Dead Flies in the Church

In the book of Ecclesiastes in chapter 10 and verse 1 we read, dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor, so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor. This speaks of one who has a reputation for wisdom and honor, but by their actions they belie their reputation. Like a person who has made a profession of faith, been baptized and has joined the church, they serve at church in some capacity and are known for being Christians.

They have a reputation for being a Christian, because they'll either tell you they are or they're in church every Sunday. A dead fly is what it is, dead. An unsaved person is dead in sin, though they join the church through an empty religious profession.

They have no spiritual life, no indwelling Holy Spirit, no spiritual discernment. They merely look good on the outside and pose as Christians, even if they have never been born again. In short, they stink up a congregation with their hypocrisy, like a dead fly would spoil a sweet-smelling ointment of an apothecary.

Dead flies in the church are those who have a reputation for being a Christian, but they are yet unconverted individuals, and it is these stinkers that cause a church so much turmoil. They will fight the pastor and oppose him at every step. They will sow seeds of discord among other members.

They will cause the testimony of the church to be tarnished by the reprobate and sinful lifestyle. They are dead flies in the church. They eventually tarnish their Christian testimony by some flagrant sin and give the unconverted in the community room to point their fingers at another church hypocrite who's been found out.

I used to work with an atheist who loved to tell stories about church folk who got caught in sin, like the Baptist deacon who hid a camera in his bathroom to record his daughter's friends at sleepovers. This man just loved it when hypocrites were found out. He especially enjoyed it when a pastor fell into adultery or some public sin.

Dead flies are hypocrites who give the church a bad name. These dead flies in the church are numerous. I've known hundreds of them through the years, and many of them fell into apostasy or were removed by God through sudden death so not to stink up his institution anymore.

These dead flies both make a stink in the church and outside of it. These dead flies make a buzzing noise. For many of them are boastful individuals who glory in themselves and are quick to tell you what they have and what they've done.

They're typically power-hungry persons who will work their way onto a deacon board with their sights set on being the chairman. They like to throw their weight around, and they make a stink just showing up at a meeting. These dead flies are predominantly self-ruled individuals who are used to getting their way, and you better make room for them or watch out.

These dead flies are the braggarts and boasters of a church. They'll inform you of how much money they make and that they're privileged individuals who belong to some kind of country club. Dead flies like to talk down to others because they think they're better than everyone else.

These dead flies demand attention and desire acknowledgement. They have thin skins and big egos. They are dead flies because they have never died to self and know nothing of Christ ruling on the throne of their lives.

They will be quick to let you know how spiritual they are. They will inform you that they are God's favorites because God has blessed their business and made them prosperous. But they'll shrink from conversations about deep spiritual things, but they'll love to talk about religion.

In every youth group at church is a swarm of dead flies that buzz and buzz that they are Christians, but who contaminate the other young people by their sinful lifestyle. Unregenerate individuals need salvation, but these dead flies in a church feel they don't need salvation. They think they've already done that by walking an aisle or repeating a prayer, where at some point in their life they made some kind of profession and they have a hope of heaven because they have mistaken church membership for salvation.

Although they talk about Christ, they do not possess Christ. They are yet dead in sin, and unless Christ conquers them by saving faith, they will die in their sins and pile up in hell, one atop the other, like dead flies stacked up on anointment. Dead flies in the church are good for nothing, accomplish nothing good for eternity, and just mar the spiritual life of a church by their wretched presence.

I have several pastor friends who were run out of their church by dead fly members. Dead flies in the church just make a stink. Every congregation has them, like flies on a plate of hamburgers at an outdoor picnic.

They are a nuisance, but you can't avoid them. All you can do is pray for their salvation, or pray that they'll move their aroma on to another church.