 | The True Church Mocked, Hidden, Forgotten, Torn down... Yet it always has room for those who seek God |
“The pastor, his wife, and their six small children had just read Psalm 23 while eating breakfast. Suddenly, the police burst into his home to search the house and arrest him.
The police asked him, “Don’t you have anything to say? Have you no sorrow or regret?”
The pastor said carefully, “You are the answer to what we prayed today. We just read in Psalm 23 that God prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies. We had a table but no enemies. Now you have come. If you would like anything that is on the table, I would like to share it with you. You were sent by God.”
“How could you say such stupid things? We will take you to prison, and you will die there. You will never see your children again.”
With continued ease, the pastor continued, “We also read about that today: ‘Though I pass through valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear.’ ”
The officer shouted, “Everyone fears death. I know because I have seen it on their faces.”
“A shadow of a dog can’t bite you, and a shadow of death can’t kill you. You can kill us or put us in prison, but nothing bad can happen to us. We’re in Christ, and if we die, he will take us to His eternal world.”O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.[2]"The pastor had spent several horrifying years in prison at the hands of the Communist authorities. He was jailed for his belief in Christ, and though he remembered the tortures there, he did not focus on them much. Instead he spoke of the times of joy in the presence of his Lord. He and his fellow Christian prisoners formed a community of praise—in the middle of prison.
“When we were in prison we sang almost every day because Christ was alive in us. The Communists were very nice to us.... They chained us to add to our grief. Yet we discovered that chains are splendid musical instruments! When we clanged them together in rhythm, we could sing, ‘This is the day (clink, clank), this is the day (clink, clank), which the Lord has made (clink, clank), which the Lord has made (clink, clank).’ What a joyful noise unto the Lord!
"To those who have yet to experience it, persecution seems to focus entirely on loss. The loss of freedom. The loss of hope. Even losing one’s life. However, those who have suffered for their faith in Christ overlook what’s missing and focus on new discoveries....In this story, Communist captors robbed believers of most of life’s freedoms and dignity. However, these stout believers focused on what remained—their joy in the Lord. If it is good to sing to the Lord when you have everything—it is good to sing to Him when you have lost it all, too. What will you do today to make sure you do not lose your Christian joy?"Despising the CrossTo a world bent on social unity and moral laxity, the cross stands as a divisive and humiliating obstacle. Attempts to minimize its offense through laws and intimidation have bullied both secular and church leaders into continual compromise. Today, public crosses are often demolished; Bibles may be forbidden in schools, traditional holidays are renamed "spring break;" and countless corporations and government agencies around the world ban cross-shaped pins or jewelry. Even Jesus Himself has become a popular target for media mockery and ridicule!
Meanwhile, "results-driven" churches and Christian colleges are marketing a new, more inclusive form of Christianity. Afraid to offend unbelievers, they present a watered-down version of the gospel that veils the significance of the cross. Trained to pursue self-esteem rather than self-surrender, few will openly share the apostle Paul's delight in the source of our salvation:
"God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Galatians 6:14Back in 1963, that Bible verse was the focus of a series of sermons preached byMartyn LLoyd-Jones, then pastor of London's Westminster Chapel. Reminding us that human nature hasn't changed in the last forty years, he asked some probing questions:
"There are contradictory voices going out in the name of the Christian church.... So the first thing we have to do is to discover which is the true message.... What is the Christian gospel? What does it proclaim? How can it...
- render me immune to what may happen round and about me...
- enable me to smile in the face of death...
- assure me that I have nothing to fear when I come to the judgment of God...
- fulfill the promise of everlasting and eternal bliss in the glory indescribable? ...
