WHAT"S WRONG WITH MODERN PREACHING TODAY ??

Some would respond to the message by saying there is nothing too much wrong with modern preaching today !!

Still another reply would be there's no such a thing as a "perfect church" anyway...so just jump in the water and start swimming to the shore - like all the rest of us, and quit with the complaining, start serving - your assembly instead and get involved MORE
( have you heard that line before ) ??

ARE NOT THESE WELL USED CLICHES WE HEAR RECYCLED AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN ?

Well i personally don't believe any sincere hungry christian is seeking or wanting for that matter a perfect church...anyway ( do you )

But is it asking or wanting too much - to want the TRUTH expounded in uncorruptness, or to want the whole counsel of God taught in fulness, and to HEAR a full gospel taught in a UNCOMPROMISING manner ??

Is it asking to much to want a song-service that does not CENTRE OR FOCUS on the singers OR MUSICIANS OUT THE FRONT - but rather focuses on the ....ALMIGHTY only ( and exclusively ) ??

And is it asking too much from contemporary christianity to want the principle of "modest dressing" to be re-introduced and to be adhered too...as exhorted from Timothies epistle, with-out being labeled narrow-minded or a legalist, or a bigot.

Is it wanting to much for the traditions Paul and Peter to be upheld regarding the allowing of "women preachers" to take over THE pulpits and teach the males - thereby usurping the authority over the males ?

Are we ( that is to say )those of us "who protest" by the modern churches rejoicing today over the following things...at fault for doing so ( and for them to be doing the following ) ??
~~ painting the walls and ceilings black
~~ coloured lights on stage
~~ artificial smoke rising up during song services
~~ comtemporary praise that ministers to the flesh
~~ strobe lighting performances similiar to discos
~~ various dance routines taken from the world
~~ hip-hop, african dancing,latino, break dancing
~~ stand-up comedy, christian illusionist performers, and so add infinitum and ad-nauseam !!

The list could go on and on and on - but i will spare you...what is wrong with moden preaching today ?? was the opening question.

How does our spiritual health barometer READ ??

Does it read healthy,functioning, vital and doing all things.... to the glory of God ?

That is a rhetorical question saints.

So how did things get this way - if we concede that things are wrong, going down the wrong road, then how pray tell....did it get this way.I mean what is the rationale or justification for doing all this - and it. ?

Some say we need to be more seeker-sensitive

Still others quote this " become all things to all men, that by all means some may get saved.

Others tells us the church is out of step and not in tune, not contemporary enough, and it is failing to meet the needs of OUR community, and so the lost are not attending OUR meetings. church boards then meet regularly to discuss how can we remedy this - and get them in, and how do we appeal to the young people in a way as to compete with the world and for their "attention"

The answer is found in all kinds of gimmicks and schemes - and so we play the numbers game....the CHURCH boards instruct the pastors and say "i don't care how you get them in - just get EM IN" !! AND THEN ONCE WE GET THEM IN - WE CAN WORK ON THEM ...TO GET THEM SAVED - AND TO RESTORE ALL THE BACKSLIDERS OUT THERE, AND WHATEVER THE NEEDS MAY BE. ETC ETC

And So churches spend oddles on purchasing buses for outings for their senior members and their youth and to organize trips for bowling, fishing, ten-pin, snooker, and line-dancing.

They spend thousands on stage lighting, sophiscated cameras and camersa work, various sound systems, introduce creative "ARTS" to the worship services, train young kids in rehearsed chreographed dance routines so as to entertain the congregations.

Spend thousands and thousands on large screen projections systems - so the main preacher can be viewed in "cinema style" SIZE... from anywhere in the auditorium.

WHEN WE RESORT TO TO PLAYING THE NUMBERS GAME, WE WILL ULTIMATLELY GIVE-IN TO "GIMMICKS" AND WE WILL BRING ASPECTS OF "EYGPT" INTO THE SERVICE....AND WETRY TO SANCTION IT AS "THE NEW THING" AND SAY THIS IS HOW GOD DOES THINGS NOW. GOD IS MOVING IN NEW WAYS THEY EXPOUND...AND GOD IS DOING A NEW THING.

