(The Church Needs to Know) 8. the Church Will Be Confronted — Miki Hardy

Alright, so we are going to continue on speaking about the same topic That we've been for the last six seven months. The church needs to know. We are living in a time where things are happening in the church good things Bad things and I believe that God wants to bring a word of warning To the church.

The Church Will Be Confronted by the Gospel

I Believe that in the days and the months and the years to come the church will be confronted. The church will be confronted in its ways in its preaching In what is being taught spoken about how Christians live and I believe the gospel of the cross is coming to confront God's people and And while I was Asking the Lord What to talk about?

He directed me in the book of Jeremiah chapter 1 which I would like you to open your Bibles with me. And we're going to speak about that for a while. Jeremiah chapter 1 where we see that in the times of Jeremiah his ministry the prophet it constantly Warned Israel For many years about their ways.

He constantly warned them what would happen if They did not stop To leave the way they were living. For 40 years this man with a broken heart and spirit Stood before God's people and proclaimed That judgment was coming.

That calamity was coming on God's people Because of their hearts that was turned away from God. They were seeking other things except God Looking for their own benefits except seeking God. And Jeremiah stood and God spoke to him go to my people and Speak clearly what I want for them and give them a warning About what would happen to them if they continue in their ways.

40 years can you can you imagine a man? For 40 years constantly Warning God's people to come back to God. That's not one day. It's not a week his whole ministry Until he died He warned God's people that calamity and disaster was coming their way.

And no wonder what God says happens. No wonder the warnings of God Were clearly manifested because the heart of the people of Israel were closed. Their hearts were closed To God's warning. They didn't hear they did not listen they kept Doing their thing Living their own lives the way they wanted and you know the rest.

You know that many of them, you know the deportation that happened after for 70 years God's people were in captivity. The temple of God was destroyed the people of Israel was scattered. But that man for 40 years warned Confronted the people of God and I believe that we are living in a time where the church will be confronted about its ways.

About how is how the church served the Lord today. Where is our heart? Where is the heart of God's people? What are we after? What are our priorities. What are the things that are more important for God's people today?

Are we seeking for our own interest and at the same time trying to serve God? I believe that the church Will be confronted in these last days by one message the message of the cross. The only message that can deal with sin.

The only message that can stop God's people to run away from him. The only message that can bring God's people to sanctification. Jeremiah chapter 1 verse 9 it reads. Then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth and the Lord said to me Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.

See I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms to root out and to pull down to destroy and to throw down to build and to plant. Now when you read these verses, it's quite clear that things had to be done if God's people Would serve him the right way.

They had allowed many things to creep in their own lives their lifestyle. They had allowed many things to happen in their lives and they had gone far from God. They were worshiping other gods. Their lives were in a mess.

They were living in adultery far from God. And here the Prophet gets this word from God that something had to happen through his warnings. You know, God is not warning his people if things don't need to happen and change.

Warning comes when things have to change. That's why God says to Jeremiah. You are going to go out and speak to root out and to pull down root out and pull down or in other words destroy remove. Throw away and build and plant.

So that my people can live a new lifestyle and come back to me. You know, you can't warn God's people if everything is going fine. But I believe we are living in a time where the church needs to be confronted and will be confronted by God not men.

God Through his word and he says moreover the word of the Lord came to me saying Jeremiah. What do you see? What do you see? And he said I see the branch of an olive tree a rod. God allowed him to see a rod.

What does the rod speaks about? Rod of correction. Rod of judgment. That was not just a branch of a tree. What would that mean? But Jeremiah Understood what God wanted him to speak about and he's when he saw that branch he understood what God wanted to do and Moreover God made him to see something else.

Then the Lord said to me You have seen well for I am ready to perform my word. You have seen well, I am ready to perform what I just wanted to do what I just wanted you to do speak about the things I will do.

And What you see is the proof of what I am going to do and how I am going to do it. Then the Lord said to me you have seen well. For I'm ready to perform my word. And the word of the Lord came to me the second time saying what do you see?

