The term useless means, “of no use; not working or not achieving what is needed. Example - Without fuel, the vehicles will become useless for moving supplies.” The dictionary gave that example of a vehicle without fuel, but the vehicle could also be worthless which means “having no real value or use.” Today we are focusing on usefulness, not the financial value of something. One farmer bragged to another and said I get in my truck in the morning, and it takes all day to drive from one end of my farm to the other. The other farmer responded; I once had a truck like that. A vehicle becomes useless / worthless when it no longer does what it was designed to do, and they end up in a junkyard.
Throughout scripture we see God tell His servants to do some pretty interesting things to make a point and the prophet would obey. One time God told Jeremiah, Jeremiah 13:1 “This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a linen belt and put it around your waist, but do not let it touch water.” 2 So I bought a belt, as the Lord directed, and put it around my waist. 3 Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time: 4 “Take the belt you bought and are wearing around your waist, and go now to Perath and hide it there in a crevice in the rocks.” 5 So I went and hid it at Perath, as the Lord told me. 6 Many days later the Lord said to me, “Go now to Perath and get the belt I told you to hide there.” 7 So I went to Perath and dug up the belt and took it from the place where I had hidden it, but now it was ruined and completely useless. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt—completely useless! 11 For as a belt is bound around the waist, so I bound all the people of Israel and all the people of Judah to me,’ declares the Lord, ‘to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But they have not listened.’”
God also told Jeremiah to tell the people Jeremiah 7:4 “Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!” 5 If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, 6 if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, 7 then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors for ever and ever. 8 But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.” Jeremiah 2:5 “This is what the Lord says: “What fault did your ancestors find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.” The people had no problem following the false prophets but did not listen to God’s servants. God’s people became useless and worthless because they refused to obey the word of God and rebelled by going their own way and following their own words. Even though the people said, “this is the temple, this is the temple,” they were following deceptive words that were worthless. God said, Isaiah 1:13 “Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations— I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.”
God commanded His people to obey and follow His word but as we saw with king Zedekiah, Jeremiah 37:2 “Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention to the words the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.” Before king Jehoiachin, who only lasted three months, and king Zedekiah was Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah. God said, Jeremiah 36:2 “Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah and all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah till now. 3 Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, they will each turn from their wicked ways; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin.” God warned His people, but they refused to listen. King Jehoiakim (Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah taken captive under his reign) did not listen but even went a step further in his rebellion. The scroll was then read to king Jehoiakim. Jeremiah 36:22 “It was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the winter apartment, with a fire burning in the firepot in front of him. 23 Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. 24 The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes. 25 Even though Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. 26 Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the Lord had hidden them.”
God said Jeremiah 2:9 “Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty. 20 “Long ago you broke off your yoke and tore off your bonds; you said, ‘I will not serve you!’” They refused to listen to God’s word and did not turn from their wicked ways. They continued to listen to the false prophets until the time came when Jerusalem would fall to the Babylonians. 2 Chronicles 36:15 “The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. 17 He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men or young women, the elderly or the infirm. God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. 18 He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. 19 They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there.”
They chose not to believe God’s servants and followed the words of the false prophets and teachers. Ezekiel 13:2 “Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: ‘Hear the word of the Lord! 3 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! 4 Your prophets, Israel, are like jackals among ruins. 5 You have not gone up to the breaches in the wall to repair it for the people of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord. 6 Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. Even though the Lord has not sent them, they say, “The Lord declares,” and expect him to fulfill their words. 7 Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, “The Lord declares,” though I have not spoken? 8 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you, declares the Sovereign Lord. 9 My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.” Ezekiel 22:28 “Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says’—when the Lord has not spoken.” Jeremiah 23:16 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. 17 They keep saying to those who despise me, ‘The Lord says: You will have peace.’ And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, ‘No harm will come to you.’ 18 But which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word? 19 See, the storm of the Lord will burst out in wrath, a whirlwind swirling down on the heads of the wicked. 20 The anger of the Lord will not turn back until he fully accomplishes the purposes of his heart. In days to come you will understand it clearly. 21 I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. 22 But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.” Lamentations 2:14 “The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The prophecies they gave you were false and misleading.”
