Huge Church Scandal

QUESTION RECEIVED: 

What is the biggest scandal in the church today; pedophile priests, youth workers messing with kids, mega-church financial scammers, or adulterous pastors?  There seems to be some scandal in the news every day.

MY ANSWER:

All of those horrible examples bring shame on the church.

There is a scandal that is worse.

Mothers and fathers are guilty.

Pastors and youth ministers are often involved.

The worst scandal ruins the lives of many people eternally.

This scandal is rampant in liberal, conservative, liturgical and contemporary churches alike.

The scandal is we talk about the life of Jesus in church and leave out His mission “to seek and save those who were lost.” (Matthew 20:28)

We talk about character building or modifying behaviors.

John the Baptist in his day asked in Matthew 3:7 to those not pursuing the righteousness of the Messiah but another religious ritual

 “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

In the early Methodist revival movement, when they were oppressed because of their zeal in the late 1700’s in England, to enter a class meeting people were asked “Do you desire to flee the wrath to come?’

Today many people in many churches and traditions would ask “what wrath?” 

And many would give the offending evangelist an explanation of why talk of wrath is not an appropriate view.

That anti-wrath view would not be supported from the prophets, Jesus Christ or the Apostles as far as the witness of scripture.

Our children, friends and visitors often have life hidden from them.

By who?  The church.

Wrath is what our Holy God will pour out on the unrighteous.

Who are the unrighteous?

The unrighteous are everyone not covered by the salvation which is the shed blood of Christ.

We are sinners – the best of us.

Christ died to pay for the sins of those who turn from sin and wrath.

Christ received the wrath of God on our behalf.

We who repent receive a grace we do not deserve  –forgiveness of sins, peace with god and eternal life.

That is the Good News. 

People need to know the bad news so they can flee the wrath.

The church often gets things backwards.

Character development is great for discipleship.

You cannot disciple those who are not saved.

We need to evangelize the unsaved then disciple them.

Our modern church problem is trying to disciple the happy damned.

Jesus said-

John 3:36 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

“36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

To avoid wrath-

Romans 5:9 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

“9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”

Preachers our people don’t need Tony Robbins or Dr. Wayne Dyer.

Our people need to know Jesus Christ crucified, risen and reigning and

Saving.

He will return to judge on righteousness only He can or would have given freely.

To hide the true saving gospel in church is scandalous.

In Christ Alone!

Fletcher Law