00:00in every generation the church faces a choice will it fear god or fear man and i submit to you to-day that we are witnessing a time in which that line has never been more clear or more violated we are watching churches bow not before the cross but before the court of public opinion
00:20entire denominations are softening silencing and surrendering their convictions to stay in favor with a world that hates christ and they call it love they call it progress they call it relevance but the word of god calls it compromise
00:39proverbs twenty nine twenty five warns the fear of man brings a snare but he who trusts in the lord will be exalted the moment the church begins to care more about how the world sees it than how god sees it it ceases to be the church
00:55beloved we were not called to make peace with sin we were called to expose it we are not here to reflect the culture we are here to confront it with truth the church needs a rebuke a holy confrontation and it must begin in the pulpit with preachers who fear god more than men and with people who hunger for the unvarnished truth point one the fear of man silences the truth of god several years ago i received a letter from a pastor who was burdened
01:25he told me his church board had recently instructed him to avoid controversial topics from the pulpit no sermons on sin nothing on gender stay quiet about hell just preach what feels positive why
01:42because some members might leave because guests might be offended because culture might push back that's what happens when the fear of man enters the pulpit the truth of god exits proverbs twenty nine twenty five says the fear of man lays a snare but whoever trusts in the lord is safe
02:03and that's exactly what the modern church has walked into a snare in an effort to be loved by the world many churches have become silent about what the world needs most the gospel truth look at the old testament prophets jeremiah was mocked isaiah was ignored elijah was hunted
02:23not because they were rude but because they told the truth and truth is offensive to those in rebellion when a church begins to fear twitter more than scripture when it avoids certain texts to avoid losing tithes
02:39when it rewrites the message so no one is uncomfortable it is no longer operating under the fear of the lord jesus didn't come to win popularity
02:49he said in john fifteen nineteen if you were of the world the world would love you as its own but i chose you out of the world therefore the world hates you the church was never meant to be applauded by the world
03:06it was meant to be a light in darkness and light always exposes what's hidden let me say it clearly a silent church is a disobedient church when we fear man we muzzle the truth and when the truth is silenced souls are lost
03:23point two god demands faithful witness not cultural conformity years ago i spoke at a pastor's conference where one speaker proudly said
03:33we've removed anything offensive from our church's branding we don't talk about sin judgment or wrath people already know they're broken they don't need a reminder they need encouragement i leaned over to my wife afterward and said that's not encouragement that's spiritual malpractice
03:56god has not called his people to conform to culture he has called them to be faithful witnesses
04:03that means speaking truth even when it's unwelcome in romans twelve two paul writes do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind
04:16but today churches are doing the opposite they are conforming dressing the gospel up in entertainment moralism and soft language to keep the crowd coming but jesus never did that
04:30he told the rich young ruler the hard truth he told the pharisees they were whitewashed tombs he told the crowd in luke 14 that unless they denied themselves took up their cross and followed him they could not be his disciples that's not seeker sensitive that's god sensitive in the book of acts peter and john were ordered by the authorities to stop preaching christ
04:58their response in acts 4 19-20 whether it is right in the sight of god to listen to you rather than to god you must judge for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard
05:13that's courage that's faithfulness and that's what god demands not cultural conformity not trendy messages not pragmatic silence you may lose followers you may lose members you may lose approval but you will keep your integrity and you will honor christ
05:32the church the church the church is not called to reflect the culture we are called to confront it with truth and truth when spoken boldly and biblically divides but it also saves point three the apostolic church faced persecution not popularity step back into the first century the apostles weren't building mega campuses or marketing sermon series with catchy slogans they were being beaten imprisoned and martyred
06:01why because they preached the unfiltered gospel of jesus christ in acts 5 after being arrested and flogged for preaching christ the apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name and then what did they do verse 42 says they did not cease teaching and preaching jesus as the christ that was the early church bold fearless hated by the world but loved
06:31by god contrast that with today many churches are more concerned about platforms than persecution we seek likes not lashes applause not opposition but if the world never pushes back against your message chances are it's not the biblical message to timothy 3
06:5012 declares 12 declares all who desire to live godly in christ jesus will be persecuted that's not a possibility it's a promise paul didn't fear nero stephen didn't flinch as the stones flew john was exiled not embraced these men weren't tolerated by culture they were rejected yet through them the gospel advanced why because they feared god more than man a comfortable church will never be a courageous one
07:20may not be a faithful one we have confused success with size influence with impact and acceptance with anointing but god doesn't measure ministry by cultural acceptance he measures it by obedience
07:27the apostolic church didn't entertain it evangelized it didn't blend in it stood out it wasn't safe it was sacrificial if the early church had feared man there would be no church today but they feared god and through their suffering the world was turned upside down we must return to that resolve
07:34the church of jesus christ was born in persecution and it virgin the church of jesus christ was born in persecution and it thrives when it embraces the cost of truth
07:52yeah and it he won't repay theamientos here too it was for them as deeply in deception and partad 700s and indians 75X
08:00and it thrives when it embraces the cost of truth.