As we jump ahead to the church, who say this is the church, this is the church, keep in mind the king who burned the scrolls and the belt that was useless because the church has done the same. Today the church has rebelled against the word of the Lord and still refuses to listen. The church has rejected the word of the Lord and because of that rebellion, deception and delusion (the abomination that causes desolation) has decimated the church and truth has been thrown down. Daniel 8:12 “Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9 “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”
Today like king Jehoiakim and the people, the church has been warned about hell. As Jeremiah said, “Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, they will each turn from their wicked ways; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin,” but like Judah the church does not listen or fear even though we have been warned. Matthew 25:41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Matthew 10:28 “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” There is no question whatsoever that hell exists, yet most do not believe God would allow anyone to spend eternity there but just as Israel and Judah were wrong about God not letting the Babylonians and the Assyrians destroy and take them captive, the church is wrong for not taking these warnings about hell seriously and continue to walk in their own ways.
The church is also filled with false teachers, prophets, preachers, evangelists and prophets who are leading people astray just like the false prophets did in the Old Testament. 2 Peter 2:1 “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.” As Peter said, false teachers have been around ever since he said that. Today false teachers are also saying this is what the sovereign Lord says and hear the word of the Lord when the Lord has not spoken. As Jeremiah and Ezekiel said, Ezekiel 13:5 “You have not gone up to the breaches in the wall to repair it for the people of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord.” Jeremiah 23:21 “I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. 22 But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.” Lamentations 2:14 “The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity.” The same is still happening today. As we talk about this, remember deception and delusion are rampant in the church, not only in the leaders but also in the followers. 2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
Here is where the junkyard analogy breaks down. When you drive by a salvage yard and see piles of vehicles all over the place, it is easy to see how useless and worthless they are. It looks like a junkyard. Yes, the metal will be salvaged but the original purpose of those vehicle is useless / worthless. Unlike a salvage yard, it is harder to see the church as useless and worthless because most look pretty good and have the appearance of success, but like the linen belt are still useless / worthless in God’s eyes. Ezekiel said, Ezekiel 13:10 “‘Because they lead my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, 11 therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth. 12 When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?” Jesus said Matthew 23:27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” Yes, there are some churches that are surrounded by tombs and the building is just another sepulcher as Jesus described.
Not every building is easy to see what the whitewash has covered over as some are very successful in their paintjob and give the appearance of being blessed by God. One person said about the growth of larger churches, “it is difficult to identify all the reasons why such growth occurs, except to acknowledge it as a result of God’s favor and blessing.” We already talked about this, but Joel Osteen is a false prophet yet has a massive church. Before going forward, it is important to note that small churches can be just as far from the truth as larger churches. So in line with this persons thinking that God blesses bigger, He must be really blessing really big and not blessing small churches. Somewhere along the line churches got bigger and bigger and everyone else wanted to be like them, thinking as this person that God was blessing them. I took a quick peek at some statistics and most churches have less than one-hundred people and on the other end very few have over five-hundred and mega churches represent less than 1% according to these statistics.
Since most churches have less than one-hundred people and the small churches are trying to emulate the <1% and still most churches are still under one-hundred and often less than fifty, there is a huge problem. If we go back to the quote that said God blesses bigger, it would appear that the biggest would be following God’s plan, therefore if other churches did what they did then more churches would be blessed by God and after all this time we would have less small churches and Christianity would not be in decline. But as we see time and time again, these so-called successful churches are not cloneable even though many will try to follow them. Yes, I am dating myself but everyone at one point wanted to be like Willow Creek and their seeker sensitive plan for church growth. One person wrote, “What really distinguished Willow Creek, though, was not just its size or the speed of its growth, but its influence on other churches. By creating the Willow Creek Association (now doing business as the Global Leadership Network), an organization that ultimately had thousands of churches as members, it has mentored others in its strategies and techniques for church growth.” “Throughout the 80s and 90s, Willow Creek Community Church became what many churches aspired to be. It became the archetype of the modern evangelical megachurch. It grew from start-up to megachurch status (more than 2000 in regular attendance) in a matter of just a few years. By 2005 the church claimed 21,500 members, making it the sixth largest Protestant congregation in the United States. It eventually “topped out” at around 25,000 in 2015.” In 2007 they sort of repented, and Bill Hybels said “We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self-feeders.’ We should have … taught people, how to read their bible between service, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own.” One person responded and said, “Time will tell how Willow comes to terms with this posture of repentance, and how their future behavior aligns with their updated belief.” Another said, “Imagine Hybels and his team attempting to save someone being swept down a swiftly moving river. Hybels reaches out to try to catch the unfortunate soul before he or she is swept away. Hybels is using the tools of our culture to reach out to the unchurched Harrys being swept away to the judgment. Yet in attempting to reach out to others in the fast-flowing river of our culture, Hybels and his followers also sometimes fall in.” Well, they did and time did tell, and it turns out the whole thing was a sham and no God was not blessing them with this amazing plan of doing church as they used to say. Bill Hybels would resign along with other leadership because of his sexual misconduct. That church should have shut down, but they kept going.