Again and I said I see a boiling pot and It is facing away from the north a Boiling pot. What does that mean? What's the explanation of a boiling pot. There's no calm there's no peace. This judgment this judgment coming.

Calamity is coming. Disaster is coming on God's people. Forty years that man stood and declared judgment unless God's people repents. Unless God's people comes back in that relationship with God. You know in the book of Corinthians chapter 10 in the first epistle verse 11 the Apostle Paul talks about the things that the people of Israel experience in the desert.

How they rebelled against God? Are they stood their ground before God? Are they closed their heart? Against the servants of God. And Paul said that these things were written for our instruction so that we may not.

So that things like that may not happen to us under the new covenant because God speaks God's warns. God confronts and it's up to his people to hear and to humble himself ourselves and to return to God.

We're living in a time where we just can't just flow around and live a superficial life because we are going to be caught up. Caught up by the world caught up by deceptive teachings. Caught up with many things.

Materialism, Prosperity, and the Things That Do Not Profit

Chapter 2 verse 8 the priests did not say where is the Lord? And Those who handle the law did not know me the rulers and also transgressed against me the prophets prophesied by Baal. And Walked after things that do not profit walk after things after things.

Can you understand that they walked after things? That do not profit them. In other words is seeking things. Things that cannot profit them. And when we look in the world in the time that we are living today.

There are things in this world. Material things that cannot profit our life our spiritual life. And yet the church is Seeking after the same things that cannot profit you and I. The Apostle Peter proclaimed in his epistle that you and I have not been saved by silver and gold.

We have not been saved by it and we are not going to be saved by it and it cannot do us any good in This life. Material things cannot change our spiritual lifestyle. Whatever we are then we possess cannot change our spiritual life.

Material things cannot change you and I in the spirit. Material things cannot bring you to maturity. Material things cannot bring you to the place where you and I we become spiritual people. Material things cannot bring us to perfection in Christ.

He doesn't have the power to do that. That's why it's time for the church to be confronted by one gospel. The gospel of the cross of Jesus Christ that deals with your inner man. With your heart they walked off the things that could not profit them.

I Wonder how many Christians in the church today? Are seeking for things that they can touch and see material things seeking after prosperity. And yet they are not growing spiritually. They are not walking in victory.

They are not walking. Our spiritual people they are not true fathers. And husbands to their family and wives. They are not true mothers and wives to their families. And yet The church seeks for material things.

Verse 11. Has a nation changed its gods? Has a nation changed its gods? Which are not gods. For what? But my people have changed their glory for what does not profit. We glory in material things. We glory in our faith to possess.

We glory in our ability to stand before god. So that he might bless us in the things that our eyes can see. We glory in these things. We consider we are spiritual because we have some things. And yet the bible says very clearly.

That's the spirit of the lord these things Do not profit us. The church needs to be confronted. For my people have committed two evils. Verse 13 two evils. They have forsaken me the fountain of living waters.

The church is not seeking after life after spiritual life. The church is not seeking after christ life. But they wound themselves systems broken systems that can hold no water. In other words in vain.

We are building things in vain. We are building our lives in vain. We are building our spiritual lives in vain. We're going nowhere. Because we are not seeking for the life. We are seeking for things that christ can give us.

Instead of seeking for his life. Resurrection life anointing the life of the spirit. Again, I would like to mention that I have no problem. I am not against those that god himself want to bless and prosper them.

I have got no problem with that. Can you understand and I repeat again, but I have a problem. Where the hearts of the christians Are being led to seek after things that do not profit them spiritually.

And the bible is very clear material things cannot Cannot profit you in the spirit, whatever that might be. We need it we need it. God gives it to us god takes care of us, but we're talking Of an attitude of heart.

And I believe that the church needs to be confronted in that area. The church need to seek the right thing. That's why we need to catch the true spirit of christ. The true spirit of the gospel. So that we may know what god expects of us.

The Spirit of God and Understanding Spiritual Things

How many of you know that we cannot understand the bible unless we are born again? How many of you know that? You cannot understand the bible unless you are born again for one simple reason. Because the spirit of man cannot understand the things of god.

