Desperate People

 

DESPERATE PEOPLE

“And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.” - Numbers 21:6

What has Covid-19 taught us about the United States of America? Some argue that the disease taught us the value of vaccinations. Others claim that the Covid outbreak taught us how gullible people are to believe everything they see and hear on the news. I think there is a greater lesson to be learned.

When our nation faced uncertainty, we looked to the government for help instead of God. Few were crying out to God for help. Most were looking to the President, CDC or science to bring help and relief. Let that sink in for a moment. Our government is notorious for waste, lies and bad decisions, but we depend on it rather than God when we face a desperate situation.

Rather than humbly seeking God for grace, we'd rather look to the government for a handout. Instead of seeking the One who can heal, we'd rather look to a flawed human system for a cure.

I am not criticizing science or the efforts of those who've worked to bring relief to infected people. Instead, I am pointing out the obvious problem that our nation has been deceived into thinking that we don't need God. We foolishly believe that we can resolve any problem that comes our way. In times of desperation, we look within rather than looking above.

Our money is printed with the logo: IN GOD WE TRUST. Yet it is obvious that the motto needs to be changed to IN GOVERNMENT WE TRUST. What a sad time we live in!

The Bible says, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” Over and over again, the Old Testament shows us how Israel failed when they turned from God and trusted in themselves. Writing to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul wrote, “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” As believers, we should have no confidence in the flesh. In other words, we have no confidence in men. Even the best of men can let us down. Our confidence should be in the Lord. He will never fail us.

During desperate times, we can trust God. Our faith is tested during desperate times. It is one thing to sing, “Living By Faith,” on Sunday morning, but it is another thing to live by faith when trials, tribulations and heartaches come our way. Here is the real acid test of our faith. Can God be trusted in the worst of times? This is a serious matter. The integrity of God is on the line. Yet we know He CAN be trusted … at all times.

In Numbers chapter 21, the people complained against the Lord and Moses. In response, God sent serpents among the people and many died. In their desperate situation, what did the people do? They went to Moses and asked him to pray that the Lord would take the snakes away.

Some would argue that the people went to their leader for help, but ultimately they knew that God was the only One who could put an end to their dire situation. They didn't ask Moses for a handout or a vaccine. Instead, they asked Moses to pray for them, which he did.

In response, God told Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole, then lift that pole up. Everyone who would look to that bronze snake would live. Look and live. That was the answer for the desperate people in Numbers chapter 21.

It is the same message for today. Desperate souls are facing eternity without Jesus. The Lord said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” Desperate souls can find everlasting life by looking to Jesus.

The real problem facing Americans is not Covid-19, inflation or social unrest. The real problem is sin. The government cannot solve this problem. Dying souls can only find eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Look and live. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is time to wake up to the dire situation facing millions of souls. May the Holy Spirit awaken someone that reads these words. Without Christ, you are in a desperate situation. The serpent of sin has bitten you. The venom is deadly. Your only hope is to look to Jesus Christ right now.

Look and live.

Desperation

DESPERATION

“And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” - Psalm 50:15

Have you ever been desperate? Have you ever had a time in your life where you passionately prayed and sought God for a miracle? Perhaps you are in such a season right now. If so, you are in good company. Nearly all of God's people face desperate situations from time to time. Some need a miracle just to get through each day.

We are not promised an easy life. The path we must travel will have twists and turns. There will be potholes that shake us up. There are unexpected dead-ends that we will face. At times, the journey can have steep inclines and perilous distractions. Furthermore, our family and friends must navigate areas that are lonely, difficult and dangerous. The times we live in are very uncertain and gloomy. Our society seems to be in a downward spiral into destruction.

We are living in desperate times. We can get so accustomed to the circumstances around us that we no longer live in desperation. We can get so jaded by the adversity of life that we are tempted to give up or give in.

In spite of these desperate times, few people seem to be desperate. Our society is on the brink of destruction. Common sense is nearly extinct in our country. We seem to be constantly on the brink of civil unrest here in America. Across the globe, over 166,000 people will die today, many of them without a saving faith in Jesus. These are desperate times.

