CHAPLAIN’S PAGE – SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN
WE have amongst us today a class of people who are, to put it bluntly, parasites. They contribute nothing to society, but enjoy its advantages, and are quite content to milk the system until it runs dry.
I refer to those who have made it a religion to know their “rights”, and live handsomely from the proceeds. I am not referring to those who are genuine cases of hardship, and who receive those benefits to which they are entitled.
There is also another breed of parasite, an ordained religious parasite. It is the person who has accepted the gift of eternal life through the merits of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and then abuses that gift by preaching a social gospel, omitting to teach his flock the meat of God’s Word.
Such a preacher becomes lazy in the ministry, preaching “comfortable” sermons, touching on the love of God. It is much easier to base the ministry on Christ’s love for His children, and pass over another aspect of the nature of God, namely, His wrath.
It is quite out of fashion today even to mention this word. Preach His love, certainly, as this is the way to fill the gospel halls. Add to this repetitious and childish choruses, but mention God’s wrath, and nobody would stay to listen.
The result of this soft option is that the church has become ineffectual in many cases, and provides a surface outreach to the nation. The writer has had much experience in ministering to grieving non-church going people in their times of grief
Generally, their main complaints against the churches are:
1. Their local ministers and pastors have never made any home visits, or, indeed, any contact.
2. If they have attended their local church, they often find that an unfriendly spirit prevails.
3. Weak, watery sermons, containing no real teaching of the Word of God.
One of the most frequent traps that a minister can fall into at the end of the twentieth century, is to fondly imagine that God has gone “soft”.
Many evangelicals point an accusing finger at the “Fire and brimstone” preachers of the 18th and I9th centuries, and accuse them of preaching a religion of fear. There is an element of truth in this accusation. It is well known that many people were put off by stern, humourless disciplinarian preachers of doom.
Today, the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction. In many churches and gospel halls they clap and sing about the love which they have found in Jesus. This is acceptable, because we need to praise God, but not if the matter is left there. By all means have joy in the Lord, for this is scriptural, but Our Lord said:
(John 15:11) These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
They will argue, in the light of this text, that that is exactly what they are doing. However, this is only part of the story, for they have disregarded the other side of Almighty God’s nature, which is so clearly outlined in this text:
(Ephesians 2:1-3) And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
These verses are a great challenge for the present day church, for those who have been quickened, or born again, have that joy which we saw in John’s gospel, chapter 15. However, we dare not leave the matter there, and simply wallow in our salvation. This is what I mean by “parasites”.
We all have a grave responsibility towards those who are “the children of wrath”.
Because of the watering down of the gospel, it is no longer recognised that the vast majority of people, however nice and kind they may be, if they do not know Christ as their personal Saviour, they are the children of God’s wrath.
This is a sobering thought, and from the moment this is understood, we have no right to sit back and take our salvation for granted, and do nothing about rescuing all those souls from God’s righteous anger.
We must not be like those who rob the nation of its wealth by not working if they are able, and are claiming benefits to which they are not entitled.
(2 Thessalonians 3:10) For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
Neither can we join with those Christians who accept this salvation, and put nothing back by way of Christian ministry.
Have we stopped to consider that our Saviour, after He ascended into heaven, no longer had a body or a voice on the earth? But He does have you and me, for we are His body and voice. If we neglect to use what the Lord has given us, we shall be held responsible, without doubt. (Read I Corinthians 3:9-18).
Some six hundred years prior to Christ’s birth, the prophet Jeremiah cried unto the people of the Southern House of Judah, for them to repent of their wickedness. As they would not listen, in desperation he cried:
(Jeremiah 8:20) The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved
This was a cry of despair by a man who was given a special commission by Jehovah to warn Judah of impending disaster.
I sincerely believe that we are witnessing a similar situation today, for the people are totally caught up in “doing their own thing” and any thoughts of repentance and turning from their evil and selfish ways is not on their list of priorities. The sad and shocking fact of the matter is, that the church, which should be taking over Jeremiah’s role, has lamentably failed to do so. I believe, therefore, that it must fall upon us as individuals who love the Lord and are aware of our special national relationship with Jehovah, to go out in the power of the Holy Spirit and fearlessly proclaim God’s displeasure with our national waywardness. Not that the people will heed our message any more than they did in Jeremiah’s day, but this must not deter us from what, I believe, is a sacred duty. It will not make us the “flavour of the month”, for it is not a pleasant message to proclaim.
We may, however, take comfort from the fact that the prophets were sometimes stoned, derided, or run out of town. Hopefully, the same fate will not overtake us!
Undoubtedly, the nation will not listen, (apart from a few), any more than Judah did, some two thousand five hundred years ago. The onus of responsibility is upon us, for we each have a vital part to play in warning the people that Almighty God has not gone soft in these last days.
He is still the Almighty Creator God who does not change, and His laws and purposes stand inviolate throughout eternity.
