Unrighteous - 1
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Why are you here
Why are you here
Today we are starting a new series titled UNRIGHTEOUS.
This series is one that Caleb came up with thematically and that is from the point of a frustration, and a massive problem that is in our world today, in our churches today.
That problem is, “Fake Christianity”.
Now quick note, there is NO SUCH thing as fake Christianity and that should absolutely terrify some people. Because as we talked about, there is no straddling the line and sneaking in the back door of heaven, or just over the top of hell. There is only in, and only out. Christian, or NOT
Even last week in our series wrap up for the Devil has a plan. I mentioned the issue itself, many people are “Christians” go around your schools and ask people if they believe in God or Jesus and they’ll probably say yes to some degree.
adults, your work places. SAME THING
But how many of those people live Christian lives? They say it, but they can’t do it for nothing.
So I want to open this series with a Question… This question should be asked to every single person in a church, every single Sunday, every single Wednesday and every single day they live their life.
WHY ARE YOU HERE
Why are any of us here. Why are we still here.
This is a hard question to answer. Think about it though.
I don’t just mean in church, I don’t just mean on earth, I really mean it in a general spectrum.
Maybe break it down, why are you on this earth?
Why are you in church?
Ask yourself these things. They are important
In the Bible these topics are brought up frequently. People who are supposed to be following God are not, people who have been assigned roles in churches aren’t doing them and then some.
Newsflash, some things do stay the same
But we see in 2 Corinthians, Paul is writing to this church a letter, can you guess how many letters he is in? his 3rd. we lost the second one
But to give you some context and back story, Paul has had some tough go’s with a lot of people, but this church in Corinth is on his nerves man.
In his first letter he writes to them about setting themselves up for success and encourages them to continue pursuing Christ.
IN the second letter that we lost, Paul sent his buddy Timothy to check on the Corinthian people and when timothy arrived he found some BAD stuff going on. Probably a lot of it from Paul’s opponents in the eastern regions who were keen on rejecting any sort of Gospel, without Jewish law being thoroughly prevalent in all of it.
Paul reroutes his trip when word from timothy comes, and he gets humiliated and he leaves without retaliating, because he knows idf he does, he will lose these people. That second letter was written to tearfully and severely rebuke and warn the people of what is to come if this continues.
And 2nd Corinthians is actually his third letter
This time, most of the people have come around but there are some bad apples. In this letter he spends a great deal of time, confirming the beliefs of some who are following faithfully, and in the latter parts he spends dealing with the opps.
These people claimed to be following Jesus but were simultaneously removing people from the churches and from the people Paul knew to be correctly following Jesus. Doesn't sound like following the same Jesus to me
Paul doubles down
And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
Paul says I am here, and he stands on business.
He calls em out too! He says, what I am doing is God ordained. I am not stopping, but men who are claiming falsehoods and working deceitfully are disguising themselves as apostles, but they seek selfish gain. they seek to be the gods themselves and there is no stopping them.
He then says this to them one chapter later
I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!
I want to read this in a different translation though, this may be hard to understand how he is coming about this
Well, now I’ve done it! I’ve made a complete fool of myself by going on like this. But it’s not all my fault; you put me up to it. You should have been doing this for me, sticking up for me and commending me instead of making me do it for myself. You know from personal experience that even if I’m a nobody, a nothing, I wasn’t second-rate compared to those big-shot apostles you’re so taken with. All the signs that mark a true apostle were in evidence while I was with you through both good times and bad: signs of portent, signs of wonder, signs of power. Did you get less of me or of God than any of the other churches? The only thing you got less of was less responsibility for my upkeep. Well, I’m sorry. Forgive me for depriving you.
He is basically mocking them and himself all at once, he is ticked off. he is not ready for them and their excuses.
He says look now we all look stupid because y’all have neglected YOUR purpose in church. Paul holds NO Punches.
He says I have no ego in this, I do this for you, I did this to help you and you messed it all up by following after the same folks that YOU were told to avoid. Somehow I am the bad guy for YOUR mistakes huh.