God Cannot understand the things of god but in one corinthians chapter 2 it says that we Do not have the spirit of the world, but we are the spirit of god in us to teach us. To speak to us to make us understand spiritual things.

Can you see The spiritual man. That the natural man cannot understand spiritual things to Born at being born again Is the first step to understand the bible. The bible becomes clear. Many things become clear not all we are going to see why not all.

When I got born again, I started to read the bible and I started to understand what god was saying about me. About his plan about things. I went to bible school and I learned many things about what would happen.

The spirit of god in me and in you make us able to understand many things. But there is a second step. There is a second step that needs to happen in our lives so that we may understand and hear and feel The spirit of the gospel in other words the heart of god the spirit of christ.

Otherwise, we will turn in circles or we will never grow. You know why we will never grow because we won't understand what are necessary for our spiritual life. And we will seek many things except the right thing.

The Restoration of Faith and Its Drift Toward Prosperity

You know in the early in the early 80s There was a great move of god. A great move of god where god restored many things. Faith was restored to the church. The doctrine of faith Was restored to the church.

And it brought light in many areas of the christian life. Many things were understood in a new way. It formed part of the restoration of god, but what happened many things happened. The doctrine of faith helped christian to trust him.

To trust him in their daily lives. To trust him in many things. But the problem is that it did not stop there. The doctrine of faith was used to turn the hearts of the christian to seek after material things.

That was one step further than what god wanted. You can't believe god for His provision. You can't believe god if that's on your heart and you know that god wants you To have many to have plenty so that you may in return bless the kingdom of god.

This is fine. There's no problem for that. If you feel the call of god that you are going to be a great blessing to the church To god's people to the kingdom of god. You've got the right To trust god to bless you.

To give you much to give you abundance. Because your heart is not set in this world. Your heart is set on the things of the kingdom of god. But the problem is that it became like a doctrine where everyone Needs to seek For these things for it's part of our inheritance.

It's part of our inheritance than all of us. We are going to possess the world we're going to have much and plenty and this and that and the other. You see it turned the hearts of christians not only to believe god for their lives For his provision To look after us.

But it went past that state where it brought our heart to seek More of the financial and the material things than to seek god for our own life. To equip us to serve him. And that's dangerous. You see it's dangerous to to to come into that state.

Where that's that's that's the the priority of our lives. And when we look at the christian doctrine today in many many places and the messages that are being taught In many many many places and churches.

What do we see? There's an an emphasis on material things. And it's hard to to hear the message of the cross. It's hard. You rarely hear About what god needs to do in our lives. So that we may become perfect in him.

There's nothing That we hear about our identification with him In our suffering and his and in his sufferings and in his death so that we may partake to resurrection life. There's nothing. You see my friends when god spoke to jeremiah the prophet and in went about To speak about that.

Jeremiah’s Warning and Opposition to the Message

Let's go back to jeremiah. Chapter one god warns him now. God warns jeremiah about his message. What the message that god gives him is going to bring to him. Verse 19. They will fight against you. They shall not but they shall not prevail against you for I am with you says the lord to deliver you.

Can you see that? They will fight you. And what is jeremiah the prophet saying he's speaking on behalf of god almighty. But the people of israel did not want to hear. Because they were running after other things that could not profit them and they were happy.

That's why god said to jeremiah. You will have to uproot. You will have to take away. You will have to pull up pull down. You will have to destroy. Can you see what's coming? Hey, can you see what's coming?

If it has not started to come already. Yeah. They will fight he says Against you. Not against the men. No. Not because of jealousy. That god has called him and not them. No. He's fighting again. Against what he proclaims to be from god.

He doesn't have they don't have any problem with jeremiah. No, he's a good man. In fact, if the the history tells you that this man was a very calm person and collected person. Very calm man. In fact when god calls him he says that I don't know how to speak god.

I don't know. Why are you calling me? Jeremiah was a shy person. Can you understand they were not fighting the men. They were fighting what he proclaimed. That's what they were fighting. The things that god said and put in his heart.

And they fought him 40 years 40 years. God help us 40 years and that message. Of faith. Now i'm not trying to destroy anyone. But i'm showing you the dangers because the doctrine of faith by itself. It's sound.

