Luke 21:17-18
And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. 18 But not a hair of your head shall be lost. 19 By your patience possess your souls.
The band Pink Floyd wrote a song entitled, Comfortably Numb. The song is melodic and captivating as the notes and melodies are played out. But what intrigues me about the title, is that the world over is or has become comfortably numb. We have become dull of hearing to the word of God, as we give way to political rhetoric, and persuasive speeches from motivation speakers disguising as pastors. We've become numb to the latest scandals coming out of the swamp in DC. We have become numb to the happenings in the land of Israel. But this is nothing new. This numbness has been going on for a long time.
Whenever a believer in Christ speaks up or stands out for the glory of God, they become targets of hate and resentment. Most stay in their comfort zone and feel as if they have nothing to contribute, or are fearful of being rejected. Well, we can look no further than to Christ to understand what true hatred and rejection is like, and what He endured while He was in the flesh living among us. The world around Him, for the most part, was comfortably numb too!
There is such a desire in the world for everyone to be inclusive, diverse and equitable. Well, perhaps that is for everyone except those who love and follow Jesus. But as we hurl into the end times, and as we see the signs of the age come to pass, evil rears its ugly head and fills the hearts and minds full of the things of this world. We then become deaf, dumb and blind to it all, and follow the rest of the sheep.
Satan is working overtime to get the world to turn to him. He is working on the hearts of believes to get them to turn away from God's will and forsake their faith. And you know what? It's happening right now. The Church and people of faith are under attack, and are accused of being exclusive, anti-culture, anti-social, intolerant and life killers. They even equate believers of having the same mindset of that as of a serial killer.
What we have now is a Church that is fragmented and eroding into capitulation and apostasy. The post modern Church has conformed and cowered to a secular world view. It is leaving behind biblical standards that were once held in esteem; where the Church was central and integral institution; a strong fortress, and a pillar in our communities not too terribly long ago.
What we see now, are church leaders giving in and refusing to stand up and stand firm in a biblical world view. They refuse to speak out against sin, and only preach about how we ought to just go with the flow, do our own thing that makes us feel good, and God will pay back what was lost.
Well, it is true, God will pay back. But He will also pay back to those who capitulate and let the world and demonic doctrines into the church. This is why some preachers won't preach about sin in its full context. Or they won't preach about true, godly sorrow that brings repentance and forgiveness of our sins by way of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are more worried about offending someone or losing them in the process by the truth. So, they capitulate and give in.
This reality is becoming more evident, and we can see clearly that what is going on in the Church these days is leading the churches who practice the ways of the world, and those who give into the popular trends and social pressures of the times, to and through the wide gate that leads to destruction.
Now is the time for churches to regain the ground they lost over the years from failure and fear. Paul told his protégé Timothy to get ready to stand firm and stand up for the faith. To go against the culture tide, and preach true to the word of God.
2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." (The New Living Translation renders season as, 'whether the time is favorable or not' - a looser translation might be "popular or not").
It is time for the Church - that is you and I who proclaim to be followers of Jesus Christ, to do what is right in the sight of God, rather what is right in the sight of the world. That also means stop being comfortably numb and stand up in the strength of the Holy Spirit. The world may hate you, but remember, the world hated Jesus first.
My prayer for all of us is from Ephesians 1:18-23
I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. 1 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
Your servant on Christ,
Tom
Pastor, Still Waters Home Fellowship
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