Most did not question whether all this was even God’s plan for the church and found others to emulate. They still do not question and blindly follow. Another church people wanted to clone was Saddleback and like Willow Creek’s Harry, they had Saddleback Sam. Rick Warren basically re-wrote the bible and many fell for it and in particular, these two books were best sellers, The Purpose Driven Church and The Purpose Driven Life. I didn’t check the statistics, but one writer said “It (Purpose Driven Life) became and remains the bestselling hardcover non-fiction book in history and has now tallied over 32 million sales. It is the second most translated book after the Bible.” The same writer said, “I stand by most of my concerns from those days and continue to be troubled by the way Warren uses the Bible.” That is a common denominator for many of these large churches. Basically, what Warren did was use the bible to reiterate his own points. These two examples were two churches that many other churches followed thinking that they had figured out the part of scripture that God had left out. I am sure that God is so relieved that these men and women came along to help Him with His mistake. They say that God gave them the plan and everything they are doing is ordained by God. The Purpose Driven Church is described as “the most important principle is that churches grow when they are healthy, and churches are healthy when they balance all five purposes of the church. The purpose-driven church is committed to fulfilling all five tasks that Christ gave His church to accomplish” Notice how they modify the words of Jesus.
This is where it gets interesting. If you were not aware, God loves baseball. Today the new pope, “Pope Leo XIV, has officially had his favorite baseball team revealed to the world: the Chicago White Sox.” Going back to Rick Warren, we see God’s love for baseball. Warren uses a baseball diamond to show how people move through the bases / purposes he created. The problem is that diamond is nowhere to be seen in scripture, but Rick Warren is saying thus saith the Lord. Hold that thought for a moment. I was once a Free Methodist and then a Wesleyan but found that both were dead. They were supposed to be a holiness movement, but it turns out there is neither holiness or movement. Now the example I am going to give you may contradict that. I came across an article (2012) that said “Outreach magazine has released its annual list of fastest-growing churches in America. Remarkably, three of the 100 fastest-growing churches are Wesleyan.” Those three are “Newhope Church in Durham, N.C., is pastored by Rev. Benji Kelley and is ranked as the 5th-fastest-growing. Fountain Springs Community Church, in Rapid City, S.D., pastored by Rev. Dave Kinnan, is new to the list and ranked 27th. 12Stone Church in Lawrenceville, Ga., led by Rev. Kevin Myers, is ranked 62nd this year. In 2010, it was the #1 fastest-growing church.” The articles then talk about what they are doing to be missional but what is not mentioned is power such as healing, casting out demons, signs and wonders that Jesus said would follow when His word was preached. Mark 16:20 “Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.”
As I mentioned earlier, God must love baseball and blesses those who follow his baseball plan that is not laid out in scripture. Yes, Paul uses some sports metaphors but don’t say what is said here. The pastor of the 12 Stone church wrote a book called “Home Run – Learning God’s plan for life and leadership.” Can I be a little sarcastic? God’s note to the editor says, thank you so much for helping me out. I was a little off that day and completely forgot to include my plan for the church, life and leadership in the New Testament. I feel a little foolish for saying so, so bless you for making others aware. God did not leave anything out, but these men make it appear that He did. The description of the book says, “For five hard years Christian leader Kevin Myers struggled personally and professionally. But it was during that time that God pointed out where he was going wrong and showed him the biblical pattern for living. It proceeded to transform his life, leadership, ministry, and relationships. During that time John Maxwell also became his mentor. Together, using a baseball diamond as an analogy for following God's plan for life, Myers and Maxwell provide a clear path forward while helping you keep your priorities in order and your eyes on the prize.” You then can download study guides and small group material. As I said earlier, smaller churches want to be bigger and follow what these leaders are saying. Here is what one pastor said. “The teaching series focuses on the reality that in baseball, as well as in day to day living, none of us strive for a Strike Out. Yet so many of us find ourselves Striking Out time and time again striving for the Home Run Life dream that we have had since we were young. The bad news is that you have been most likely trying to run the bases according to the world’s view and standard… But the Good News is that God has a game plan for running the bases the right way, a pattern that will allow us to start living the Home Run life that God intended for us.”