For the man or woman with open eyes and an open Bible, it is clear that the only hope for mankind is Jesus Christ. Apart from a miracle, America is doomed to self destruct. Unless God intervenes, the future is hopeless. In this election year, too many are looking for a political candidate to save America. Yet there is not a politician or political party that can turn this nation in the right direction. There is not a political solution to our problems. We need a spiritual awakening in the United States.

Christian historians will tell you that our nation has experienced spiritual awakenings in the past. Typically, these awakenings began during the darkest of times. We are at such a point here in America.

In times of desperation, we are tempted to seek change at the ballot box. We look for human solutions to our spiritual problems. This only worsens our situation.

Spiritual problems can only be solved by spiritual means. Like it or not, our nation's woes stem from deep abiding sin issues.

God has told us what to do in times of desperation. Psalm 50:15 says, “... call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” Notice three things in this verse.

PRAYER

First of all, in times of desperation, we need to pray. God said, “... call upon me in the day of trouble...” Sadly, most people treat prayer as a last resort. Prayer is reserved for a crisis or an emergency. In times of desperation, people tend to pray. It is in such dire circumstances that we finally see that our only hope is God.

PROMISE

Secondly, God provides us a promise, “... I will deliver thee.” If we will seek God in desperation, He will deliver. He will bring the breakthrough we need. These are desperate times, yet where are the prayer warriors who will pray until the answer comes?

PRAISE

Finally, when God delivers, we should respond by praising Him. God says, “I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” Tragically, when desperate times are over, we tend to go back to “life as usual.” We forget to thank the Lord. We foolishly neglect the One who answered our prayers and performed miracles. We want to get back to “life as usual,” while forgetting that “life as usual,” led to the desperate situation we were in to begin with. We don't need to return to “life as usual.” We need a new direction that only God can provide.

Yes, these are desperate times. Will you join with me in praying for God to bring a spiritual awakening to America? Will you pray along with me for God to revive our churches, renew families, restore marriages and save souls? Time is running out. This is a critical hour.

If God promises to deliver, why wait any longer to pray?

Effective Evangelism

EFFECTIVE EVANGELISM

“He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” - Psalm 126:6

I have been writing about the seven pillars of a healthy church. Today, we come to the final pillar. If a church is healthy, it is actively engaged in evangelism. It has been said that we enter church to worship and we exit to evangelize.

Evangelism is the act of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with lost people. Those around us need the message that we know so well.

The early church emphasized evangelism. They boldly shared the Gospel throughout the community, the region and the world. Such boldness is needed in our day. We need to have such a passion for souls.

I believe that most Christians long to see the salvation of souls. We are especially concerned about our family members and friends. We have a great desire to see them transformed by the power of the Gospel.

When I was growing up, it wasn't uncommon to drive along on a Sunday afternoon and see a congregation gathering at a river bank. Without even knowing the church, we knew that a baptism service was occurring. What has happened to such days?

One major denomination has seen a steady decline in baptisms over the last several years. This seems to be a wide scale problem. There is no shortage of sinners that need Jesus. There seems to be a shortage of those whom God is using to win souls.

While many argue and complain over non-essential matters, precious souls are leaving this world without the Lord. They are perishing under our watch.

For a church to be effective at evangelism, several things are needed:

KNOW

In order for us to share the Gospel, we must know we are saved ourselves. Secondly, we must understand the Gospel ourselves. We must know the Gospel well enough to share it with others.

The Good News is best understood when presented in light of the law. Mankind has broken God's law because of sin. Violating His law is a personal offense to Him. It is an act of treason. Sin is a felony that is punishable by death. A Holy God cannot permit sin to go unpunished.

Yet how can a holy God be just and yet pardon sinners? The answer is found in His Son, Jesus Christ. God cared so much for us that He sent His Son to receive the punishment we deserved. Both the Old and New Testaments declare that atonement only comes through the blood. It is only through the blood of Jesus that the justice of God is satisfied on our behalf. Through His blood on the cross, our Lord purchased our pardon. It is only through His blood that sins are covered. Through faith in Christ, a sinner is justified.

GO

Secondly, the remnant of believers need to go and share this Gospel message with others. The Great Commission begins with, “Go ye therefore...” Psalm 126:6 says, “He goeth forth and weepeth...” Our mission field includes our family, co-workers, neighbors and even the strangers we meet throughout the week. If you want to go fishing, you need to go where the fish are at. We are called to be fishers of men.

