Taken from a post by HeartSong
Ten Indictments:
1) A practical denial of the sufficiency of Scripture.
2 Tim 3:15. The Bible being inspired is only half the battle - the question is, is the Bible sufficient? What do we have to do with all of these modern day social experts that are actually against the word. Everything needs to be based upon the Word of God. All should rest upon "What is Thy will O God." God is the seeker. We are not called to build empires - we are called to glorify God. Isaiah 8. There is always a new fad - and we're always looking for a new theory. Why are we consulting the spiritually dead?
2) An ignorance of God. Many love their image of God rather than God. Psalm 50. People don't know God. 1 Cor 15:34. When is the last time you attended a conference on the attributes of God? To know Him is eternal life. To know HIM. Sunday is the greatest hour of idolatry in the entire week - we've made a god just like ourselves.
3) A failure to address man's malady. Man must be made aware of self in order to turn themselves over to God. The Spirit of God upon us will make others fall to the floor in despair of their sin. We are saying peace, peace when there is no peace. No one has ever been able to bear the witness of the Spirit. We esteem self more that we esteem God. As the night became dark, the stars come out in their glory. . . .the backdrop of our depravity.
4) An ignorance of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We do not know the gospel - we have reduced it to four little steps. The gospel begins with the nature of God, and then to the nature of man - if God is just - He cannot forgive you - Christ redeemed us from the curse - He became the curse for us. God turned away because His Son became sin. The cup was the cup of God the Fathers wrath.
Gospel reductionism - when there is no power, then we go to the tricks that do not work. When we catch a glimpse of what He did on that tree, we will not need anything else.
As Abraham did with his son, God did with His Son and slaughtered Him.
5) An ignorance of the doctrine of regeneration. Calvinism is not the issue, regeneration is. It is the work of God - He recreates man. We are always Ezekiel standing in the valley of dry bones, and they are always dry - once we understand that we no longer need to manipulate. Ye must be born again. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature.
The idolatry of descisionism.
6) An unbiblical Gospel invitation. Evangelism begins with the nature of God - who is God. We are crying out for revival, but don't even have the foundation straight. Everybody wants to go the heaven, but they just don't want God to be there when they get there. Men are haters of God.
We have no authority to tell men that they are saved. The doctrine of the uncarnal Christian has sent many men to hell. A tree is known by it's fruit.
. . . working till Christ be formed - John 3:16 (Praise the Lord!)
7) Ignorance regarding the nature of the church. "It's the church stupid" - Jesus gave His life for the church. There is not a remnant of believers inside a larger unit called the church. The remnant is the church. Pastors and preachers don't know what the church is. The lambs are getting blamed for all the things the goats are doing. Jeremiah 31:31. There is a difference between the new and the old covenant. He writes the laws within our hearts - we will know Him.
Just because we say it is so does not make it so.
Jeremiah 32:38. He will pull a people. One heart and one way. The church is one - she has always been one. (Praise the Lord!)
Do not say the church is full of sin - do not speak of the bride that way - it is the goats. We will have to answer if we say such things. We are being cowards . . . the bride of Jesus Christ is precious to God. Luke 39. Christ in His Holiness.
If you have no fear of Him it is sign (that you are not in Him).
8) A lack of loving and compassionate church discipline. We confront culture by obeying God. Just have an obedience sign and the world will hate you. We can either start obeying God and discipling ourselves or God will do it for us.
One on one discipleship - people are not getting converted. You can't teach a goat into a sheep.
9) A silence on separation. Holiness. It goes back to regeneration and the providence of God - He will see to it that the work that has been begun will be finished. He let Esau run wild, but He beat Jacob to death almost everyday of his life - lovingly.
You can judge a book by it's cover - you will know them by their fruit. The puritans made an attempt to bring everything in their life under the (subjection) of Jesus Christ.
If we want the power of Him upon us - things will have to go. Do not be bound together with unbelievers. Come out from among them.
10) A replacement of the Scriptures with psychology and sociology in regards to the family. There is no authority apart from the Word of God. God doesn't need us but He does command that we are obedient. God doesn't have a plan B. Sunday school and youth groups - Proverbs 13:20 - focus should be on men teaching their own families. Not kids teaching kids.