It's sound true. Without faith it can't be god and you can go on and on about what faith is all about. And what it can bring to our spiritual lives, I mean i'm not i'm not trying to fight against that because that's the truth.

But the problem is that it went to an extreme. It removed the desire In the hearts of men to grow spiritually. It removed may I say that again it removed the desire in the hearts of christians. To look after their spiritual life.

Their hearts and what god needed to do to perfect them. Hey. That's the problem. The cross of jesus christ was removed in the christian lifestyle. The cross of jesus christ I say that again. Was removed it's there we believe in it.

It's in the bible. We read it here and there. Sometimes we just throw a verse like that in the picture in the midst of our preaching. But it is not the foundation of our message. And it should be the foundation of our message.

But it hurts. The cross hurts. Yeah, it threatens. It brings light. It confronts. Yeah. That's what it does. That's what it does. So we don't like it. The same way like the people of israel didn't like the message of the prophet jeremiah.

They did not like him same way. It's the same situation today. We see hundred years back same thing. They were seeking things that did not profit them. And here is a church in 2009 Seeking after things that cannot Profit them cannot profit them spiritually.

Same context. That's why I believe that the church will be confronted. Will be confronted. This message of the cross Needs to come back to the church now to escape disaster. To escape calamity. He said you are a prophet of doom may it be.

If that's what you think. But the bible declares clearly clearly that the message of the cross Is the foundation of our christian life. We can't just have a little bit here a little a little verse here and there.

No, you know what the church needs the church needs to feel from those who are preaching behind the pulpit. That the cross of jesus christ is fully part of their lifestyle. The church of jesus christ christians brothers and sisters.

You need to feel that those who are preaching behind the pulpit are men that have gone through Sacrifice that have gone through a breaking of god that become examples and models. And not just people that talk about the bible.

You cannot grow without the cross. You can't. I'm not against bible school i've been to but I can tell you that bible school cannot bring spiritual Growth to your life unless. The preaching of the cross of jesus christ is the foundation of the message preached at the bible school.

You cannot deal with sin except the cross by the cross. You can't deal with sin in the natural. You can't deal with sin. Just in your reasoning. You can't deal with sin just by talking things. No. Sin is dealt with.

By the cross it's been dealt with by jesus christ one day when he died on that cross. He conquered sin in the flesh. And we cannot just believe that sin is going to be conquered in our lives just by learning the bible.

No, it's by the cross dealing with our lives. Let me tell you my friends. It's not by law. That you and I are going to change. It's not a set of laws. It's not by trying by force or by will to obey the bible that you and I are going to change.

No. That's why I believe that the church needs to be confronted not threatened. No. Not judged. God is a judge if god needs to bring judgment. He will. If god needs to bring disaster in christian's life, he will.

It's not you and I that he's going to decide these things. But one thing is certain is that the message of the cross needs to come and confront the church today. So that our heart is brought back to christ.

To identify ourselves with him in his sufferings and in his death. Which is the only way by the way, it's the only way for us to partake to resurrection life his life. Through us. Christ in you the hope of glory.

Christ living his life in you and I the hope of glory. You see there is that element that element of suffering and death. That needs to exist in the church. That's the message of the cross. It needs to exist in the church.

We cannot run away from it. We need to feel it. We need to know the plan of god for our lives. We need to know what god is expecting of our lives. If christianity was coming to church and be blessed and sing hallelujah and dance and clap and give you offering that's religion.

Nothing nothing more than religion. But unfortunately with sadness in my heart, I believe that the church is involved now in a lot of religion. Religion techniques principles. And it's sad to say that in many many churches money finance is at the base of everything.

Confronting Prosperity Claims About Jesus

Some preachers said about three weeks ago. I heard it. That jesus was a prosperous man because he had a he had a treasurer. I'm, not telling Lies i'm telling the truth. He wanted to prove that jesus was a prosperous man because he had a treasurer called judas.

Sick. It's sick. Don't you think that the church needs to be confronted? Don't you think that the church needs to be confronted from the top? When you hear such sick statements I don't know if the same one but another one said that jesus His clothes when they torn it apart in pieces.