SOW

Next, we need to sow the right seed. When Jesus explained the parable of the sower, He said that the seed is the Word. If we want to see a harvest, we need to sow the right seed. Sow the Gospel message liberally, regularly and expectantly. Psalm 126:6 says, “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed...” Seed in the hand will never produce a harvest. The seed needs to be planted in their hearts of people.

GROW

Finally, if we sow the right seed, we can expect a harvest. I've quoted from part of Psalm 126:6, now let's look at the rest of the verse: “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Notice the Psalmist indicates that the sower will DOUBTLESS come with sheaves. If a man sows the Word in the Name of Jesus, by the power of the Spirit, for the glory of God, there is no doubt that a harvest will come. Without a doubt, the sower will come REJOICING, bringing sheaves with him. There will be growth. God will bless the efforts of such a sower. We need to be about our Father's business. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. With love and compassion, the Church needs to spread the Gospel. Sow the seed. It begins with you and me. It begins today.

If you long to see a harvest, begin sowing the right seed today.

Financial Integrity

FINANCIAL INTEGRITY

“It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” - Matthew 21:13

One of the abuses we've seen in the church through the years has been the overemphasis and misuse of money. Televangelists have built huge empires with the financial support of their viewers. Some of these televangelists have been exposed for their extravagant lifestyles and large mansions. They have become multimillionaires at the expense of naive, hard-working viewers. In some cases, poor widows have depleted their bank accounts to give to these men. When I think of this, I am angered by such greed and selfishness, perpetrated in the name of religion.

There's no doubt why many are weary of sermons about money. Some have gone to the extreme of thinking that money and ministry don't mix. To them, faith and finances are two separate issues. This degree of reaction is understandable under the circumstances, but is still wrong. God has called believers to be generous and caring.

Although money is required to do the work of ministry, this money should be utilized with great integrity. A church or ministry needs to be transparent about finances. Furthermore, ministers need to focus on the ministry of the Word, not the handling of money. At a small church, finances are typically very limited, so financial improprieties are rather rare in such situations. Still there is a need for financial integrity regardless of the size of the church or ministry.

Personally, it is my belief that the pastor should delegate business and financial tasks to a capable person. Even then, the person responsible needs to be honest and accountable for this work.

The abuse of ministry finances is rather modern problem. Of course, the early church had limited resources, so embezzlement and financial abuse was not an issue for that day. But it is an issue for our day.

Our Lord addressed financial abuse when he drove the money changers from the temple. Their abuse of power and money had turned the house of God into an unholy mess. In a strong response, our Lord took a whip and ran the crooks out of the house of God.

If our Lord were to physically visit churches today, I have no doubt that he would take a whip and run some scoundrels out of the pulpit.

I believe that financial integrity is an important pillar of church health. In an age of consumerism, the church should stand alone as a place where money is treated with care. For those in full-time ministry, their salary should not be outrageous. They are not called to be multimillionaires. They are called to be ministers … followers of Jesus who serve a local body of believers. Their salary should not be a distraction or scandalous.

The Bible says that the love of money is the root of all evil. Although churches need money to function properly each week, money is not to be the main focus of our ministry. As someone has once said, money is a great slave but a poor master.

Let me be candid for a moment. There is another extreme to financial integrity. Stinginess can be an abuse of money. Paul wrote to the Corinthians and challenged them to be more diligent in their giving. Just think how much could be accomplished in the Lord's Name, if churches and believers were more generous in their giving. The Bible says that the Lord loves a cheerful giver. That should motivate us to be bountiful with our giving.

Financial integrity is not just a pillar of a healthy church, it should be a reality in the life of every believer. We should not be sidetracked by money or ruined by greed. Money is just one of many ways that we can make eternal investments in the Kingdom of God.

In Jesus' day, the temple had become a den of thieves because of their financial abuse. We need to avoid this sin today.

Loving Fellowship

LOVING FELLOWSHIP

“And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.” - Acts 2:46

Do you love your church? If many members were honest, they only tolerate the church. Church services are just another obligation that fills a week. It is truly sad that few actually love their church. Yet Jesus loves the church. He gave His life for the church.

