The best explanation for the sin of America comes from a Pastor in Canada named Chuck Coulson. I don’t know if this is original with him, but he says the world is a reflection of the church. The reason that God raised up Hollywood is because the church is full of actors. The reason there is homosexuality is that Christians are in love with themselves. The reason there is a medical industry is because Christians only go to God when there is a problem they can’t fix themselves and they don’t make an appointment just to “get to know the doctor”.
I would add there are Pro Sports because we “worship” men and we are impressed with personalities and performances.
The idea is this — these things are not in the world for us Preachers to go and find something to preach against. They are there to get the church to wake up and get us to repent.
I have stated before on this site – if the church will not wake up, how to we expect the lost to? If Christians care more about their American Idols than the lost, how do we expect a lost and dying world to see they need to be saved? If Christians merely have changed to “nice addictions” and learn to outwardly conform only, what answer to we have the world? Come to Jesus with your coke addiction and lust for sex, and get heaven and you can have all the world that the church says is ok!
No more bars, sinners! But guzzle all the Pepsi and sugar and junk instead! No more casinos or movie theaters , but watch them on your portable DVD player to your hearts content! No more Sunday tailgating as you must be in church! But you have the whole rest of the day and DVR recordings so you won’t miss anything!
The world won’t take us seriously because the church in general is a stuck up, holier-than-thou group of HYPOCRITES!!! We say we love God but we stink with pride. If you grow up in church and have a clean life defined by your church, you have very little love and compassion for anyone who sins differently than you. You have little ability to relate to sinners unless it is just jumping in with them. You have little love for the lost, except to “win them” to show off to other church members. You don’t know how to handle dealing with people who don’t worship you or who disagree with you. And you are not secure in your own beliefs enough to handle someone who disagrees with you — or God forbid, allow someone to believe something different.
Yes, I am talking to YOU.
Because I am also talking to ME.
Church, we need to stop thinking we are God’s gift and that God should be mighty impressed we went to church more than once this week.
Our hearts are farther from him that we’d like to admit.
Church, we have a problem. And until we will face it, we will keep on blaming everyone else.
No, it is YOU. And it is me. Let’s leave everyone else alone until we can fix those two problem causers first.