And after all the church is out-of-step and needs to be more contemporary and modern - she the church is out of "touch" THEY ILLITERATE, and so they they bring the world into the church to make THE service "more palatable" and create an enviroment that the sinners can feel more comfortable in...change the ambience and feel of the service, and bam presto, the youth will hang around and stay - is the rationale and justification for it.

Did not God tell the prophet ezekiel to "SHOW" MY PEOPLE THEIR SINS, SHOW THEM THEIR ABOMINATIONS - DO NOT DEFER, NOR HOLD BACK ....AND DECLARE TO THEM.... THEIR TRESSPASSES.

Did not Eli the priest sin greviously against the Lord for not " restraining " his two sons that were VILE ....at the entrance to God's house ??

His two sons were "sons of belial" which is the modern equivalent of a "satanist" notwithstanding Eli had enough discernment to know - they make God's people to transgress. ( against him )

But the things is about is - eli took no action against his sons and their lewd behavior, he was too sentimental and mushie...and failed to invoke discipline. And for this God was incensed about.

The prophet Jeremiah outlines our situation also when he declared that " truth truth ....is fallen is fallen in the streets"

So can we correct all the wrongs out there ?? of course not.

Should we go around rebuking the compromisers and straighten everybody out ?? well you would spend your lifetime doing this and never eradicate all the "wrongs"

My advice is the rather to pray against satan's strongholds, because (we war not after the flesh) but after the spirit, TO THE PULLING DOWN OF STRONGHOLDS. SAINTS OUR WEAPONS ARE MIGHTY THROUGH GOD. AMEN AND AMEN

Do not support these churches that are trampling down truth - and resort to gimmickery and schemes in order, to get the crowds in as such.

Do not support them with your attendance or with your finances, lest saints we become partakers of there evil deeds also.

If you find yourself in a book of Amos situation where there is a famine for hearing the words of the Lord and YOU are almost ready to faint for searching....pray for more grace and hang in there, as many God-fearing christians are in a similiar boat today.

Do not give-up I EXHORT YOU TO remain steadfast - perhaps God will lead you to a house church or something similiar - where they are jealous for the integrity of God's word... and have not BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL. !!!

Today we have a situation where we have more churches, more mega-churches, more books, more tapes, more dvd's....more pastors promising great churches, great awakening's etc etc

But if you know of such an venue and it is common-then please advertise it ....so others cean find a safe spiritual haven ALSO - and get fed his pure word. ( indeed truth is fallen - and is fallen in the streets )

The scriptures in Samuel's day were "precious"
1 sam 3:1 we read " And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; as there was no open vision "

And to add to that plight the priest Eli's own eye sight was growing dim with old age...as you do of course with aging - however this resulted in this " the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord " where the ark of God was.

This is negative writing and preaching i know - and seriously i would rather not have to mention these things, only that we as a church have strayed so far from the right paths....and again does not Jeremiah beseech us also to " return to the old paths " ??

Will we be like those people in ezekiel that daubed the walls with "untempered mortar" - and when the winds blew and the storms came... it fell - and great was it's FALL.

WE ARE CALLED TO BUILD OUR HOUSE ON THE ROCK AND ON A SURE FOUNDATION, WE ARE CALLED TO BE SALT AND LIGHT - BUT IF THE SALT HAS LOST IT'S SAVOUR IT IS FIT FOR NOTHING - BUT TO BE CAST OUT AND TRODDEN UNDER FEET OF MEN...IT IS FIT JESUS SAID- FOR THE DUNGHILL.

OHH AWAKE SLEEPY CHURCH - ARISE AND SHINE, AND TAKE OFF YOUR FILTHY GARMENTS, SHAKE THYSELF CHURCH, THE PHILISTINES BE UPON YOU CHURCH, THE WORLD IS UPON YOU, THE CAANANITE, THE PERIZITE, AND THE HIVITES BE UPON YOU CHURCH....PRAY THAT THE LORD WILL SEND FORTH GODLY MEN, MEN OF INTEGRITY, MEN OF VALOUR, MEN OF STRENGTH.

