What is Killing the Church?

Ephesians 5:3-11 ESV

“But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”

Have you ever noticed that this subject of sexual immorality is a major recurring theme all throughout the Scriptures? I found at least 30 Bible references to the subject of sexual immorality in the New Testament alone, but I am certain this is not a complete list. And what I have found in reading the Scriptures, where there are specific lists of sins, is that sexual immorality, sensuality, and impurity seem to top most of the lists. 

[Matt 5:27-28; Matt 15:19; Mk 7:21-22; Ac 15:20,29; Ac 21:25; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 13:9,13; 1 Co 5:1-13; 1 Co 6:9-18; 1 Co 7:2; 1 Co 10:8; 2 Co 12:21; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 4:19; Eph 5:3-6; Col 3:5-6; 1 Thess 4:3; 1 Tim 1:10; Heb 12:16; Heb 13:4; 1 Pet 4:3; 2 Pet 2:2,14; Jude 1:4-7; Rev 2:14-22; Rev 9:21; Rev 14:8; Rev 17:2-4; Rev 18:3-9; Rev 21:8; Rev 22:15] 

Why do you think that is? And I know I have talked about this before, but I believe that we should make this subject of primary concern instead of shoving it under the rug because it is not a comfortable subject to talk about. For I believe the most predominant sin issue impacting the church in America today is in the area of sexual immorality and sensuality and idolatry and adultery. And it is killing the life of the church and marriages and families. And it is destroying the lives of those addicted to it, too.

But the American church seems to be more like the Corinthian church (see 1 Corinthians 5:1-13) who had just one man who was sleeping with his father’s wife, apparently, so this was considered a type of incest. But today some statistics have it as high as 75% of Christian men regularly engaged in pornography, with as high as 35% of pastors, and then women and children are engaged in this, as well. And that is just one element of sexual immorality. The amount of immorality going on is astounding today!

And what is even more astounding about it is that it is happening among the people who profess faith in Jesus Christ. And this should not be! But the American church at large (not all congregations) is proud of their gatherings and their praise teams/bands and their preachers and their activities, etc., but while few seem to be exercising any kind of church discipline at all, but rather some are providing support groups for the addicted to sin while their spouses are sometimes treated like the enemy.

And then is it any wonder that the world is in the condition that it is in when you consider the condition a large portion of the church is in, at least here in America? And then we have all these preachers who are preaching a false half-truth gospel which does not require turning away from sin to follow our Lord in obedience to his commands. They either discount it all together, or they make it optional, but few are making it a requirement of God for salvation and for eternal life with God. Then, look at the results!

I mean, who today is teaching this that if you are sexually immoral in practice, i.e. if it is your habit to do what the Scriptures term as sexual immorality that you have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God unless you repent and you turn away from that practice and you now walk in moral purity and in obedience to our Lord? Very few are teaching this. The majority are teaching that if you profess faith in Christ all your sins are forgiven and so they are no longer held against you, even current sins.

So the American church at large is on a massive moral and spiritual decline. And so many professing Christians are following after pied pipers who are leading them to their deaths on the promise of heaven when they die. And this should greatly concern us! And there should be an outcry against this from all of us who claim to worship God and to follow Jesus with our lives. But instead, not many are even mentioning it, or if they are, they are not usually dealing with the issue biblically, it appears.

Now I am going to give you a personal example of what I believe is happening here in America, and perhaps in the rest of the world, as well. My husband and I went through a period of time when we were basically addicted to watching movies. But then it seemed we had watched all the ones we wanted to see, and so we began to make some compromises a little bit at a time, convincing ourselves that we could deal with a little smut (mild at first) so that we could be entertained and have fun. That was wrong!

The same thing is happening in the gatherings of the church. Little by little they have been convinced to make minor compromises and to accept more and more worldliness and godlessness in the name of fun and entertainment and enjoyment. And little by little they have embraced lie after lie after lie until so many now have gotten so far away from the truth of the Scriptures that there is not much of a distinction today between the church and the world, and so many believe their sins don’t matter to God for eternity.

But please step away from all that for a moment, and please read what the Scriptures teach, for far too many preachers are not teaching what the Scriptures teach in their fulness, but they have compromised with the world and they have diluted the gospel to make it more appealing to the flesh of humans, and many of them are living in sin, too. But if you live in sin, and if sin, including sexual immorality, is your habit, you will face the wrath of God, and not his grace, unless you turn from your sin and you obey the Lord.

So, don’t follow the ways of the flesh. Don’t buy into these diluted gospel messages which do NOT teach that if you live in sin that you that you will face God’s wrath and that you will not inherit eternal life with God. Don’t become partners with them. Don’t take part in the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them! Yes! Expose them! Reject the lies. Read your Bibles in context and obey the Word of the Lord. And walk in holiness and righteousness and not in sin. Then you have the hope of eternal life.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

My Sheep  

An Original Work / June 24, 2012  

Based off John 10:1-18 NIV

My sheep hear me. They know me.

They listen to my voice and obey.

I call them and lead them.

They know my voice, so they follow me.

They will never follow strangers.

They will run away from them.

The voice of a stranger they know not;

They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that

I am the gate, so you enter in.

Whoever does enter

Will find forgiveness and will be saved.

Nonetheless whoever enters

Not by the gate; other way,

He is the thief and a robber.

Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,

Who laid his own life down for the sheep.

I know them. They know me.

They will live with me eternally.

The thief only comes to steal and

Kill and to destroy the church.

I have come to give you life that

You may have it to the full… 

They know my voice, so they follow me.

https://vimeo.com/114938263