Now if you stop and think about baseball, hitting a home run is awesome. I played softball for a while and one game I hit four homeruns out of the park and that was an amazing feeling, but that isn’t reality as in the major leagues the batting average is .240. If the site was right that I looked at, that meant out of 50 at bats the person hit 12. As far as homeruns hit, one writer said “Understanding how often home runs are hit requires looking at home run rates relative to at-bats. In 2019, there was roughly one home run for every 27.5 plate appearances. This translates to about 16% of all hits being home runs, a statistic that underscores their prevalence in modern baseball. However, it’s essential to note that not all players contribute equally to these totals. A small percentage of players account for a significant portion of home runs, with about 6% of players contributing to nearly a third of all home runs hit during that season.” There are many players who do not hit very many homeruns. Rod Carew had “in 2,469 games over 19 seasons, Carew posted a . 328 batting average (3,053-for-9,315) with 1,424 runs, 445 doubles, 112 triples, 92 home runs” In 1972 Rod won the batting title with no homeruns.
The reality is for most people, they will never hit a homerun. Yes, it is a great feeling, but far from reality now in my sixties. You might also be called to ride the bench or be part of the field crew and water boy. Yet baseball is part of God’s plan? Personally, I find baseball boring, except when the Blue Jays repeated as World Series when I was going to seminary in the United States. The point of all of this is to show that even though these churches look impressive on the outside and appear to be doing great things, God did not give them a baseball analogy to fix His blunder of not including His plan in scripture. The fact is they are ignoring His plan already laid out in scripture and following their own imaginations. They just want to build something with their own hands and then say God is blessing them. Also, coffee seems to be a big deal. Yes, there are mega churches that everyone wants to emulate but God is not blessing them. This is because they have chosen to follow a different gospel and a different Jesus, therefore, they are powerless. satan said to Jesus Luke 4:6 “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.” If you are not obeying God’s word, the blessing is not coming from Jesus. Jesus said, preach my gospel and signs will follow. Getting large and having people follow you is not a sign. This is what Jesus said before this in Mark 16:15 “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Jesus said to His disciples, Matthew 10:1 “Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.” Jesus also said Matthew 11:4 “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”
We are told Acts 17:24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.” Yet the gurus want you to believe they are supposed to build with their own hands and yes some are very successful at it. We are not called to build buildings to fill up with people; we were called to go into the world preach the gospel, heal the sick and cast out demons and do as Jesus did with the same power and authority He gave the first disciples. God’s game plan for life and leadership is not to hit homeruns but to do as Jesus did. Powerlessness is covered up by appearing successful. Doing as Jesus did can only be done when God turns His face back to the church. Success in God’s eyes is going out into the world with power, not being powerful according to the world’s standards. Most of these large churches that others want to be like, are successful from a world’s viewpoint, but there is no power and are useless like the linen belt and what they teach is worthless when it comes to eternal life. Yes, there will be a few who can run these Fortune Five-Hundred businesses and draw the masses, but most cannot as the size of church statistics show. This 12 Stone church name represents the twelve stones that were set up once Israel crossed over the Jordon River, but what is missing is the power that made the water stand up in a heap. Joshua 3:15 “Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.” What they cannot do is answer to James 5. James 5:14 “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
The church has rejected the word of God and replaced God’s plan with their own, all the while claiming that God gave them the plan. We were warned about this, yet here we are, deceived, powerless and in captivity. Jeremiah 12:10 “Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard and trample down my field; they will turn my pleasant field into a desolate wasteland. 11 It will be made a wasteland, parched and desolate before me; the whole land will be laid waste because there is no one who cares.” Jesus said, Matthew 24:4 “Watch out that no one deceives you.” Matthew 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Acts 20:29 “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” 2 Peter 2:1 “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.” Jesus said do not be deceived because Revelation 12:9 “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” 2 John 1:7 “I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.”