PRAY FOR NON-COMPROMISING, FULL-GOSPEL, WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD PREACHERS - AND THAT HE WILL SEND THEM INTO OUR MIDST...OH LORD WE PRAY THIS AND WE BESEECH YOU !!! SPARE US - AND HAVE MERCY ON US...YOUR CHURCH - WE PRAY

There can be many reasons for silence

Ive written posts before and not recieved a single reply...it doesn't mean the poster has erred or is in error...sometimes those who resist or withstand - are simply biding their time, and will eventually give there thoughts or 20 cents worth.

sometimes people are anointed in such a way like stephen they are not able to gainsay or resist the spirit by which you speak.

Jesus said i will give you a mouth and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to gainsay or resist.

Not that i think of myself in any of the above things....i merely respond to your reply.

Correct me if im wrong but i sense you are saying i have no right to address these issues...unless i have no beam in my eye ??

Did not God use priests even in the old covenant who were aware of there own frailities....as they offered up the sacrifices for the sins of others ??

And in doing so felt so unworthy knowing they were men of infirmity also ??

To answer this i would say in reply yes God does use... men of the the flesh...who do strive against sin.

if i had to be beamless or speckless CHRISTIAN i would never EVER witness again to the lost souls out there IN THE WORLD, simply because if i had some unresolved anger OR SIMILIAR, then that would dis-qualify me from preaching and evangelizing to them....feeling as though i was too much of a hypocrite to BE telling them to quit sinning - or face the judgement ONE DAY

If i had to be "perfect" before i could deliver such a post....then likewise - God could not have used samson to Judge israel for over 40 yeARS

OR

FOR King David to sit on his throne to reign and rule over the house of israel...knowing in advance he would one day lie with bathsheba and also - conspire to have uriah put to death.

The speck and beam issue you refer to relates to our personal dealings with each other in day to day relationships - and our contact with each other on a regular basis.

The same standards that i myself set for others - are the same standards that i will be judged by... if i am guilty of unjust harsh condemning criticms.

It should be pointed out thus:

My post addresses no one personally
I refered to no specific denomination
I did not bring railing accusations against any
Nor did i harangue any particular pastor
moreover i spoke by way of generalities in most instances through-out the post.

Thank you personally all the same for your contribution and insightful commentry

sincerely
son of thunder

Thanks for the clarification to the last poster

Somebody was once asked how do you get the young people back to church ??

the response came back from a dignitary in the community ( being a physician - but a christian physician ) ohh that's easy he said

If you really want to attract the youth - start off by painting the all the walls and ceilings black and on top of that - bring in many coloured lights !!

This dialogue was conveyed to me over lunch one day by a good christian friend of mine - however what this friend didn't know was....the very last meeting i had attended - had done that very thing.

The following week as a guest to another assembly i had no sooner walked through the doors and guess what ??

They too had painted all the walls and ceilings black also.

So why do they do this ??

Create an ambience and atmosphere that young kids use to nite clubs, concerts and bars etc etc will feel comfortable in....an enviroment that is non-threatening and does not feel like a stiff and starch religious meeting.

The idea is we need to be more contemporary and seeker sensitive as i already outlined in opening post.

So does the end justify the means ??

Does putting on the babylonian garment insure greater connection to our youth - and garantee results and that of more souls ?

i think one of the problems today is that the preatchers care more about what his listeners think of his message then what God thinks, Its easy to say we should preach truth...its harder to do so. I belive we need People who preach the gospel no matter what the consecuenses... i saw some preacher in america that were on the top 50 list of most popular people...i dont remember his name...but i dont belive that in preaching the gospel in a "correct" way...you would get on that list....
when people in new testament preached... as i see it either revival or riot.... and in old testament ...when prophets preached...they werent so warmly welcomed either... so that i belive is One of many problems... we preach more to men then for god...

gods peace christian