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 Need of PUBLIC REBUKE


[b]Today's Need of Public Rebuke [/b]
[i]By Jesse Morrell [/i]

The attempts today of the modern Church to win the world to Christ go to such great length to assure that there be no reprisals, no rejection. It seems quite honest to me that the Church would much rather be accepted by the world then to see the world be accepted by God.

When the sinking ship of the worlds acceptance starts to go asunder, the rebuking against sin is the first to go overboard to assure that the worlds acceptance stays afloat. The hell-fire preaching is far to heavy, weighs far too much, and will certainly bring about the sinking of the ship. So it must, not in part but in whole, go overboard to secure the acceptance of the world.

If we are to win the world to God we are not to do it just any way that works, we are to do it God's way as revealed in the scripture. God's way has always been by going into all the world to preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). God's way has always been to verbally preach and not merely witness in action as we know that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). God's way has always been to preach "that people should repent". (Mark 6:12). God's way has always been by preaching in the streets, in the market places, in the squares outside of the synagogues, and at the entry gates of the cities. Wherever the sinners are is where the gospel needs to be. But God's militancy has been replaced with selfish complacency, so that the only outreach most Churches have is when they merely invite the world to come to them rather then themselves going out to the world.

"Is this effective? Is this effective" is the constant cry of the Church that has been infected and polluted with the worldliness of business. "Is this biblical? Is this biblical? is the constant cry of the man who will be despised and ridiculed by both the world and the Church.

As I preach open-air rebuking sin and exhorting sinners to flee from the wrath to come I continually hear "Is this effective" coming from professing Christians who would much rather cuddle sinners into the Kingdom. "Is this effective?" My response is, "it doesn't matter." We are not to concern ourselves with being effective at all, we are to concern ourselves with being biblical. We are to preach whether the lost hear or whether they refuse (Ezekiel 2:7). It doesn't matter if it's plowing season or if it's harvest season. We are to preach the Word in season and out of season, to convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." (2 Timothy 4:2).

Often I hear, "Your turning people off, your turning people off"? "No! They were already off. The world hated God before I had preached. The world was living in sin before I showed up! They are already off". The fallacy of the neutrality of the sinner was a concept the Lord Himself shattered when he said, "He who is not with Me is against Me" (Matthew 12:30). A person is either for God or is against God, there is no neutral ground. The whole concept of "turning a sinner off" because of preaching the Word is entirely unbiblical and it just further evidence of the drifting away from scripture of the modern Church.

When King Herod arrived to the open air meeting of John the Baptist, did John stop his preaching to give Herod a hug? No! John rebuked the Kings adultery and said, "it is not lawful for you to have her." (Matthew 14:4) Six months later John was beheaded. If many of the modern Christians were there I wonder if they would have confronted John and said, "Is this effective? John, don't you see how you turned Herod off?"

When Jesus spoke with the proud rich young ruler, who wrongfully thought he had kept all of God's commands from his youth, Jesus pointed out his sin of love of money which resulted in the man walking away sorrowfully without hearing a word of grace. (Matthew 19:22). I wonder what the modern Church would have said had they been there. "Jesus, why did you only tell the man about the Law? Don't you know we are under a new covenant and the Law doesn't matter? Jesus, don't you see how the man went away sorrowfully because you turned him off?"

When Paul was before Felix, did he elaborate on the wonderful plan and the deep of love that God had for him? No! Paul knew that the fear of God was the beginning of knowledge, not the love of God (Proverbs 1:7). So Paul "reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, "Go away for now; when I have a more convenient time I will call for you." Would the modern Church have said to Paul had they been there, "Paul, you should have talked about God's love before you talked about sin and God's judgment. Don't you see how you have turned Felix off?"

Church, we must get away from the concern of "being effective" and must back to the concern of being biblical. We must get back to calling sinners to repent to flee from the wrath that's to come (Matthew 3:7). Men and women of God, it's time to rise up and boldly proclaim the uncompromising truth of God by life or by death. It's time for the Church to forsake the world with all of it's ways and methods and seek to go God's way at any cost. It's time that we prefer the foolishness of God over the wisdom of the world and take back our societies for the glory of God. As the Church has sat comfortably in padded pews, having fellowship dinners and getting fat on itching ear preaching, the world around us has been crumbling to powder being hammered by sin and the devil. As the Church has been asleep in the light the world has remained dead in it's sins. As the Church has sought to be friends with the world, the world has ever increasingly become the enemy of God. Our country is on a greece slide down to hell and it's time for men and women of God to hit the streets with the solid truth of God, exalting His righteousness, His holiness, His justice, His mercy, His grace, exalting His son.