Because they wanted it be a part of it because jesus went to designers clothing. Now i'm talking the truth that's on christian television. Because his garment was made by a designer. Now i'm telling you I heard it.

I'm not telling you something that I heard from somebody else. When we heard that we were shocked. Now don't you think that the church needs to be confronted? Talking about money about material things there's so much in this bible to talk about for our spiritual life.

Than to talk about money about giving. Lord, he must help us. Now the second step that we need to experience. If we want to stand and remain in sound doctrine. Now let's put our bibles together. In 1 corinthians chapter 4.

Paul’s Spiritual Fatherhood and the Backslidden Corinthians

1 corinthians chapter 4 verse 14 bear with me for A few more minutes. I do not write these things to shame you but as my beloved children, I warn you. For though you might have 10 000 instructors in christ yet you do not have many fathers for in christ jesus.

I have begotten you through through the gospel. I have begotten you through the gospel. That speaks loud. When paul writes the corinthians in this first epistle, they had backslidden. They were living in the flesh.

They having divisions among themselves. They were having jealousy among themselves. They were living in immorality. I mean if you read the book of corinthians, you will understand that this church has really backslidden.

It has left the true gospel. And paul reminds them. You may have listened to many preachers. You may have sat down and you have listened to many preachers but remember. It is me who has begotten you through the gospel that I have brought to you.

There was one gospel. That the apostle paul preached in all the churches all the churches. It's the gospel of the cross. In all churches he laid out the foundation in corinth. He laid down the foundation.

Chapter 3 tells us about it. Says I have laid down the foundation by the grace of god. These corinthians were begotten. They were first born again, and then they were begotten in the gospel. In other words their hearts not only have been redeemed.

Their sins had not only been forgiven. But they knew exactly What god was calling them as christians. What to do with their lives and what the cross needed to do in their own lives to become examples and servants and disciples.

You first get born again. You enter into the kingdom of god. But there's a second thing you need to catch the spirit of the gospel. You need to catch the heart of jesus. When you read the bible and you read jesus words you you you feel and you understand what what comes out of his heart.

When you read the epistles of paul. You understand not only what the man is going through what he's carrying. You start to interpret the bible the words of christ and the epistles. You start to interpret them in the right spirit.

You don't twist it, you know, you can only have that when you are Born in the spirit of the gospel. When you are begotten when you understand the place of the cross in your life. When you understand the foundation of the christian life.

Then when you read the bible. You see the plan of god. You understand the plan of god you feel the heart of jesus christ for his church. You see the road. That we are going to walk on that we are supposed to walk on.

We discern things in the spirit. When the cross is missing. The platform is there to draw our hearts. Where to things that cannot profit us. We don't have the same vision of the christian life. We don't know where we are going.

But when that foundation. When that message of the cross Is the foundation of your heart and your life. You not only know where you are going, but you can identify. With the apostle paul peter john james.

And all the early church you can identify with their life. Yes you identify yourself with The sufferings that they have gone through. You know what life is waiting for you. You know what you've got to go through.

You know the tests and trials that are before you. And that you cannot run away from them. You know that there is no magic Solution for victory. There are many things that you understand When you are begotten by the gospel.

Can you see what happened to the corinthians? They heard many gospels. Yeah. They heard many gospels. Plenty of people visited them. Plenty we can read it there. You may have 10 000 instructors he says.

You can listen to 10 000 of them, but look at your state. Look, you're fighting one another you are jealous of one another. You are living in immorality. There are things that are happening in the church that are not even happening in the world.

That's how they are backslidden. Yeah. You leave the cross behind you backslide. It's very simple. You backslide in your heart. Before it manifests itself in the natural these corinthians were in a bad shape.

When paul wrote that letter in a bad shape. They had left the gospel. In chapter 11. He talks about how he's jealous. Of a godly jealousy because all his life he had wanted to present them as a virgin Virgin pure virgin before christ.

