Does The Church Need To Repent?

I write often on our mistaken notion of leadership in the Christian Church. It is not to be overly critical but because I think we have made some bad choices in the leadership model we follow. Face it, we put a lot of emphasis on leadership in our churches and too often it is based on the principles of the world instead of on the Bible. We look at how to handle and manage people. We look at performance and appearance. We train for right decision making and great management skills. Yet time after time we see the world model of leadership fall apart in Scriptures.

Absalom, the son of David, was leadership material from top to bottom. He was good looking, intelligent, well mannered, and knew how to manage and manipulate people. Sometimes there is a fine line between leading and manipulating. This is what the people saw of him:

Now in all Israel there was no one who was praised as much as Absalom for his good looks. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. (2 Kings 14:25)

We always seem to be stuck judging leadership by appearance, after all, what else do we have to go on? But appearances are often deceiving because we do not have a full understanding of actions, and motivation is not always apparent. Too often we are overlooking the truly biblical leader for the one who has the appearance of leader. But Absalom was wicked to the core. He hated his father and used his intelligence to take the kingdom from the king. He lied, cheated, manipulated and killed to wreck vengeance on his father but all the people could see was that he was good looking.

Unfortunately we only use our eyes in trying to judge leadership but we have been equipped with the discernment of the Holy Spirit. We also have the model of leadership that Jesus gave us; that of the servant-leader who leads by example and not by edict. We do not choose our leaders in the Kingdom, they are appointed, called out by the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4 are just two examples of Scripture that reveal this truth. Leadership in the Church is not a career and not something that seems like a good idea. Leaders are the best servants, sacrificing everything for those they serve.

There has been a bigger push on in the last couple of decades to legitimize church leaders in the eyes of the world. We have required them to be better educated and better skilled. Much of this education is built on the models of the world, for the world's approval. Much of the training is built on sound business practices, based on the world. When we are building our churches based on world models instead of the Bible there is a problem and our hearts will gravitate to harlotry instead of loving Jesus with all our heart, all our mind, all our soul, and all our strength. No wonder we are producing what we are producing and seeing even leaders turn away when the slightest breeze blows against their feeble faith.

Those who are mature in the Lord, who are strong in their faith, and who are resolved to go the distance with Jesus, who clearly hear the prompting of the Spirit, need to call out to the Church to repent, to turn from the course they are on, to call out to Jesus before it is too late. For indeed the hour is getting late and we are seeing more of the spirit of the end times with each passing day. People honestly think they are safe when they are filled with the ugliness of sin which keeps them focused on themselves. They have been led in a wrong understanding of grace and now stand on the brink of judgment. We need to call to the Church, to humble herself before her Groom, to cast off everything that is of self and be renewed in her first Love again.

Quick, as we yell to the world to save itself by turning to Jesus, we need to shout to the Church to be renewed in the same Jesus. I say quick because there is much work to be done and very little time. Things have been happening slowly but the timetable is about to hit hyper-speed.

A Holy Nation - For What Purpose?

They say  that if we do not study history we are doomed to repeat it. That gives us a very good reason to study the Old Testament. I once had someone tell me that there are no perfect people in the Bible except one, and that the LORD had filled his Word with ordinary people so we could discover how extraordinary he is by his mercy and grace. As we study the Hebrew Scriptures we do indeed find a God of mercy and grace who often covered the sins of his people.

What a wonderful LORD we serve who called us by his mercy and grace for his purpose. But in order for us to understand our purpose we need to study history to understand the purpose of Israel. What was so special about them? Why did the LORD choose them to reveal his glory to the world? He seemed to have nothing but problems with them.

First, it was more than a choosing. The LORD grew this nation. He chose a man (Abraham) and then he gave this man a son with a promise that he was the seed of a great nation. From this seed he developed a large family that was blessed with fertility. The Egyptians tried to control the population but could not because God's blessing was upon them. By the time they left Egypt we know there were over 600,000 fighting men so if we add the women and children and the older folk, the population could very well have been over 2 million people. That's in just over 300 years.

The LORD had grown this nation for a specific reason. It wasn't because Abraham was a superstar and the LORD wanted to honour him. It was because our LORD had chosen a period in time to reveal his glory to the world. He said to this nation:

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ (Exodus 19:5-6)

He had set this nation aside, giving them a set of laws to follow, and called them holy because he is holy. He poured blessings into them, prospered them, drove out nations from them, created a land for them, watched over and defended them, all so he could show himself to the world.

Now Israel, instead of understanding their purpose and place, became like spoiled and disobedient children. They were a source of heartache for the LORD, yet he gave them opportunity after opportunity to get it right. He had warned them what disobedience would bring. He warned them that there were consequences for rejecting his holiness and their purpose, but Israel still made it about them and the LORD had to bring in severe correction.

Why is this important to us as the Church? Because this is what the LORD has said of the Church, the Body of Christ:

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

I believe at times the Church has forgotten her purpose; that we, as a nation, act as spoiled children, doing whatever we want with the excuse of grace. But the LORD has raised us up with the same purpose as Israel was raised up: to be his people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. For ourselves? Don't you believe it. He has done this so that we will magnify the name of Jesus in words and deeds, so the whole world will see his glory.

But I am afraid we are making the same mistake. I believe we are destroying ourselves and our witness. I believe we are setting aside our purpose for selfish gain. I think we are trying to gain the whole world at the risk of our souls. I think we have to repent. I think we need to turn away from the direction in which we are headed. I think the LORD must become our LORD once more and we his holy nation, set aside for his purpose so that the whole world may see his glory, believe and be saved. It's not about us.






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