The Spiritual Condition of the People
Matthew 22:29 “Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God”. John 8:31-32 “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”.
Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shall be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children”.
Hosea 4:9 “And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings”.
Isaiah 30:10-11 “ Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us the right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: “ Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us”.
When I was in the 10th grade in high school, they taught me the law of supply and demand. If there were a demand for something, someone would supply the need. If people demanded anointed singing and challenging preaching, people would arise to supply the demand. Our problems today cannot simply be placed on the back of the preacher, worship leader or the people; there is enough blame to go around. The question must be asked; do you really want to be challenged by the minister, convicted by the spirit, convinced by the word, and make radical change? Do you really want to hear that the demands of a holy God on a redeemed people? Are you tired of shallow, superfluous, non-confrontational, no depth ministry?
Even a casual observation of the average church worship service reveals that they are all pretty much the same. Primarily mild-mannered ministers, preaching mild-mannered sermons to mild-mannered people on how to be more mild-mannered is the order of the day. Leonard Ravenhill said, “If we don’t get more pull back in the pulpit we are going to fill up the pit”. It is my observations that most worshipers, and I use the term loosely, are either bored, preoccupied, or has lost their desire to truly worship. The reason people no longer enter into worship with the preacher is; they are not interested, have wandering minds or don’t know the storyline well enough to keep up. An amen or hallelujah, would not kill you, would it? The prophet Amos said, “Woe unto you that are at ease in Zion”. Have you gotten too lazy to participate in church or you just don’t care?
Your public participation or nonparticipation is a direct reflection of your private lives. Most of you have little or no private prayer life, private worship or true study time. Furthermore, you’re not sensitive to the Holy Spirit and seldom pray in the spirit. It is awkward to participate publicly what you do not practice privately. A lukewarm church makes the Savior nauseous and leaves him outside knocking at the door for an entrance. A hyped up church is just as cold or lukewarm as one where they sit with folded hands and pursed lips.
A former general official recently asked me the question. “If an intelligent person came to you and asked; “will you please take me to a place where I can experience biblical Pentecost on any given Sunday, and you would be assured that his presence would fill the house,” where would you take them?
When it comes to biblical knowledge, most of our people don’t know the Ten Commandments, can’t name the twelve apostles, don’t know the theme of the books of the Bible, and cannot give a working definition of justification by faith. Yet, you have the audacity to judge ministry, think you’re going in the rapture, are living without spot or wrinkle, have a vibrant love affair with Jesus and are immune from deception. You know more about everything than the word. You are far more excited over your children or grandchildren, than you are Jesus. Most of you have not matured but have continued in the same old cycle year after year, and have grown complacent, defensive and infantile.
Prayer meetings do not require soft music, testimony service or chatting about football, the mall, hunting and fishing or just plain gossiping. I am often amazed at how uncomfortable people are in public prayer. Because they don’t pray privately, public prayer seems phony. Because you have spent so little time with this person you are not comfortable talking to him in front of other people. Many pastors I have preached for spend their prayer time telling God how faithful they have been to him and preaching him their best sermon. So many people just sit and say bless my four and no more.
There is very little travail or agonizing in prayer for the souls of men, the purifying of oneself or the rekindling of one’s personal fire. When was your last fast? When’s the last time you stayed up late in the night praying over the lost or the hurting? How many of you know what it means to have a burden for someone that will not lift until you pray it through? How long has it been since you prayed well into the night for your church and pastor to have true revival?
Repentance and Restitution. Do you truly hate your own sin? To repent means to admit it and quit it; not to slow down or taper off. Open repentance and restitution, have always been hallmarks of a true move of God. If you cannot repent to brothers and sisters whom you can see how could you possibly repent and come clean with a God you cannot see? All of my life, I have heard people stand up repent and make restitution over lying, stealing, anger, hard words, and then proceed to give glorious testimony of healings, deliverance, and the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Fellowship is a threefold cord; you, me and Jesus. When true fellowship is taking place, time seems to stand still. Who came up with the idea that church should start at 11 o’clock sharp, and end at 12 o’clock Dull? I have heard some of the most carnal remarks about church and what time we are to dismiss. “I have a life to live,” “I don’t care if people need altar time I leave at 12 o’clock.” “One service a week is enough for anybody.” “I don’t get much out of it anyway and I am not wasting my time.” You can spend hours watching television, talking on the phone, shopping, hunting or fishing, and then think one hour for Jesus is certainly enough.