One reason that few love the church is because they feel detached from her. Technically, they may be members, but they don't have a strong interest in the church. They give the least amount of their time, talents and treasures for the sake of the church.

If we viewed church as we should, we would recognize the church as a family gathering. Each week, God's people gather for fellowship and ministry. The internet is a pitiful place for social interaction. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, many have resorted to “on-line church.” While this was necessary during the early days of the outbreak, I believe it is time for believers to get back to personal attendance.

Loving fellowship is one of the pillars of the church. Believers need this fellowship. You are not an exception.

Let's learn from the first century church. In Acts 2:46, the Bible says, “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.” The early church experienced loving fellowship. So should we.

Here are a few things we should do together with a local family of believers.

EXPERIENCE LIFE

First, we should experience life together. That's what a family does. The local church is your spiritual family. Sadly, many arrive just in time for the service to begin and leave just as quickly as possible. Relationships are never developed. Few know each other on a first-name basis. That is not how church is meant to be. As a spiritual family, we are meant to know each other as brothers and sisters and interact with each other on a regular basis.

Furthermore, we experience growth together at church. Church is a place where we employ our talents to serve the Lord and others. It's at church that we give financially to help each other. We support each other in prayer. We give and receive encouragement.

As followers of Jesus, we should experience life together.

EXPRESS LOVE

As a family, we should love one another. In his first epistle, John wrote, “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” It is one thing to “like” someone, it is another thing to actually love them.

Love should be declared and demonstrated. We declare our love through our words. We demonstrate our love through our actions. The local church is a place where God's family assemble and express love one toward another.

EXPERIENCE THE LORD

As a family, we gather to meet with our Lord and experience His love. There are experiences in life that are too wonderful to be enjoyed alone. You want to share these moments with others. When we encounter God through worship and the ministry of His Word, our lives are impacted. Worship is an activity that needs to be enjoyed personally and publicly. It is true that a believer needs to worship privately, but he needs to also express his worship of God along with other believers.

One of the pillars of a healthy church is the loving fellowship of believers. Without this pillar, the church can become unhealthy and anemic.

We need each other. It doesn't matter how gifted a quarterback may be, he doesn't play the game alone. He needs to be surrounded with a good team before he can flourish.

The same thing is true for us.

Persistent Prayer

 PERSISTENT PRAYER

“... mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.” - Isaiah 56:7

Leonard Ravenhill once said, “No man is greater than his prayer life.” If that is true of a man, how much more is this true of a church. A church is no stronger than the prayers that fortify her ministry.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the foundation of the church, Jesus Christ. Since then, I've been writing about the seven pillars of a healthy church. So far, we've examined Biblical leadership, meaningful worship and powerful preaching. Today, we are looking at persistent prayer.

While nearly church has a time of prayer carved out in their order of service, it usually turns out to be a minor aspect of the service. Prayer is often just another line in the church bulletin. Certainly, we would never consider having a church service without some kind of prayer being offered, but we tend to give it little consideration.

The Lord stated that His house will be called a house of prayer. Notice He didn't call it a house of singing or a house of preaching. It is a house of prayer. But somehow prayer has decreased drastically in our churches. There is a difference between a church that prays and a praying church. A church that prays may intercede for a specific request, but a praying church is constantly at the throne of grace, calling on the Name of the Lord. A praying church is a powerful church.

How can a church become a praying church?

PRAYER MUST BE A PRIORITY

For a church to become a praying church, the leadership must make prayer a priority. Ron Dunn once said that a church will never rise above the spiritual level of its leadership. That is true. The members tend to become passionate about the things the pastor is passionate about. If the pastor is apathetic concerning prayer, the church will follow his example. Instead, if he prioritizes prayer, the congregation will also tend to emphasize prayer.

When you read the book of Acts, you'll find that the early church made prayer a priority. They sought God's help and it make a difference.

In our day, prayer meetings have become a thing of the past. The result is rather obvious. Even though we believe that prayer should be conducted at every church service, I am not convinced that most church members believe that God will answer when they pray. If they truly believed that God responds to the prayers of his people, we would make prayer a priority, not just at church, but in our private lives as well.

PRAYER MUST BE PLANNED

Like everything else, time must be set aside time for prayer. While I strongly believe that there needs to be times of extemporaneous prayer, we need to properly plan for prayer. We shouldn't be haphazard about this matter. If we fail to plan, we will fail to pray.