And look at where how they were living. It's the truth. When you are not begotten by this gospel. You interpret the bible for your own gain. You find verses and scripture that will benefit you. If you are not begotten in the gospel.

You don't want to hear about suffering. You don't want to hear about death. You don't want to hear about correction. You don't want to hear about tests and trials And afflictions. You don't want to hear these things.

You are seeking for things to profit yourself. Using christianity as a means To profit yourself. It's sickening. That's why the church Needs to be confronted. God is raising men to stand for the gospel.

Philippians 4 and Contentment in Every Circumstance

Let me give you an example. Open your bibles with me in the book of philippians. I like to give that example. Because it's typical. It's typical of Someone who has not caught the heart of christ. It's typical of someone Who does not carry the true?

Spirit of the gospel. Chapter 4. Verse 10. But I rejoiced in the lord greatly that now at least your care for me has flourished again. Though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content.

I know how to be amazed. And I know how to abound Everywhere in all things. I have learned both to be full and to be hungry. Both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things To christ who strengthens me.

Now you see if you don't catch the spirit of the gospel. And the cross of jesus christ is not the foundation of your life. You will interpret verse 13. I can do all things through christ who strengthens me as if you are the child of a king.

And you have authority over everything. And in christ you can do everything In that spirit. But here the apostle paul is talking about the grace of god. He's talking about how in different situations that he was walking.

Having much or having nothing. He will go through these Situations by the grace of god in all things. That's what he says. I can do all things. I can continue to serve the lord. If I have plenty or I have nothing it does not worry me.

I can do all things By christ who strengthens me. By the grace of god on my life. By the strength of god over my life. To make me go through these situations good or bad having much or having nothing.

Rejoicing or crying being persecuted or times when everything goes well. In all situations I can do all things for christ who strengthens me. You see when you don't catch the spirit of the gospel. You don't understand what the apostle paul is saying here.

You still continue to bring the heart of man to seek for material things. And yet the apostle paul says in times where I have nothing it's fine for me. I understand god even when I have nothing. I will serve him even when I have nothing.

I accept times on where I have nothing. It's part of the call of god on my life. I can do all things for christ who strengthens me. That's the spirit. That's the heart behind what paul is expressing here.

That's the heart of christ. You see if you are not begotten in the gospel. You'll never accept What god wants to do in these last days. You will stick. You will hold on To the things that you are seeking In the natural.

And you will not accept The identification with christ fully. Now open your bibles with me in philippians chapter 3. And that's the way the apostle paul Wants to know christ. That's the way he wants to serve christ.

That's the way it's not that he wants to he understood. That this was the way He was revealed By jesus christ himself. That this was the way He was called and every christian was called to serve christ.

It's not a decision of paul. He was not a man of self-pity. He was a man of faith. He understood christian life. He understood the many things that were part of the christian life. He did not oppose it.

Chapter 3 philippians verse 10. That I may know him and the power of his resurrection. And the fellowship of his sufferings. Being conformed to his death if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Now you see the heart of this man he has caught the revelation of the gospel. He has understood That his life should be a total identification with christ. He wants to know him. How does he want to know christ?

How can you know christ without? Identifying your life with him. That's just being born again. That's just being born again. But the apostle paul goes further than being born again. He want to know him In the power of his resurrection in the fellowship of his sufferings.

So that he may partake to resurrection life. It's very simple. And the apostle paul goes a little bit further and he says that if you do not want to know christ that way. You are an enemy of the cross.

You become an enemy of the cross. Yeah. It is no matter who you are now no matter what you think now. But I believe god that you and I one day we will understand christian life the same way. Maybe you are not arrived yet.

Maybe yet you don't see it yet. But one day one day you and I together we will meet on the same ground. Verse 15 philippians chapter 3. Therefore let us as many as are mature. Have this mind let us have this mind.

Now just before he's talking about pressing towards the goal a life of perfection. He says i'm not arrived yet. No, i'm not arrived yet. I'm still going i'm still being perfected by christ. I don't look back.

I look ahead of what? Has laid hold of my life. Jesus christ has laid hold of his life and he knows what christian life is all about. It is as many of you that are mature. Have this mind have this attitude.