Will you go?

 2006/5/5 20:17
repentcanada
Member



Joined: 2005/5/9
Posts: 659


 Re: Need of Public Rebuke

yes brother yes

 2006/5/5 22:38Profile
murdog
Member



Joined: 2006/2/4
Posts: 352
Fort Frances, Ontario

 Re:

Jesse,

Thank you for that, that is just what I needed. I was having second thoughts about something I had just done the day before.

My Grandmother sent me an email that she thought was just great. It said something along the lines of, send this to eight people and read this prayer in eight seconds. The prayer was one of those bless me, bless my money and bless everyone around me type of prayers.

I wrote back to her saying that God is not a Genie up in the sky waiting for people to send emails to eight people in eight seconds with selfish prayers. I told her God does not bless people living in total defiance of Him.

I started feeling guilty afterwards because she did not email the next day because of the rebuke. Then I realized I am loving her more by telling her the truth than letting her go on in her ignorance.

Your post really shined the light on this topic for me. I know I had the mindset about "loving" people into the kingdom and being too afraid to tell them the truth.

Thanks for the wake up!

Murray


_________________
Murray Beninger

 2006/5/6 6:50Profile









 Re: Need of PUBLIC REBUKE

Quote:
It's time that we prefer the foolishness of God over the wisdom of the world and take back our societies for the glory of God.

Jesse, thank you for giving this context to your ministry. I see where you're coming from far better now, and this whole exhortation ministered to my spirit.

Since the turn of the year, I've been asking myself some extremely basic questions such as 'What is the gospel?', 'How does one lead someone to Christ?' and more fundamental still :-o 'Who is Jesus Christ?' and 'Do I know Him like I should?'

The Lord has been answering these as only He knows how to cut away the slough in our thinking, and bring the blade of His truth as close to the living layer as He can, without destroying it.

I was forced onto the streets to evangelise many years ago, when I was far from ready, but, learned that people do listen, respond, and like any of us, know the truth when they hear it. How they deal with that is another matter. I often felt that because my life was so wretched in those days, even though I did know God a little bit, I really didn't have the [u]confident[/u] testimony which would have brought them straight into the kingdom, had I been in a better place internally, and known what I was trying to do.

Sermonindex has been a source of continual challenge from the Lord, to engage with evangelism, and, in some ways I have never ceased from it.... Last Saturday, I was stopped by a man who had been drinking. I was in Edinburgh city centre, just having parted from a friend, on the way back to my car. Dressed as I do (long skirt (this one, blue velvet), striped woollen poncho rather than jacket) and my greying now shoulder length hair, I didn't realise I was jaunting along! He stopped me to say 'What are you all about?' and a few other compliments (thinking I was a psychic or mystic of some sort) which gave me the opportunity to start with 'I'm a Christian'. I was still stunned by having been stopped, and didn't say all I could to this ex-Catholic who had given his life to God, in jail, once, as he was joined by his (now embarrassed-looking) teenage son and an older man, also unsober, who began to back me up against the wall by the sidewalk. So, I took the opportunity as it fell into my lap, and encouraged him to make sure of his salvation. Then, I realised how much joy it was giving me to start away from them shouting (This is a busy city centre street, you understand.) 'Read John's Gospel! Read John's Gospel!, at the top of my voice. Hallelujah! It was a grand end to my outing. :-) OK. This doesn't mean I'm doing enough, but, I do other things too, which I believe are in God's will for my life.

 2006/5/6 7:41
Smokey
Member



Joined: 2005/2/21
Posts: 417
Edmonton Alberta Cda.

 Re: Need of PUBLIC REBUKE

Good word Jesse, AMEN.

I believe that the mindset of the majority of todays "churches" is expressed in the "What We Believe" page at www.saddleback.com

Still scratching my head over #6 on their list.