PRAYER MUST BE PERSISTENT

Finally, we must be relentless in our pursuit of God and His blessings. We need Him every moment. Prayer needs to be a regular aspect of our church services. We should give quality time for this necessary practice. There are many things we may wish to include in a church service, but if prayer is reduced or removed, we do so to our own ruin.

Although the church needs to be a house of prayer, every home represented should be a house of prayer as well. If you are a follower of Jesus, you should be a man or woman of prayer. I've found that most people want to enjoy the fruit of fervent prayer, but they don't want to invest the time in prayer itself. Someone needs to step up and be a prayer warrior in these final days.

Why shouldn't this person be you?

Powerful Preaching

POWERFUL PREACHING

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.” - 2 Timothy 4:2

I love good preaching. I love it when a man takes his Bible and simply, but powerfully, preaches the Word of God. We need more preachers to do this. Instead, it seems popular for pastors to reduce the message to a pop-psychology lesson with Bible verses sprinkled in. Some think that creativity is more important than theology. To them, having a sermon idea or title that grabs the attention of an audience is paramount to a message. They act like the content of the sermon is of secondary importance.

I don't have a problem with preachers having creative titles or using memorable illustrations. However, the key is to proclaim the truth of God's Word, without compromise. Preachers are to be more than strong orators. A sermon is more than a speech or a lecture. Properly conveyed, a sermon is theology set ablaze by the Spirit, proclaimed by a man of God.

What constitutes powerful preaching?

THE SCRIPTURAL TRUTH

First of all, a Biblical sermon must come from the Bible itself. Rather than a polished lecture, a sermon has the Bible as its foundation. Personally, I love expository preaching. With expository preaching, the minister simply preaches what the Bible says. He preaches word for word, line for line and verse by verse. He simply preaches, “Thus saith the Lord.”

There are too many ministers who simply insert their beliefs and preferences into a text. That is not Biblical preaching. It is not the minister's job to make a verse fit his theology. He needs his theology to be formed by what the text teaches. Rather than trying to find a verse that teaches what he believes, a preacher should simply preach what the Bible says.

The Word of God is alive. Lasting change occurs when people hear what the Bible really says. Powerful preaching is Biblical preaching. We need more of this today!

THE SPIRIT'S TOUCH

Secondly, powerful preaching occurs when the preacher has the touch of God on his life. When the Spirit blesses the preacher, he is able to boldly, yet humbly, convey the powerful truth of the Word of God. Far too many sermons sound like boring classroom lectures. The Bible is living and active. It should not be taught in a boring, monotone manner.

When a man of God preaches the Word of God, he is dependent on the Spirit of God to take the message and change lives. God uses imperfect men with imperfect skills to preach the Word that transforms others. The Spirit's touch upon a man of God is desperately needed.

THE SERMON'S TARGET

The purpose of powerful preaching is the transformation of lives for the glory of God. Primarily, a pastor should preach to his flock. The children of God should be fed a steady diet of the Word each Sunday. The congregation of believers need to be encouraged, warned, strengthened and directed. This will come as the pastor preaches the Word with power.

Also, the sermon should make the Gospel known to any unbeliever in the service. The local church should be a good place for a sinner to hear the truth. The Apostle Paul told Timothy to do the work of an evangelist. An evangelist is a man who proclaims the Good News. Like Timothy, every pastor needs to do this work.

Most of all, the sermon should exalt the Lord Jesus. A preacher needs to preach with the goal of pleasing his Lord, not his deacon board. Any praise for a sermon needs to be directed to the One who gave the message, not the messenger. When a man take credit for God's work, the Spirit ceases to use that man. A good sermon will not lead people to say, “What a great preacher.” Instead, a powerful, effective sermon will cause people to say, “What a great Savior!”

Do you want your preacher to preach better? Then pray for him. Pray for God's hand to be upon him. Pray for his ministry, his family and his health. Pray for God to use him beyond his talents and abilities. Pray for God to be glorified through his life and ministry.

Yes, we need more powerful preaching today. We need more men to rise up and boldly preach the Word in the power of the Spirit.

The world is dying to hear such preaching.