"The central thing, the thing that matters above everything else... is the cross -- the death on the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.... This is what they preached.... [But] the preaching of the cross has never been popular...."[3]That's true. That's why Jesus warned us long ago that ""...they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold." Matthew 24:9-12The heart of the GospelSome years ago, Graham and Gladys Staines left the comforts of Australia to serve poor lepers in India. Because of their loving encouragement, many Hindus believed in Jesus and burned their idols. One day, Graham and their two young sons traveled to a distant church to share God's encouraging message. While they slept in their car, a crowd of angry Hindus armed with bows and arrows surrounded the car, doused it with gasoline and set it aflame. Imprisoned inside, the father and two children were burned alive. At their memorial service, the grieving mother and daughter (who would stay in India and continue their ministry) sang these words:Because he lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because he lives, all fear is gone,
Because I know he holds the future,
And life is worth the living
Just because he lives!Why is this wonderful old Gospel so offensive to the world? Why does it stir such murderous responses? Or more important, what is it? The apostle Paul summarized it for us almost 2000 years ago:"I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you -- unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose againthe third day.... He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once...." 1 Corinthians 15:1-10In short, the gospel is the "good news" of the historical event of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection -- all for our salvation. But in today's market-driven churches, this gospel is overshadowed by an enticing counterfeit gospel. In the place of the cross, many of today's most popular churches are celebrating their visible "good deeds" -- the kind of "works" and ethical living that draw man's applause, not God's approval. [Galatians 1:10]
As in the days of John Hus, people are fooled into thinking they can earn their pardon from sin and their place in heaven. The popular pastor Rick Warrensummarized this illusion of righteousness well:"The first Reformation was about belief; this one's going to be about behavior.... The first one was about creeds; this one's going to be about our deeds. The first one divided the church; this time it will unify the church."[4]This new "reformation" focuses on man's good works and ignores human depravity. It leads to pride and blindness, not humility and repentance. It assures sinners that their good deeds merit God's approving smile, while it hides their actual need for the cross.Such self-justification sounds good to the masses. When led by our human nature, we all would "desire to make a good showing in the flesh," not "suffer persecution for the cross of Christ." [Galatians 6:14] So, to maintain a Christian identity while avoiding "the offence of the cross," many adapt their message to politically correct standards for tolerance. Thus they please the world, but not God.None of the Bible's ethical lessons can make us holy or acceptable to Him. Neither the Ten Commandments nor the Sermon on the Mount can save us from our sin and prepare us to follow our Lord. They were given to show us God's high and holy standard (a criterion we can't possibly reach by human will or strength) and then to draw us to the cross.I'm not saying God doesn't value "good works." But until He changes our hearts, our deeds are worthless as a means to salvation.When we are "born again" everything changes. The result of the cross in our lives will be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness... -- manifestations of the good "fruit" of His Spirit at work in our hearts. (Galatians 5:22) But such "good works" can neither replace nor precede the cross. His fruit can only comeafter our hearts are rooted in Christ.In other words, our primary need is for a new life through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Having "put to death" our old sinful nature on the cross, Christ fills us with His own victorious Life! "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21This wonderful "exchanged life" was prophesied and promised centuries before the cross became a physical reality:"He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows...
He was wounded for our transgressions,He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:4-6
All is from Him, through the cross, and by His Spirit: our salvation, our new Life, our changed hearts, and our Spirit-led service and sharing. And all bear witness to His sovereign love and grace.Spiritual battles ahead
Back in 2000 AD, the United Nations provided a platform where religious leaders from around the world could express their intolerance for cross-centered missions. Meeting in the UN General Assembly Hall, the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders discussed the problem of unwanted conversions. In his article, "U.N. religious summit speakers decry efforts at conversion," Tom Strode explained that the Peace Summit --Last year (2008), the World Council of Churches joined hands with the Vatican"to seek a common code for religious conversions" and "explore 'the dos and don'ts' of trying to spread Christianity among other faiths." Notice their hostility toward Biblical evangelism:"...evidenced widespread opposition to efforts at religious conversion...."...pronouncements were voiced by speakers from different religious traditions against attempts to convert people to other religions, and they met with strong affirmation.... Evangelicals especially would be targets for such sentiments...."On numerous occasions, there were 'very negative comments regarding proselyzing'.... Such declarations were met by 'vigorous applause,' said Richard Cizik. ...the representatives of Christianity were joining that same call to denounce proselytizing...."[5]
"Religious freedom and missionary outreach by Christian groups have become increasingly sensitive topics as many Muslims perceive their faith as under threat by the West and nations such as China struggle to maintain state controls on churches.
"'How can we - anxious to maintain, develop and nurture good relations with people of other faiths - deal with this highly complex issue that sometimes threatens the fiber of living together?' said the Rev. Hans Ucko, head of the interreligious relations office for the World Council of Churches....
"The biggest challenges to the project will be highlighted by who will be absent: Pentecostal and evangelical-style congregations that often lead the drive for conversions."[6]Since "living together" has become a common purpose, this conversion code implies that mission groups from America will be welcomed as humanitarian servers, but despised as God's ambassadors.
Lutheran bishop Mark Hanson exemplified this attitude at an interfaith meeting in Indonesia. He "assured the Muslim participants that the Lutheran World Federation did not try to convert disaster victims from Islam to Christianity in exchange for its help."[7]Actually, if he had tried to convert, he would have violated UNESCO'sDeclaration on Tolerance. This "soft" international law tells us that
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.Endnotes:1. Notes from http://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/john-hus.html,http://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/LVarticles/JohnHusThePreReformer.htm and Extreme Devotion, an email from Voice of the Martyrs, February 16, 2007.2. Hear the melody at http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/r/oruggedc.htm3. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Cross (Good News Publishers, 1986), pages 18, 20.
4. Ken Camp, "Second Reformation' will unify church, Warren tells Dallas GDOP," 2005, at http://www.pastors.com/article.asp?ArtID=82805. Tom Strode, "U.N. religious summit speakers decry efforts at conversion," Baptist Press, September 2000. http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/62.htm6. Brian Murphy, "Vatican, Churches Work on Conversion Plan," AP, May 11, 2006. http://www.wwrn.org/article.php?idd=21482&sec=56&con=56Religious Conversion Ecumenical efforts toward an interreligious issue: from controversy to a shared code of conduct on religious conversion, http://www.eif-pcusa.org/InterfaithRelations/ReligiousConversion.html
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