Throwing Down the Gauntlet
Beware when the church ceases to be truth and righteousness and becomes popular and trendy. Modern churches have a penchant toward “keeping up with the Joneses” in order to “keep the young people interested” and appear relevant to the neighborhood in which it functions. Christianity, until fairly recently, has never been interested in any of those things. The true message of the Church is that of the first Easter when the angels at the tomb said, “why seek ye the living among the dead?”
We must be reminded of the actual message of the gospel: “Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
And they remembered his words, And returned from the sepulcher, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.” (Luke 24: 1-11)
Jesus in the latter part of his earthly walk and ministry did not proclaim to the crowds but was very specific to the inner circle of those called Apostles. “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles. (Mark 10:33)
At this point Peter began to rebuke Jesus, “Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.” (Matthew 16:22)
At this point Jesus was stern if not harsh with Peter, “he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense unto me: for you savor not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” (matthew 16: 23-27)
I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51)
Like it or not that was the challenge of the Messiah Jesus Christ. In the early days of the church their numbers began to swell and the “good news” moved out over the heretofore pagan lands. If it was successful in those early days, why not now even more so?
“Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:38)
When the church becomes ashamed of the gospel and attempts to “spruce it up” and dilute it for succeeding generations it will lose its power.
“So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” (I Corinthians 15:54)
Life and death are sobering, serious subjects; when they cease to be and death is a “light experience,” a tunnel with a light at the end, and eternity is plunking harps while sitting on a cloud where is the challenge? It would require a great deal more faith to believe that scenario then the reality of the cross
and the message, Christ died for the sins of the world.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and live eternally.
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