A World Without Prophets

The people of Israel waited 400 years for a word from God.  As they looked around their country and watched the Roman soldiers move in and out of their cities they anxiously awaited the day when God would bring judgment on the pagan nation that occupied the land of His people.  With each passing year the discontent with their situation grew and with it their desire to see God’s mighty work.  More than anything in this earthly existence they hoped to see the Messiah come and set up God’s Kingdom in Jerusalem so that they could become the ones who occupied other nations.  The people wanted the nations that had oppressed them for so many years to bow before them and live in subjection to their rule. 

Year by year they waited without so much as a word from God’s prophets until – seemingly from nowhere – the most unlikely man appeared in the desert.  He was clothed in animal skin and ate things that would turn the stomach of most.  But the message he carried was the one that Israel had waited hundreds of years to hear, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matt. 3:2).”  People left Jerusalem and flocked to the desert to hear this man proclaim God’s Kingdom.  Many were sure this was what they had been looking for, but was it?

When Jesus came onto the scene, the one who John the Baptist had proclaimed and for whom the people waited, His presence and teaching were met with excitement.  God was finally going to place all the enemies of Israel under their rule.  But Jesus came teaching a different kind of kingdom than the political reign that they expected.  He was not interested in rewarding a nation that had lost sight of God in the midst of all their ritual and tradition, but He came to call that very nation to repentance.  The same people who waited with great anticipation for the Messiah were confronted, not with the message they wanted to hear, but with a call to leave their self-righteous lives behind and return to a God whom they didn’t even realize they had left.

Have you ever been confronted with a time when God’s instruction was not what you hoped it would be?  We all have high hopes and great expectations regarding what we think God should do for us.  We spend countless hours talking about His mercy and compassion (and rightly so), but how often do we consider the judgment of God?  Do we ever consider the words He has for those who may have strayed, or nations that have turned their backs on Him?

God’s judgment is likely to be the least popular topic in all of Christianity – rivaled only by preaching or teaching about Hell.  In a society that is focused on feeling good about yourself and the way you live it is difficult for preachers and teachers of the Bible to proclaim God’s words of judgment against the sinful things of the world.  Some people treat the prophecies and passages of God’s judgment as some type of caricature, or an idle threat made by a God who would never really punish anyone for anything, despite the fact that Jesus said, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline (Rev. 3:19)…”  And the writer of Hebrews reminded us, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by Him.  For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives (Heb. 12:5, 6).”

That the judgment of God is clearly proclaimed throughout the entirety of Holy Scripture is clear to see.  Many refuse to acknowledge the judgment proclaimed in Old Testament times, but it is quoted and restated in the New Testament.  Some type of warning against straying from God is apparent in almost every book of the New Testament, and it is difficult to read more than two or three chapters of the Bible without seeing reminders that God is jealous for our love and devotion and will not settle for anything less.  But if this is the case, why do we not hear more preaching and teaching about God’s judgment?  If Jesus really “rebukes and reproves” those whom He loves, why is it not clearly proclaimed throughout the church today?  Surely there must be things happening in the world around us – and maybe even in the church – that are not pleasing to God.  In a day when sound doctrine (yes, some of us still consider that important because Scripture teaches that it is) is compromised in the name of numbers, and standards of personal holiness are all but nonexistent there must be a word of reproof from the God who loves us. 

As we consider the fullness of the Word of God and the revelation of His character that comes from the Bible it becomes very clear that God will not simply smile and wink at sin among His people.  In fact, He continues to judge sin when it occurs among them.  “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God (1 Peter 4:17).”  God told the people of Israel in Old Testament times, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities (Amos 3:2).”  Sadly, many Christians today can go a lifetime without hearing a single sermon, or even a lesson in a Bible study or small group on Scriptures like these.  They seem to continually be overlooked.  But why the hesitation to address these verses and others like them?  Why the nervousness about boldly proclaiming the Word of the Lord?