Blessings Greg
:-o


_________________
Greg

 2006/5/6 10:38Profile









 Re:

Amen, Thank you Jesse for this thread. I came under the most terrible attack last night and was feeling pretty low and alone but your post came just at the right time, praise God and confirmed to me i am on the right path. Thanks Brother :-D

 2006/5/6 17:02









 Re:

I rejoice in the Lord at the responses I've gotten for this short article, both on this site and in email.

May it convict the sinner and comfort the saints.

The word "rebuke" has thrown some people off. I think maybe I should have called the article "Todays Need to Publicly Confront Sin". My emphasis was really more about confronting sin, not so much "rebuking", although I think the article is still good as is.

 2006/5/6 17:05
myfirstLove
Member



Joined: 2005/11/26
Posts: 496


 Re: Need of PUBLIC REBUKE

yes, i agree that the modern church preaches another Jesus. they care more about pleasing the world than pleasing God. but i also see a body that is mainly in the wilderness preaching with much truth and zeal, but with no knowledge of God's love. this group is also a grievance to God.

i say this that we may becareful that we do not have any root of bitterness springing in us causing our preaching to sound like clanging cymbals.

the men in the bible preached agaist sin, but they also were men broken before God. who did not easily want to cast out the lost but rather be blotted out that the lost would be won. are we weeping for the lost and the church? do we loose sleep because of dying souls? can God find in us one who will stand in the gap and plead for mercy for the lost to be shaken out of their comfort that they may be moved to repentance?

brothers and sisters we can preach the truth, but without love we sound like clanging cymbals to the world. without love it doesn't matter if we give our bodies to be burn.

love suffers, love endures,love is patient and kind, love HOPES.

moses spoke boldly. He spoke God's piercing words to a rebellouse people. but when God wanted to pour forth His judgement moses quickly ran and pleaded with God. because of moses God bestowed mercy on a rebellouse people giving them more time to repent.

the same with jeremiah. he even spoke the judgements on God's people, but still pleaded with God for more time for the people until he knew God will not grant anymore mercy.

yes, i know we will preach a piercing word, but are we willing to stand in the gap and plead for a rebllouse people that they will have more time to repent? are we willing to be blotted out for those we preach too? paul say he wish he was accurse for his brethrens (isreal).

yes, it is more easy to preach agaist sin then to stand in the gap and cryout to God for souls. souls are so precious and it seems so many of us forget that. when we are not filled with the love of God it is so easy to want to cast out the lost, call down fire, and wash our hands and say i'm innocent of this man's blood. i preached to him and he doesn't listen. yes, you preached to him, but did you pray and weep for his soul? did you love him more than your own life that you were willing to die if he would come to Life?

if we really believe that these lost souls will go to hell for eternity we would be more patient. we would really want to die that they may not have to suffer for eternity. we would be in our closet crying out for this generation. we would loose sleep over the reality of souls being damned for eternity. oh we would see it is only thru the power of God that many would be moved. we would become so desperate for His love to fill us that we may win many to His kingdom.

i say this to encourage all of us to examine our hearts, make sure that we are pleasing in the sight of God and that our preaching is filled with love. pray more than we preach. it will make a difference.

God bless


_________________
Lisa

 2006/5/6 18:55Profile









 Re:

myfirstlove,

Amen and amen. Your words are right on.

Quote:
i say this that we may becareful that we do not have any root of bitterness springing in us causing our preaching to sound like clanging cymbals.



Those who preach against sin and do face the opposition of the world seem, by my observation, to end up being three types of people.

1. They become men who end up making light of the opposition and the rejection of the gospel by the world. Preaching hard but making jokes to lighten the truth of it. Making jokes so as to "not let it get to you".

2. They become, as you said, bitter and hard towards the world. No longer truly loving the world with grief and agony, no longer longing and desiring with internal pain to see them repent and come to Christ.

Or

3. They become men who become more and more grieved and broken over the rebellious who refuse to repent, like Jeremiah. They lament and mourn over the lost souls going to hell as if it were their own souls going to hell.

Quote:
we would be in our closet crying out for this generation. we would loose sleep over the reality of souls being damned for eternity.



May the truth of hell be that real to all of us.

 2006/5/6 19:07





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