I know I shouldn’t be surprised at anything I see in the days in which we live, but I often am amazed at the thinking of the average professing Christian in our nation. For most, church attendance on Sunday is social event in which to make contacts that will help them increase their business, or a social club to go to when there is nothing more exciting lined up on the calendar.
For others, attending church is a good religious deed that, when weighed in the balance, will tip the scales in their favor as far as making it to heaven is concerned. Are we ever living in the days of Laodicea! The organizations known as “churches” are lukewarm at best. They are more concerned about making it home in time for kick-off than they are about what the preacher is saying. If you don’t believe me, let the preacher go past noon next Sunday and get ready for the comments.
The main problem in our churches today is that the vast majority of people who are on the membership rolls are lost. They have not been born again. They are unregenerate. I don’t know how else to say it. Because of the modern day easy believism approach to preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, many people have been talked into walking down an aisle and repeating a sentence and if they were sincere when they say it, then they were pronounced “saved” by the preacher and returned to their seats. They go through the rest of their lives living like world, yet thinking they are going to heaven.
Ask the average church member what he or she looks forward to when he or she gets to heaven. Most likely it will go something like this… “I look forward to walking on the streets of gold, living in my mansion and hanging out with my friends.” I remember one professing Christian who posted this… (not an exact quote) “I can’t wait to get to heaven so I can see my mom and Sam Houston, Jim Bowie, and all those other @#%#$$*$ who didn’t let the government of their day push them around.” What a sad statement!
The average church member is not looking forward to seeing Jesus Christ when he gets to heaven because the average church member is lost and at enmity with Christ. I have been reading through the book of Ezekiel and have been held up in Chapters 33 through 36. As I read Chapter 33, I saw that Ezekiel was called to be a watchman to the house of Israel. I wondered how the truths found there could apply to us in our day. After all, all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable to us spiritually and it was written for our learning.
When I look at our churches today, I see people who have followed in Israel’s footsteps. We are religious, yet the gods we serve are not the God of the Bible. The gods that most church members serve are gods of their own imaginations. Not long ago I watched an interview with a prominent TV talk show host who said that she grew up a Baptist, but one Sunday when the preacher said God was a jealous God…
“Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;” (Exodus 20:5).
… she knew that wasn’t her God. She was right. The God of the Bible was not her god. Her god wasn’t jealous and wrathful. Her god is a god who loves everyone. She has spent the rest of her life following after a god of her own imagination. Our churches are full of people like her. So who will warn them? Think about it…If God did not spare His own people, the nation of Israel, but chastened them for their idolatry and worship of false gods, do we think He will not do the same with us today?
We need watchmen in our churches today. We need men who will stand up and proclaim the judgment of God on our churches unless we repent. We need men who will warn the wicked, lost, unregenerate church member to repent and turn from his wicked ways and believe on Jesus Christ, as well as warn the righteous of the importance of continuing to follow Christ.
Ladies and Gentlemen…members of our churches today, Ezekiel 33 applies to you. Through the Old Testament prophets, we have been shown much about what is going to take place especially during the Great Tribulation. As we see events take place in our world, we clearly understand that the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to take His bride, the Church, to heaven for the wedding of the Messiah, is very soon. The storm clouds of the Great Tribulation are on the horizon.
Exodus 33:8-20
8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?
If our sins and penalty of our sins are upon us (and they are), and we continue to live in them, how will we be able to live in the presence of God?
Lost church member, you must understand the serious nature of your sin and God’s hatred for it. You must understand the consequence of your sins…eternal death…a separation from the peace of God, suffering the wrath of the Holy God forever in hell.
Romans 3:23 (part A) For the wages of sin is death;
Also know that God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked.
11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Here is a general call for repentance. This call is to be put out to all men and women, boys and girls. However, we know that a person in his natural, sinful condition cannot of his own free will repent of his sins and turn to Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
The will of man is a slave to his heart and the heart of the natural man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. True repentance…repentance unto salvation is a gift from God…
Romans 6:23 (part B) but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
… to those whom He chose before the foundation of the world as seen in Ephesians 1:4.
Consider how repentance is given to individuals.
Acts 5:31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
Remember, God told Ezekiel that Israel would not repent. Why not? They could not repent until God gave them repentance. The same is true of every person born into this world.
Acts 11:18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
2 Timothy 2:24-25
24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give to them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
Just as God through the Apostle Paul, in the sermon he preached to the Athenians, instructed all men everywhere to repent, we too are to instruct all men (even church members) to repent and warn them of the consequences if they don’t.
Acts 17:30
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.
31 Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
We preach repentance and faith in Jesus Christ knowing that only the elect of God will have their eyes opened, their ears opened, their stony heart removed and replaced with a heart of flesh, and be given repentance and faith unto life. We do not know who the elect of God are. That is why we are to preach the Gospel of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ to all men.
12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.
Here it is made clear that a person’s self-righteousness and religion will not save him. Understand from Isaiah 64 that all your righteousnesses are as filthy rags. It is impossible for you to please God in your own power, in the flesh.
13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.
14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;
15 If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.
16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
True repentance and faith, when granted to an individual by God, will result in salvation and that person living a life pleasing to God, a life in which the fruit of the Spirit will be displayed.
17 Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
18 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.
19 But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.
20 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.
Isn’t that just like us? Many, especially those who don’t understand the Doctrines of Grace, say, “The way of the Lord is not fair.” …when actually our ways are not fair.
No matter how righteous a person looks or acts, if it is done in self-righteousness it is sin and the person in a lost state or natural condition who dies in his sins will suffer the wrath of God unless God acts in his behalf. Though he may appear righteous, in all actuality he is wicked.
Now if that wicked person is granted true repentance and faith in Jesus Christ and he turns from his wickedness and is given a new nature and lives a life following Christ, he shall live.
Though this is true and God is right to do so, men accuse God of being unequal or unfair. Yet God will judge every one of us according to our ways. Are we acting on our own or are we living out something that God has worked in our lives for His honor and His glory?
People today need to know the vileness of their sin and the consequence of remaining in their sin. They also need to understand they are commanded to repent and believe the gospel and that failure to do so will result in eternal damnation in hell suffering the wrath of Almighty God.
Again, God does not find pleasure in the death of the wicked, so I urge you to come to Christ. Those who hear and respond are those to whom it has been given to do so. Though God does not need anyone to save a soul, He uses men and we are responsible to send out the general call to repentance.
Church members be warned:
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves, Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
Stop playing “church” and get serious about the LORD.
