Luke 6:26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.
I get the feeling that the American church’s goal has been to be liked by the society at large. They have wanted to be accepted, and to a large degree that acceptance has come. At the present moment in time, that acceptance is fading. The church is increasingly the target of hatred and derision in certain locations and among a certain group of people.
So what is our response to be? How are we to shift so that they will like us again? Because, if we are to reach them, we certainly must be liked first. Correct? This has perhaps been the fatal flaw in the American church’s strategy to reach the lost. If we are liked they will certainly listen and accept what we say. Or at least that is what the popular missions strategy has been over the last century.
Before the revival that happened across the globe near the opening of the twentieth century, portions of the church were accepted, embraced and cherished. The mainline denominations built large churches, had influence in caring for the poor and sick, and they had political sway. The values the expanded church were the values of our country. But that has changed.
But there were other portions that were not embraced. These portions were often congregations that were led by people who didn’t have the formal education of the mainline churches. They were led by bi-vocational pastors who had be transformed by the Gospel and called to proclaim the simple message of the Gospel. Other people had seen the transformation and wanted the same for themselves.
But now, our influence over culture is almost non-existent. There is rarely a Christian voice to whom the masses listen. Our volume has been turned off and the white noise of secularism has taken over the microphones of society. It offers all the placebos that can keep the masses quiet while at the same time maintaining power in the hands of those in power.
Luke has given us words from Jesus that should be a waring to us. He has written about wealth, hunger, joy and persecution. If you are on the deficit side of these commodities, then you are blessed. But if you, instead, have wealth, food, joy, and persecution you are in need of radical help.
The American church has certainly had wealth, food, joy and no persecution. From the outside looking in, it appears to have been a success. Large stately buildings on prominent street corners in almost every town and city. Leaders who claim to have an affiliation with a particular brand of Christianity, wear their attendance like a Medal of Freedom badge or a Purple Heart.
But Jesus tells us in our text, that if we are liked, we are in danger of becoming cancelled. We have spoken only what will not offend. Just like the false prophets of the Old Testament, we have only spoken what the people want to hear. And this selective speaking and listening led to the Exile of the nation of Israel into captivity.
How is this possible? If the Gospel is not rubbing us the wrong way, messing with our stuff, offending us, then it is not the Gospel we are hearing. We have been lulled into sleep by eating too much Turkish Delight. It is our ears that are itching with the soothing words of complacency.
But the Gospel is offensive at the core. We are rebels in God’s territory. We are the pirates scouting the shores seeking a quick profit without conscience. We are defacing the very monuments that declare the glory of God. As Image-bearers, we commit idolatry with our exaltation of humanity and the debasement of God.
It is time for repentance to begin in the Church. The false prophets always had an audience. Audience size is not an accurate measure of fidelity to the Gospel.
The Arnold Journey 