08:05Point four, compromise begins with subtle silence.
08:08Compromise doesn't kick down the front door of the church it slips in quietly through the side.
08:14It doesn't shout.
08:15It whispers.
08:17It begins not with heresy, but with hesitation.
08:20Not with denial, but with silence.
08:23I once spoke with a pastor who said,
08:25I still believe everything the Bible says about sin,
08:29but I just don't preach on it anymore.
08:32People don't come to church to feel bad.
08:35He didn't deny truth.
08:37He just hid it, but that's where it always begins.
08:41A pastor hesitates to speak on sexuality.
08:45A church avoids calling abortion sin.
08:49A youth ministry glosses over repentance.
08:53And before long, silence becomes acceptance,
08:56and acceptance becomes celebration.
08:59Isaiah 56, 10 describes false shepherds as silent dogs that cannot bark.
09:07Imagine a watchdog that doesn't warn when danger is near.
09:11That's not love, it's neglect.
09:14When churches no longer cry out against sin,
09:17they are not being loving.
09:19They are being lukewarm, and Christ has nothing but rebuke for such a church.
09:25Revelation 3, 16.
09:28Jesus never shrank back from truth.
09:31He spoke of hell more than anyone else in Scripture.
09:35Why?
09:36Because warning is loving.
09:38Clarity is compassion.
09:40Silence, when truth is needed, is cruelty.
09:43In Ezekiel 3, 18, God says that if the watchman does not warn the wicked of his ways,
09:51his blood I will require at your hand.
09:54That's how serious silence is.
09:56The most dangerous churches today are not the ones openly embracing false doctrine.
10:03They are the ones quietly neglecting sound doctrine in the name of being wise,
10:09balanced, or culturally sensitive.
10:12The serpent in Genesis didn't begin by denying God's word.
10:16He began with a question, did God really say?
10:20That's how compromise always begins, with a soft voice, a subtle doubt, a quiet silence,
10:27and unless the church wakes up and speaks out, that silence will grow into spiritual death.
10:34Point five.
10:35Revival will come when the church trembles before God again.
10:39I've heard people pray for revival for decades.
10:42They want packed pews, emotional worship, and miracles, but they forget.
10:49Every true revival begins not with shouting, but with trembling.
10:54Isaiah 66, 2 says,
10:56This is the one to whom I will look,
10:58he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.
11:02That's where revival starts, not with relevance, not with trendiness, but with reverence.
11:08Go back to Nehemiah.
11:10When the people rediscovered the law, they wept.
11:13They stood for hours, listening to the word read aloud.
11:16No fog machines, no entertainment, just awe, just conviction, just trembling.
11:22The modern church has lost its fear of God.
11:26We treat worship like a concert.
11:28We treat preaching like TD talks.
11:31We treat sin like a lifestyle choice.
11:34And we wonder why there's no power.
11:37You want revival.
11:38Then we must return to the fear of the Lord, not cowering dread, but reverent submission.
11:46A holy awareness that God is not your buddy.
11:49He is a consuming fire.
11:51Hebrews 12, 29.
11:53The early church in Acts saw revival.
11:57Not because they were clever, but because great fear came upon the whole church.
12:03Acts 5, 11.
12:05Why?
12:05Because they knew they stood before a holy God who sees every heart.
12:09God does not dwell where he is not honored.
12:12He does not bless a church that treats his truth lightly.
12:16Revival will not come through slick marketing, but through brokenness.
12:19Through pulpits that preach the full counsel of God.
12:23Through saints who repent of compromise.
12:25Through leaders who fear God more than men.
12:29You want to see God move in power.
12:32Then open your Bible.
12:34Fall on your knees.
12:35Preach the truth.
12:36Call sin what it is.
12:38And tremble.
12:39Revival isn't waiting on the world.
12:41It's waiting on the church to fear God again.
12:44Revival isn't waiting on the church to fear God again.
Comments