The Scourge Of Racism
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Of the greatest privileges redeemed sinners have been granted through faith in Christ is to draw near to worship the Holy God! Yet, in the spiritual confusion to include open idolatry and cultural conditioning that has characterized much of outwardly professing Christianity since the second century and now reaches its zenith during these latter days, ostensible worship of God has been very corrupt. Most visible today is the defiant break made with the divine order plainly taught in the Scriptures in order to allow women to lead the worship of God when the entire church is assembled out of the world’s notion of equality among other carnal and evil motives.
The leading of worship by women has occurred in spite of the fact that God in His prophetic Word has made it clear that the divine order continues under Christ at His coming and millennial reign; men will be the exclusive worship leaders in Jerusalem’s temple (Isaiah 9:6-7; Ezekiel 40:46, 43:1-12, 44:10-31). The immutable God has not changed the order of His house during this present, mortal age, nor will He ever! Surely then, what has been done to allow all manner of unacceptable worship in the churches is sin in the sight of and rejected by God. Ever consistent in His actions toward men, God in His longsuffering love warns and calls the guilty to repentance through this three part blog series and follow up epilogue the Holy Spirit led me to post in 2013.
Originally Posted September 8, 2013
A young preacher asked me in the past year, “whose side are you on?” referring to my taking exception to the conduct of church leaders as a group that stood over and against the people who should expect that they would do right as a matter of godly leadership. I have run into this carnal game of picking sides (1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 3:1-4) and the resulting negative attitudes displayed when I have chosen the wrong side in someone’s eyes my entire journey as a Christian. It is shown by silent contempt, hostile acts of ostracism and verbal put downs expressed most often on the sly from the pulpit and a few times, to my face.
For the record, I have always sought to stand on the side of God’s Word in everything for this is righteous and pleasing to Him. That anyone claiming to know the Lord should be offended by that is reliable evidence of their disconnect from Him and very often also the flesh sustained practice of religion. Preachers as a clique versus the people for example, should never be nor should there be divisions in the Body of Christ over worship styles if we really understood what God in His Word teaches worship is all about.
On this day in thousands of churches around the globe (and the relative few in purposeful legalism that met yesterday) professing Christians assembled ostensibly to worship the triune God. In many languages, types of cultural expression and styles of music songs were sung to God for divine enjoyment and acceptance. However, the question of the hour is did the triune God enjoy and accept that worship or was there offense and rejection?
Many professing Christians and their leaders believe that God does enjoy and accept all worship sincerely offered like parents who receive the performance of songs, art, dance etc. from their little children which they would dare not disparage in fear of wounding their precious self-esteem. This is, in fact, what seems to be behind why a number of pastors in this last century have willfully disobeyed God’s Word on the roles of women in the worship assembly because all of the associated activity is considered performance. In their thinking, it is unfair not to allow the daughters of God to have a equal opportunity with His sons to perform in the activities of worship so He can delight in it all as a human parent.
God in His Word makes it clear that He does not see, think or do as sinful, fallen men (Isaiah 55:8-9). God is set apart from and other than man His creature (Exodus 3:13-14, 19:10-25; Isaiah 40:12-26, 43:10-13, 44:6, 46:5). While it is absolutely true that we are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), due to sin, that image has been marred and we corrupted to the very core of our being. We do not naturally think God’s thoughts, possess His attitudes or walk in His ways. Therefore, God, the living God rejects the premise that worship of Him out of sinful, fallen human flesh as it pleases us also pleases Him lest our self-esteem be hurt. It is not about us but Him!
Indeed, God is a God of order. When He says that He wants to be worshipped in a certain way that is what He means. You do not come up with your own worship and expect that just because it was sincere or from your fallen heart that He ought to just enjoy and accept it. A case in point is the “profane fire” the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu of the first priests of Israel offered to the Lord which He had not commanded. Holy, destroying fire immediately went from the Lord to completely consume them on the spot (Leviticus 10:1-2, NKJV)!
When Moses comforted his brother, Aaron, in the instant death of his sons, he spoke a word of transcendent, eternal truth to him and all that would purpose to worship God. ‘“This is what the Lord spoke saying: By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people I must be glorified,”’ (Leviticus 10:3, NKJV). So much for anyone offering up any old kind of worship they please to please Him in Israel and in this epoch of the Church!
Though we are not required to worship God in the specific rituals of Israel, Christians are nevertheless, to worship in the way God the Father has ordained in Christ; always treating Him as holy and respecting His Person. Our Lord Jesus taught that the worshippers the Father seeks are those that draw near to do so “in spirit and truth” because “God is Spirit,” (John 4:21-24, NKJV). This by no means is a liberal minded Jesus giving permission to bring whatever you want as worship and it will be accepted because what was offered was spirited (emotion charged) or sincere.
Spirit has to do with direct fellowship with God--our spirit in oneness with Him who is Spirit (John 17:20-23). Truth has to do with honesty about our inner condition (Isaiah 6:1-7). We are able to enter into God’s presence, into the Holy of Holies at all only through the shed blood and veil of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19-22). This was something Israel’s high priest was able to do only once a year on the Day of Atonement when he entered the Holy of Holies with the blood of an animal to provide a covering atonement for the people’s sins committed the previous year.
