Our Lenten theme is returning to the Almighty Creator God. Zechariah 1:3 “Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.” But most will say, what have I done? Why do I have to return? These verses sum up this thinking. Jeremiah 8:6 “I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. None of them repent of their wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Each pursues their own course like a horse charging into battle.” Proverbs 30:20 “This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’” People in the church think they have done nothing wrong because of all the deception and delusion that has taken place in the church. But because God’s people rebelled against His word, delusion and deception happened to the church and was left desolate. Just because most think nothing has been done wrong, doesn’t mean that nothing is wrong. The proof is the very distinct difference in all the churches there are. Each have their own men and women that are held to a god-like status and doctrines and theology they refuse to turn from. But those are the wicked ways that need to be turned from. The other very obvious proof is that the church looks nothing like the church Jesus empowered it to be. That power was taken away (God turned His face) when the church began almost right away to follow a different Jesus and other gospels. Sadly, like those Jeremiah spoke to, they think God will do nothing. Jeremiah 5:12 “They have lied about the Lord; they said, “He will do nothing! No harm will come to us; we will never see sword or famine. 13 The prophets are but wind and the word is not in them; so let what they say be done to them.” They think that because that is what they are being told. On Sunday we will be looking at God not doing nothing about rebellion.
This is why repentance is so important because God does not tolerate rebellion. Here is what happened to Judah. Jeremiah 25:3 “For twenty-three years—from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah until this very day—the word of the Lord has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened. 4 And though the Lord has sent all his servants the prophets to you again and again, you have not listened or paid any attention. 5 They said, “Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and you can stay in the land the Lord gave to you and your ancestors for ever and ever. 6 Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not arouse my anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.” 7 “But you did not listen to me,” declares the Lord, “and you have aroused my anger with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves.” 8 Therefore the Lord Almighty says this: “Because you have not listened to my words, 9 I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin. 10 I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.”
The people were warned over and over again, just as the church has been warned, yet continues to refuse to listen and turn from wicked ways. Now is the time to repent. Today marks a season of repentance, at least on the calendar. It is a preparation for Easter and as one writer said, “we begin our season of preparing our hearts for Easter by recognizing our brokenness and need for conversion, a turning of our hearts to God.” Jesus already rose from the dead, so now it is about whether or not you will submit wholeheartedly to His sovereignty. Will you actually turn from your wicked ways or continue wearing a veil over your face because you refuse to follow God’s word wholeheartedly? What the Catholic who wrote that fails to understand is that its Catholicism they need to turn from. It is not just Catholicism but all others from Baptists to Pentecostals that also need to turn away. What most people in the church do not realize, is the very thing they have committed their lives to is leading them not to eternal life as they have been taught but to eternal damnation. Each distinct group must turn from their wicked ways and the good news is that there is hope if they do. Jeremiah said Jeremiah 29:10 “This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” Proverbs 8:17 “I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.”
Many people quote Jeremiah 29 but fail to understand these people were in captivity for seventy years and very few survived since the time Babylon attacked. Today is called Ash Wednesday but putting ash on your forehead is meaningless as the ritual and symbolism cannot replace true confession. Isaiah 59:20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the Lord.” It has been said “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Some in the church took this thinking seriously and began to change how they “did church.” They realized that they needed to entertain the masses and most importantly came to understand not to offend them or they would go somewhere else. This actually worked, at least from a worldly view. Ministers became CEOs and gurus and their words began to replace the word of God. The words of man replacing God’s word had been going on long before the church growth movement which was a movement taking the church even further from the truth. Other churches then bowed before these gurus hoping to clone what they had done. Usually, it never worked to the level of those they tried to clone, but it did work. The organism became the organization. Some have said the doing was actually the being but what were they doing? What were people committing their lives to? What they were doing was just entertaining the masses and as soon as the entertainment was not enough, they would find somewhere else to be entertained. They wanted to be fed a simple diet that allowed them to have one foot in the church and the other in the world. Proverbs 23:3 “Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.” 2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” Sadly, there are too many who are offering food that is deceptive and many who are looking for their ears to be scratched. 1 Timothy 4:1 “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” These demonic teachings are everywhere in the church.
The problem is the church really wasn’t looking for different spiritual results; they were looking to fill auditoriums. Most understood that teaching God’s word was offensive and would not have the results that would make them like the gurus. The gospel is not for sale. 2 Corinthians 2:17 “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.” But if they had tried to be like Jesus instead, the results would have been what we saw in scripture, but most do not believe it is possible, so they chose to follow man. If most churches all of a sudden said, we are returning to the word of God, repent and turn from your wicked ways, following God’s word is now what is expected. The parking lot on Sunday would be as empty as it is through the week. The church building really is what the body of jesus presently looks like. That is not a typo as most churches are not the body of Christ because there is no anointing, they follow a different jesus and have accepted different gospels. For one hour, once a week the parking lot is full, but the rest of the week remains empty. Even though the church has tried to imitate the business world, can you imagine a business with all the property and building in use for an hour or two a week. Truthfully the church is not a charity and should be paying property taxes. One writer said, “Many Canadians don’t realize that religious properties are tax exempt, however, this privilege is increasingly being debated as organized religion recedes.” And it should be, but that would cause great financial strain on most churches, and they would be worse off than they already are.
As we embark on this journey know that repentance is what brings the kingdom of God near. When the kingdom comes near the church will be doing as Jesus did. Matthew 4:23 “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.” That’s what the kingdom looks like, therefore the church should look the same. Mark 1:15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