The reason we do not hear the Word of God in its entirety is because we live in a world without prophets.  In Old Testament times God would call people to deliver His message to the masses who had forgotten Him.  When the wealth and comfort of the people began to take their attention from God He would raise up a prophet to proclaim, “Hear the Word of the Lord.”  Men who would carry the message fearlessly to a hostile people; who took their lives in their hands every time they relayed what God had revealed to them.  Amos told the people of his day, “the Lord does nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets (Amos 3:7).”  When the people seemed beyond hope, and their relationship with God had faded into little more than a distant acquaintance, God sent His prophets to warn the people of His impending judgment – not because He no longer loved them, but because He wanted to discipline them and give them an opportunity for a new beginning and a fresh start.  Even when God flooded the earth it was so that Noah, who was a “righteous in his day,” could begin anew without the corruption of sin in the world around him.  Each time a prophet cried out, each time they uttered God’s judgments and commands the people were given a chance to repent and return to God.

Unfortunately, the prophets were commonly met with receptions of anger and violence.  Many were beaten and killed because the people just refused to heed the Word.  Even Jesus was met with scorn and ridicule when the Word He delivered from God was not the word that the people of His day wanted to hear.   When Amos proclaimed the Word, Amaziah the priest accused him of conspiracy and told him to leave the people and not to continue to prophecy (Amos 7).  Even after thousands of years the reception of God’s messengers has not changed.  People expect to listen to sermons each Sunday and go home feeling good for the week.  Many even expect to feel good about – and at times be commended for – their sinful lives.  If the preacher to whom they listen will not give them what they expect they will go down the street and find another who will.  No matter what community they live in people can always find someone who is willing to proclaim less than the fullness of the Word of God. 

Preachers in our day do not help matters.  There are always preachers who are willing to “tickle the itching ears” of the people.  They have found that if they continually work to please people that they can accumulate great numbers and build large programs and function on vast budgets.  In the process of all this, the prophets who will boldly proclaim the Word of the Lord - His love as well as justice, and His mercy as well as judgment – have essentially disappeared.  The “watchmen” that God has set over His people have failed time and again to sound the alarm and give warning of the impending judgment of God.  Scripture teaches us that God’s wrath will be shown from heaven against those who “by their unrighteousness suppress the truth (Romans 1:18).”  Notice, this is not an Old Testament prophecy that many so easily right off, but a New Testament truth.  That God’s judgment is at hand when we compromise His Word is no secret.  Yet the years go on, and the sin increases and the warnings never come.  There are many who will be accountable for the things they have taught, but also accountable for what they refused to teach.  “But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes ANY ONE of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand (Ezek. 33:6).”

It is difficult to be a watchman, given the charge of proclaiming the Word of God whether it is pleasant or difficult for the people to hear.  But God has called people to do it nonetheless.  Based on what we are taught in the New Testament we have to believe that God is speaking to His teachers today about the sin and depravity that are not only prominent in society, but have become a “normal” part of life within the church.  God is calling people who will preach His Word with fear and trembling (not of the people, but fear of the one who called them).  Though the people may try to suppress this truth it must be proclaimed.  It must be taught and shown to those who are struggling through life in sin.  God has a Word for us in our day just as He had for the people of Israel so many years ago.  Where are those who will fearlessly deliver it?  Where are those who are so consumed by love for God, so committed to His Word, so recklessly faithful that nothing will stop them from telling others what He is revealing to them?  “The lion has roared; who will not fear?  The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy (Amos 3:8).”

Scripture makes no pretense that it is a fearful job to proclaim the Word of God.  People will leave churches, and some will mock and ridicule the prophet.  A.W. Tozer spoke to the current situation when he said, “I do not know what the future holds.  But I know one thing: Rather than betray the sheep of God, rather than lie to them and deceive them and keep them agitated and stirred up with all kinds of popular topics rather than take my material from Time magazine, I’ll preach the Word to empty seats and sigh and cry for the abomination that is in the earth.” 