Humility is to think less of oneself and to prefer others. What a radical concept! How can this possibly be when I am surely the most important person in the world? They have come up with the gospel, just to suit me, and to lift my self-esteem. For the past thirty years we have preached a gospel of the flesh; my word, my gift, my anointing, my money, my blessing. The church is dying of “I” trouble, not heart trouble.
God is looking for people who want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. When is the last time you preferred someone other than yourself, with no hidden agenda? Our relationship with God and our fellow man seldom reaches the depth of true caring, compassion or burden bearing. Most churches are nice, superficial, and never provoke, challenge or sharpen each other.
Let us look into intense corporate worship and spontaneous praise. There was a time, people used to run to our Sunday night services just to hear us sing and shout. Most Pentecostal denominations grew through their Sunday night services. Our worship was intense, spontaneous and captivating. When is the last time you spontaneously combusted and the fire spread across the sanctuary? Much of the so-called worship is repetitious, non-inspiring, sensual, appealing to the flesh, having departed the spirit.
When it comes to reverence modesty and divine order, they are completely missing in most churches. Cell phones, tweaks, texting and game boys are all used by teens and adults during worship and preaching. Getting up and leaving service three times in one hour is ridiculous. You can stand in line at Disney for two hours and never move, but you cannot sit in church for one hour. Get real. This movement was started by men in overalls, work boots and ladies in flour sack dresses, but they were clean, shined and starched. They believed God deserved their very best, no matter how meager the offering. Your irreverent, immodest approach to the Throne of God is just silly and expresses your disdain for his Majesty. Are you too cool for Jesus, to offer Him any thing better than your worst? Malachi 1:6-10
“A son honoureth his father and a servant his master: if then I be a master, where is my fear”? Saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests that despise my name. And ye say, wherein have we despised thy name? (7) “Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, the table of the Lord is contemptible. (8) And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if ye offer the lame and the sick, is it not evil? Offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? Saith the Lord of hosts. (9) and now, I pray you, beseech God that He will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? (10) Who is there among you that would shut the doors for naught? Neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for naught. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand”.
We have lowered our expectation and anticipation of church because so many weeks, months, years and decades have passed since Jesus had full control and the miraculous was an option, if not a reality.
Intercessors and prayer warriors were once a very vital part of the church. They kept the devil out, the fire hot, and the preacher covered. The greatest accolade that could be offered is to say that a person is a true intercessor.
Discernment is to know the root of the matter; Jesus came to lay the ax to the root, not deal with the fruit. Most cannot tell the difference in the flesh and the spirit or the difference between anointed ministry and carnality. Discernment is not being critical and it is highly needed in this time.
I held a revival many years ago and there were so many new converts that came in, that they filled the church for four solid weeks. I’m talking about rough sinners transformed by the blood, the word and the spirit. They were so zealous; I was convicted and jealous of that goofy smile on their face. Their worship, giving, attendance and hanging on every word came so naturally, for they had received the new birth. We so rarely see this today because people are not truly being born again; they receive a repeat after me, dry eyed salvation, which does not meet the New Testament standard of II Corinthians chapter 5:17.
Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Most of you cannot name the nine gifts; much less give a working definition of each one or the parameters for proper use. Tongues and interpretation are not the only gifts. Most of the time I’ve heard these used, they were not genuine, or else God has very little to say. Primarily only five or six things are spoken, I like your worship better than the church down the street, I’ve seen your tears in the midnight hour, and the preacher preached what I wanted. Except this one is usually interpreted by the preacher or one of his cronies. Hang on, it’s going to get better, the sun will come up in the morning and oh yes, let us not forget, I’m coming soon.
How long are you going to continue in this silly, shallow, non-repentant religion with no power or passion present, and very little answered prayer? Why bother with the whole thing, If we’re not going to have God’s best?
Robert Pilgrim