But in God’s New Covenant, 1 we remain in His presence offering up the continual worship of faithful and obedient lives (Romans 12:1-2) made possible by Christ’s once and for all atonement through His blood which daily and as often as we have need, we may draw upon in confession and repentance for sin removal by forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1:5-2:2). Therefore, are we really authentically connected to God and drawing near truthfully to offer acceptable worship when at the same time we are acting in willful disobedience to any part of His Word especially things in the worship He has forbidden such as women as leaders?
1 See the January 2014 blog posts, God’s New Covenant and Party Of The Second Part, Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 for instruction on New Covenant.
One of my favorite sports related “persistent man versus all obstacles to reach his goal” films is Rudy. The 1993 film featuring Sean Astin as Rudy, Ned Beatty and Charles S. Dutton tells the true story with Hollywood embellishment of a boy from the blue collar Ruettiger family that dreams of playing football for Notre Dame. Obstacles to this include his small size, limited athletic and academic ability as well as the ridicule of a brother and pressure from his dad to follow them into the steel mill. Against all odds, Rudy is admitted to the school, makes the practice squad and gets to play at the end of one game. His teammates carry him off the field for his “heart.”
The film, Rudy, has been a tremendous source of encouragement to me over the years since its release as an aspiring strong man of God in the image of Jesus Christ particularly in my role as a servant to Him in the churches (Ezekiel 33:1-9). Going into the New Year, I want to share that encouragement with men who likewise aspire to be a strong man of God in Christ’s image. Without a doubt, the road to becoming a strong man of God is the most difficult, painful and lonely of any named among men (Matthew 7:13-14). Yet, God has called us to it! The obstacles (not the least of which come from within) are many and the odds totally against us in our own strength.
Praise be to God He calls us to mission impossible not to be accomplished in our own strength, but His alone (Ephesians 6:10)! We supply only the willingness in faith and obedience; following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ in everything and being made over into His image as we go to Him even “outside the camp,” (Luke 9:23-26; Romans 8:29; Hebrews 13:8-15, NKJV).1 Literally, to go outside the camp refers generally to the assembly of Israel anywhere, but most powerfully and in prophetic application to Christ, Jerusalem as the holy city when He was crucified for our sins on a hill outside of its gate (Leviticus 16:27-28; Numbers 12:14-15; John 19:16-20).
Outside the camp is a place of suffering and shame. Christ was willing to go there out of love for God the Father as a devoted Son, Disciple and Servant; as the Strong Man of God with a heart to please Him and do His will (Psalm 69:7-9; Isaiah 50:4-9; 53:3; Romans 15:3)! Spiritually, He was driven outside the camp by religious men claiming to know God as were His apostles who also left us an example to follow (1 Corinthians 4:6-17, 11:1). We go to Him outside the camp in the sold out heart of an aspiring strong man of God in His image driven there too in suffering and shame for His Name sake and Gospel cause by outwardly religious men--many as false and others willfully disobedient brethren--along with a rejecting world (2 Corinthians 11:22-26; Philippians 3:17-19).
The practitioners of manmade Christianity the religion from all backgrounds share commonly unbelief in the resurrected, presently living reality of Christ and the continuing veracity and power of God’s Word as it is written. They outwardly profess allegiance to Christ and His cause in the Gospel while denying both through their deeds (Titus 1:15-16). Truly, they are more loyal to their powerless, invented form of Christianity than the Lord Jesus! We are well warned to turn away from them since jaded by their corrupt and empty form of the faith, they do attempt to dissuade the sincere devotion of men freshly saved and discourage the faithful caught off guard (2 Timothy 3:1-9).
I have encountered these religious men and women all of my journey with Christ since 1977 and can readily testify that what is recorded in the Bible and nearly two millennia of history about them is true. As though my own weaknesses in the flesh have not been enough as painful obstacles to my goal of becoming a strong man of God in the image of Christ, professing Christian religionists like Rudy’s brother have sought to douse the flame of sincerity in me. In ministry, my “fellow yoke men” as Rudy’s father have urged conformity to the religious status quo while shown up teammates openly question whether serving Christ requires “all that” and not so subtly suggest I “dial it down a notch.” Of course, my years of failure to attain “success” in their eyes certify their counsel.
Even so, in the ways of unregenerate men, they have penalized me variously for not playing ball with them. From not inviting me to preach or teach in their churches to refusing to support our Ministry or purchase resources that will greatly help them and the men they supposedly care about the message is clear: you are rejected unless you do it our way. I made up my mind long ago and encourage you who would also aspire to become strong men of God in the image of Christ to do the same going into 2015 (Philippians 2:12-13). I will serve the Lord following Him outside the camp now, that I may also be with Him in the city He has prepared for those that serve Him (John 12:25-26, 14:1-6; Hebrews 11:8-16, 12:1-2, 18-24, 13:14-15)! In the day I faithfully finish my course, by faith I see the angels carrying me on their shoulders into glory with cheering from the saints that have gone before welcoming me home (Psalm 116:12-19; Luke 16:19-22).
1 I joyfully acknowledge being greatly inspired by the Lord through a message preached May of 2014 in a Portland church by Josh Sofaer with Jews For Jesus, Los Angeles that included instruction on Hebrews 13:13 cited in this blog. Happy New Year!
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