Though our times may seem difficult and even impossible, and the world speeds on at a torrid pace to Hell, the charge given to preachers remains the same, “preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete patience and teaching (2 Tim. 4:2)…”

Confessions of a Thankful Heart

Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.           -Psalm 50:2

We don’t have to look very far in our day to find criticisms of the church.  We need go no further than our local Christian bookstore to read about all the ways the church is “getting it wrong.”  If we aren’t feeling ambitious enough to go to the bookstore we can find this attitude perpetrated on thousands of web sites.  If you type the question, “What’s wrong with the church today?” into Google you will find 76,500,000 hits.  A lot of the criticism deals with the idea that we are too “narrow” when it comes to doctrine, and that the church today is “judgmental” and “legalistic.”  Everywhere we go we are told that doctrine doesn’t matter anymore and we need to change course and focus entirely on the mission of getting people to make a profession of faith, even at the expense of compromising the Word of God.  We call that being “missional.”  Is it possible that in spite of all the criticism, maybe the church isn’t so wrong on some of these things?  I understand that there are certainly issues in every congregation that need to be addressed, but as I consider some of the things we claim to be wrong I find that I don’t think they are all entirely bad.  In fact, I have to confess that I am grateful for some of them.

1)       The Issue of Narrow Mindedness.  We have all struggled with those who will not open their mind to the truth God has to reveal to them, and I understand that this is a problem.  But some people in our day seem to want us to be so open-minded that we will accept things that we know to be wrong.  We are expected to ignore what the Bible says about divorce and holiness.  We are considered narrow-minded if we make the claim that God has called us to live above sin.  I am thankful that there are some who are willing to be true to God’s Word in spite of the unfounded accusations against them.  Some of the greatest influences on my life and ministry are those who have been willing to stand firm in the truth whether it’s popular or not, and for those faithful men and women I am grateful.

 

2)       The Issue of Legalism.  Scripture teaches us that we are called to be holy, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy (1 Peter 1:16, 17).”  Don’t mistake this, I’m not condoning that we become tyrannical about the way people dress or look.  I don’t believe that those things make us holy, but I do find a standard in Scripture for God’s people.  There are some things that Christians just should not do.  And there are some things in Scripture that are very clear and should not be compromised.  This postmodern idea that truth is different for everyone and each person should use the Bible as they see fit has no basis in the revelation of God that we have in Scripture.  Countless thousands are misled today by those who teach that we can live however we want to live as long as we claim to be a Christian.  We have lost the glory of God that comes through the transformed lives of those who are truly saved.  I am grateful for those who will uphold and teach the standard set for in Scripture of Christlikeness. 

 

3)       The Issue of Judgmentalism.  I’m not saying that we are free to tell everyone we meet everything they’re doing wrong.  I am saying that I am grateful for those who are close to me, and their willingness to tell me when I am off base.  I am grateful that they will tell me when I am not thinking clearly and can do so without fear of me telling them they are “judging me.”  We claim we want to be submissive to God, but the fact is that, at times, we deceive ourselves and are blinded to things in our lives that need to be pointed out. 

 

4)       The Issue of Truth.  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.  Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them (Hebrews 13:8, 9).  We are told that everyone has a different doctrine, so it is not worth our time to study it.  In a world that does not recognize definite truth I am thankful for direction and guidance from God’s Word.  We do not have to stumble around in the darkness trying to find direction.  God has called us to a life lived in His light!  This keeps us from being subject to the constantly changing whims of man, the trends of the world, and the fads embraced by the church.  It is truth, Jesus told us, that will set us free!  When other search for some foundation in this sin-cursed world, we build on the truth of Jesus Christ.  What greater gift could God have given us than Jesus, the embodiment of His truth and character?  I do not claim to know every truth in all the world, but we can stand firm on what God has revealed to us.  It is unchanging, uncompromising, and definite.  I am thankful that we can sing as we did in days past, “When the voice of heaven sounded warning all to flee, from the darksome courts of Babel back to Zion free, Glad my heart to hear the message and I hastened to obey, and I’m standing in the truth today.”

 

The world around us teaches that the church is irrelevant to our modern culture, and if God’s church is to survive “everything must change.”  Despite the constant rhetoric, some of these things are not wrong.  In spite of the difficulties we face today, the church is still God’s city.  The church remains a place where God provides for, and empowers His people.  We talk a lot about the things that aren’t going well in the church, but I remain grateful.  Grateful for the people God has placed around me to share this journey of faith.  Grateful for the truth of His Word and those who have made it their life’s work to carry that truth, clergy and laity alike.  Maybe we would be better served if we quit worrying so much about what we think is wrong, and spend our time doing what God says is right.  My ministry has never been without trial.  There have been difficulties and frustrations, but as I reflect on the church, I do so with a grateful heart.