This is where it gets difficult. When you look at these gurus and the success of their churches, most think God is blessing just as the person above said about larger churches. Worship is fantastic, parking lots are full, programs for everyone but where is the power to heal and cast out demons? Where are the signs and wonders? These men and women who say God gave them a plan for the church have been deceived as are all the people trying to clone them. God already had a plan and building buildings is not a sign of success. Acts 17:24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.” The temples that were built in the Old Testament are no more as the third temple is the body of Christ. We are called to do as Jesus did with the same power and authority. John 14:12 “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” Success is obeying God’s word by doing what He has commanded by being empowered from on High just as the first disciples were. Luke 9:1 “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Jesus said to Peter, Matthew 16:18 “on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” When Jesus showed the power and authority the church would have after Pentecost, we saw the good news preached, people healed and demons cast out. Matthew 4:23 “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.” Jesus empowered the first disciples, which again was to show the church what the church was supposed to do. Mark 6:6 “Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits. 12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.” Luke 10:17 “The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” Acts 8:17 “The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” The church was supposed to continue with this power but instead rebelled. John 7:38 “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” Most will say they received the Holy Spirit when they were saved but there is no power and because they did not test the spirits, they were deceived. 1 John 4:1 “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
God’s plan, if the church would follow it, works anywhere and with anyone. As we saw with the disciples, even unschooled ordinary men can go out in power. But the power and authority made available to the church is nowhere to be seen, so that means the plan these gurus say God gave them are only from their own minds as Jeremiah said Jeremiah 23:30 “Therefore,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me. 31 Yes,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, ‘The Lord declares.’ 36 because each one’s word becomes their own message. So you distort the words of the living God, the Lord Almighty, our God.” In the eyes of God, these mighty churches are useless and worthless because they have turned away from His word to follow their own delusions of their own minds. An even bigger problem is all the masses who have chosen to follow these gurus who think they will receive eternal life. Jeremiah 2:19 “Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.” Most people follow the gurus because they are in awe of what they have built although they are not in awe of God, nor do they fear Him.
Instead of returning to the word of God, men and women continue to come up with their own plans and at the same time give glory to God even though they have rejected God’s word and His plan for the church. No God did not forget to include a church growth plan. At the beginning the church grew and numbers were added daily, even when there was fear. Acts 5:12 “The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.” As I have said before, the church would turn the world upside down if power returned.
Just before this passage is the account of Ananias and Saphira who died before the Lord because they lied. Acts 5:11 “Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.” That would put a real damper on the church’s growth. Come out to our church, but you might die. The reality is if the gospel was actually preached, people would go somewhere else where church continues to be entertaining. Jesus made it clear that when His gospel is preached, signs will follow, as will conviction. Acts 2:37 “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” As we read earlier, Mark 16:15 “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” 19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.” Hebrews 2:1 “We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.” Paul said to the Galatians, Galatians 3:1 “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? 4 Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?” The church chose flesh.
These churches have tapped into the desires of the masses. In their efforts to be relevant to Sam and Harry, they became irrelevant to God. 2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” The church is filled with itching ears and those who will scratch them. Maybe someday one of these gurus will stand up and truly repent for following the delusions of their own minds and repent of their wickedness. Most of them actually think they are filling the kingdom with lost souls, but the reality is they are still lost and are a useless belt as we saw when Jeremiah buried it. This question must always be asked; what have I been saved into? Take the time to find out. From the time Jesus walked this earth, men and women have been turning away from God’s word and following a different Jesus and other gospels. 2 Corinthians 11:3 “I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” Galatians 1:6 “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!”
Today the church looks anyone but to Jesus. Leaders are sought out to emulate and attempt to do as they did or are doing but Jeremiah 17:5 “This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord.” Psalm 33:17 “A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.” Psalm 147:10 “His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior.” Isaiah 31:1 “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord.” The church needs to take their eyes off men and women who are successful according to the worlds standards but are useless before God. Returning means to turn back to God’s word, Jesus. Paul said 1 Corinthians 11:1 “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” We know that Paul did as Jesus did. Acts 19:11 “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.” Yet today the church is enthralled with the strength of mere flesh and not the power of God. Most are content to be powerless against our enemies in their efforts to be successful. The church needs to take the focus off popular men and women and return our focus to Jesus, so that once again the church will do as Jesus did. Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 10:39 “But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.”
God said Isaiah 65:2 “All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations— 3 a people who continually provoke me to my very face.” God also said Zechariah 1:3 “Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.” The good news is that true teachers will no longer be hidden. Isaiah 30:19 “People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. 20 Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” 22 Then you will desecrate your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, “Away with you!”
