“And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple.” - John 2:15
Lee Roy Abernathy was a pioneer in Southern Gospel Music. He was a gifted singer, pianist and songwriter. He was very unique in his approach to performing and writing. For instance, he formed the “Happy Two,” a 2-man quartet, teaming up (most of the time) with Shorty Bradford. His best known contribution to Gospel Music was his composition, “A Wonderful Time Up There,” also known as “Gospel Boogie.” That song has been recorded numerous times.
One of Abernathy's most unique songs was, “Termites In The Temple.” This song can be found on Youtube, sung by the “Happy Two.” In the song, Abernathy lists a number of things that tends to destroy a local church.
Abernathy passed away in 1993. If he were still alive today, he probably would add a few verses to “Termites In The Temple.” The devil is busy working to destroy churches today. He is clever and finds new and innovative ways to bring destruction to houses of worship.
Think about termites. Termites are a destructive for several reasons. First of all, they are silent pests. Typically, the work of termites is not detected until it is too late. Secondly, they work internally. They like to eat away at the flooring and other internal parts of a home. Next, they are difficult to destroy. Usually it takes a professional pest control technician to rid your home of termites.
Although many are expecting opposition and persecution from the world in future days, each local church faces the possibility of demise from within. Our greatest problems are internal issues. It is true that persecution seems to loom on the horizon, but typically persecution refines the church and leads local churches to flourish. It is the internal struggles that tend to bring mass destruction to congregations.
There are many termites that need to be eliminated. Most of all, false teachers are termites that bring destruction. No, I'm not suggesting that we do physical harm to them, but they need to be exposed and removed from pulpits. There are preachers that use their platform to promote themselves. Whether it is selling books and DVDs, or seeking greater public esteem, they are busy exalting themselves rather than God. It is embarrassing that preachers will strut across a platform or spend enormous amount of time bragging on themselves. Pride is still a sin.
Furthermore, there are those in ministry who are giving in to worldly influences. Some have turned the pulpit into a comic stage. Others have reduced the sermon to a pop-psychology lesson. Even worse are the preachers who use their platform to condone sin. When preachers embrace and encourage acts that God condemns, be assured that the church is being destroyed.
Sadly, most of these false teachers have become well known. Television and the internet are used strategically to promote these termites. The termites are in the temple. Gullible and Biblically illiterate people rush to follow these men, not knowing the incalculable harm they are bringing to the American church.
Too many of these pastors focus solely on numbers. They want to attract and maintain a crowd, even at the expense of Biblical truth. How much more are they willing to sacrifice to get a following?
Just because a man wears an impressive suit, quotes a verse of two of Scripture (often out of context) and has a persuasive personality does not make him a preacher of truth. Some are wolves in sheep's clothing, seeking financial gain at the expense of poor, unsuspecting people. Others want to be “cool,” and “relevant,” desiring the applause of men rather than the praise of God.
Preachers need to boldly tell it like it is. They need to preach that there is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. They need to boldly state that Jesus is the only way to heaven and that a person to needs to be born again to get there. There needs to be preaching about sin and repentance. Pastors, teachers and evangelists need to preach the Word and not give in to the latest fads in ministry. In the end, preachers should seek to please God rather than be invited to the White House or a talk show.
It is time for Christians to read and study their Bibles. We need to know what the Scriptures teach. Every Christian needs to attend a good, Bible-preaching church and support it. Yes, there are good preachers on TV and the internet, but they should never replace your allegiance to a local body of believers. When you study the Word, you'll find that some popular preachers on TV are just wolves in sheep's clothing.
They are termites in the temple.
No comments:
Post a Comment