.3:27). “Take no thought how or what you shall speak. For it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak. For it is not you that speaks, but the Spirit of your Father which speaks in you” (Matt.10:19-20). “Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it” (Psalm 81:10).

8) Don’t number the people, and gather them around you, thus exalting yourself! But rather send them forth to spread the Gospel. “After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before His face into every city and place, where He Himself would come. Therefore said He unto them, ‘The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few. Pray you therefore that the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into His harvest. Go your ways! Behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves” (Luke 10:1-3).

9) Don’t store up bank accounts, lands, and possessions, but rather give up all that you have. “Sell that which you have, and give to the poor. Provide for yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that fails not, where no thief approaches, neither moth corrupts. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:33-34).

10) Don’t make the Church a business or a corporation. “And Jesus went into the Temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the Temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; and would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the Temple. And He taught, saying unto them, ‘Is it not written, “My House shall be called of a House of prayer for all nations” But you have made it a den of thieves!” (Mark11:15-17). “And He said unto them which sold doves, ‘Take these things away! Make not my Father’s house a house of merchandise!” (John 2:16).

11) Don’t regard the persons of men, and look to them for elevation or ordination. “For promotion comes neither from the east, not from the west, nor from the south. But God is the Judge. He puts down one, and sets up another” (Psalm 75:6-7).

12) Don’t associate with the “righteous”, and exclude the “unrighteous”. For all men are sinners before God. “And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto His disciples, ‘Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?’ But when Jesus heard that, He said unto them, ‘They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go you and learn what that means – I will have mercy, and not sacrifice. For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matt.9:10-13).

13) Don’t reserve the chief seats and the premier parking spots, as if you have any pre-eminence over your brothers and sisters. “But when you art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade you come, he may say unto you, ‘Friend, go up higher’. Then shalt you have honor in the presence of them that sit at meat with you. For whosoever exalts himself shall be abased. And he that humbles himself shall be exalted” (Luke 14:10-11).

14) Don’t think that you stand with God and are right with Him. For no one stands in the presence of God except on their knees. “For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, ‘As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Rom.14:10-11). “Wherefore let him that thinks he stands take heed, lest he fall” (I Cor. 10:12).

15) Don’t set up “legal departments” to plead your causes, defend yourself, or seek restitution. “If any man will sue you at the law, and take away your coat, let him have your cloak also” (Matt.5:40). “Why do you not rather take wrong? Why do you not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?” (I Cor.6:7).

16) Don’t limit the Holy Spirit by thinking that you alone speak by the Holy Spirit. Ask your brothers and sisters if they have a Word from God to speak unto the congregation and then sit down. “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If anything be revealed to another that sits by, let the first speaker hold his peace. For you may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted” (I Cor.14:29-31).

17) Don’t require rituals, or mandates, or any form of compulsory religious acts, including where and when and how a person must worship. True religion is never dictated. [The Samaritan woman said] “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain [Mt.Gerizim], and you [Jews] say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. And Jesus said unto her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. . . .For the hour is coming and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:20-24).

18) Don’t set up denominations or divisions within the Body. “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you . . . Is Christ divided?” (I Cor.1:10-13).

19) Don’t worry about being put out of the “churches“. Speak the truth! “Nevertheless among the chief rulers also, many believed on Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John12:42-43).

20) Don’t cater to the congregation by speaking peaceful things. The Word of God is a sword which cuts deep and causes division. “Suppose you that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, No, but rather division. For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three” (Luke12:51-52). “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” (Heb.4:12).

Eric
eric@sharingtheway.com

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