Did you get less from me? is that why you ran off? is that what I did to you? OH NO? Then it is just you. Sorry for trusting you I guess.
B For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.
These people are not helping anyone, and hurting everyone.
Why are these people here. I am sure Paul would ask. They are just messing it all up!
I think a lot of times in our lives today, we may not see church blow ups like this all the time, but in a more personal way, we are living a life thinking it is all good fine, and dandy. but then we fade away from the responsibilities we know we are given.
We have a tough school week with a lot of tests and practices and whatever else and we deny the chores we were told to do at home, that we have been doing for years.
We get lazy and we forget to this, don’t feel like doing that today we forgot about the punishment we once had and how it sucked when we got grounded because we didn’t do the dishes, mow take out the trash and blah blah blah
But here’s the thing, to someone who is truly redeemed and saved, there is no getting lazy with Jesus.
IN this SAME letter to the corinthian folks, paul says this
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. not he might be a new one, he is one. the old is gone and new is here.
there is no reverting to the old ways, if the old is gone. there is only new ways.
HAVE YOU BEEN MADE NEW?
We can apply this to our churches today as well.
You want to know something really scary?
a quick google search tells you that some people believe at least 45% of church going attenders. people who regularly show up, are NOT even saved.
there is a strong group of folks who believe it is far more than that that is not saved, some common statistics I've heard is that 10% is actually saved.
We don’t know, we can’t speak to the truth of this number or that. But I would almost assure you, that a large chunk of American Church goers aren't saved. a Large chunk of El Dorado church goers aren’t saved.
There have even been pastors preachers and leaders in churches, who are running these places and have not been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ because some ego they have and earthly desire they see more valuable than a life with Christ.
WHY ARE YOU HERE?
What brings you? is it because someone told you? Is it because you just do? To hang out? Is it because you are looking for something?
Or do you know that you need to be in a place where believers can be supported in confidence of other true Jesus loving Christians and you are yearning for a connection with the Lord that you cannot find in the World?
Jesus himself gives us this warning, and this is how I know it is true. listen carefully please
Matthew 7:21-23 says this,
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
People prophesied in his name, they did cast out demons, in his name, and did many mighty works and wonders in his name.
And Jesus does not know them.
WHAT IS GOING TO SAVE YOU? WHY ARE YOU HERE?
John 17:3
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God. and Jesus Christ whom you have sent
SALVATION IS KNOWING JESUS
You can post all the bible TikTok's you want, you can go to every Wednesday night, Sunday morning, and church camp. You can be a member of a church a pastor of a church and a recognized leader and if your relationship with Jesus is non-existent, you will be non-existent in the kingdom of heaven.
This is not to say church is not important.
This is not to say if you miss reading your bible one day, that's it just strike me down to hell!
This is not to tell you that you shouldn’t pursue ministry in ANY AND EVERY CALLING YOU HAVE
This is to tell you that we use the church for every wrong reason.
People take positions that they are not worthy of. People put themselves in places that drive them into leadership when they are unfit. People come to churches looking for a quick little feel good message, throw my hands up and sing and leave and come back next Sunday, the only time I think about the Lord at all.
This is to tell you that we need a generation who is willing to wake up for the first time and answer the call that we have truly in Christ Jesus. To know him and make him known.
WHY ARE YOU HERE?
To know him. and to make his name known.
I had a conversation recently with a student, and they asked me, Does god have a savior complex, does he just know that he made us and he just wants us to be like, “thank you god I am such a piece of garbage and I am worthless to you” and he saves us just so we can praise him.
and let me tell you, that's so far from the truth.
God wants everything you and I have, so we can choose to love him, and he can love us. The worship and praise he asks for is not a self-deprecating pit of sorrow and crying out to him. It is knowing him and choosing a relationship with him over all else.
Will you follow Jesus?
Have you made that choice?
and if not, how long will it take you to figure out WHY YOU ARE HERE?
