Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Our first question today is: Does God have any expectations for His people? Unfortunately too many simply want an “easy-going” faith and Christian life. This is why the Emerging church has gained so much popularity and the Hyper Grace movement has gained momentum. These movements are simply a response to the desires of many who desire to go to heaven but not have any problems or bumpy roads along the way.
Does the Heavenly Father expect His children to grow up and is He grieved when they do not? When Jesus came down from the Mount of Transfiguration, there was a boy possessed by a demon that they were not able to help. Jesus was not thrilled with them and after He cast the demon out, He said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? (He did say that this was a particularly troublesome demon that required fasting as well, but this also goes to their lack of performance).
The words, “faithless and perverse” seem rather harsh to the uttered by the Jesus of these other movements. Some have even decided that Jesus did not say these words, but they were added by some “sadistic” person trying to demean the loving Jesus. It is obvious that Jesus thought the disciples should have been able to cast this demon out.
The Lord’s words to the churches in Revelation 2 and 3 are perfect examples of this question. (Rev 2:2-5). The churches had lost their first love, allowed false teachings such as the immorality of the Jezebels, etc. Jesus did not come with a message that fawned over them in their sin. He came to correct and warn of looming judgment and possible exclusions from continuing to be His witnesses.
The church is in great need of revival (especially in America), the kind we saw in the past prior to the Revolution. Secondly, the church is to be a Holy temple and gathering of God’s people that holds fast to God’s word and does not allow the devil to get a “beech head” in it. Emergent theology will not prepare the church for revival; it will only prepare the church to assimilate more of the world into its life and hasten its death.
Question two: Is God always nice? According to the emergent ideals, He is. But most Christian only get a selective exposure to Scripture by the devotionals they us. Too often these devotionals use “nice” verses to help these people through their day. Others never read the Bible through but only get verses in the Sunday School quarterly, or what is flashed on the screen in the front of the church. The emergent theology often determines what parts of the Bible people will rad and study. Then they don’t understand the theme of God’s plan and they can become disillusioned when things happen that do not match their theology.
If you search the Scriptures you will find some shocking times when God was not “nice”. Take Ananias and Sapphira – they lied to God and died. Lot’s wife simply looked back and became a pillar of salt. Uzzah put his hand on the Ark of the Covenant and died instantly. These accounts do not fit the emergent ideals and confuse many people, but that is because their theology is defective.
Question three: Does God ever leave virgins out in the cold? Some have the idea that God is a great big grandpa type that just lets everything slide by. But Scripture tells us different. He has set boundaries and has given warning if we cross those boundaries. The parable of the Ten Virgins tells us that those who prepared for the Bridegroom’s coming entered into the banquet while the five that did no prepare were left ou in the cold. When the five foolish came to enter they were told “Verily I say unto you, I know you not.” There was no mercy to these who refused the warning to prepare for the Groom’s coming.
We live in an “entitlement society” where people have been and still are being trained to believe that everyone is, somehow entitled to a slice of the pie. The person who doesn’t work is somehow entitled to a mansion and luxuries that the person who has worked and made a good living. Socialism appeals to those who don’t work and want someone else’s large slice of the pie and this thinking had entered the church. Those who don’t get what they want stage rallies, protests and even violent demonstrations and the liberals defend it. The verse that says if a man doesn’t work he shouldn’t eat sounds cruel and cold but reality is real. Heeding God’s boundaries is preparation for God’s realities.
In the Post Modern church pastors and laymen alike like to escape reality. Marriage, commitment and true Christianity is defined by their relative thoughts and theology, not the word of God. This type of theology and living is an open invitation to the man of lawlessness.