Church in America, Wake Up! | Jeremiah 6:16-19 | Gary Hamrick

Jeremiah 6:16-19
16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
18 Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them.
19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.

Most Christians Don't Care About the Truth

The problem with many Christians is that we either don't care about the truth (like the sinister minister above) or we don't preach the truth outside of the church walls. It's critical that America's churches get riled up about the truth and proclaim it uncompromisingly and without apology. The problem with most Christians is that they're at ease on Zion, complacent in their salvation...

“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation...” —Hebrews 2:3

Hebrews 2:3 was written to Christians. This verse is not talking about being saved. This verse is simply saying that we should not neglect our salvation. Perhaps you may want to read the excellent book, Salvation is More Than Being Saved. Look back to verse one...

“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” —Hebrews 2:1

God saved us to do more than fill up 18 inches of pew. The problem with most Christians today is that they're “sitting on the premises” instead of “standing on the promises.” The world needs to hear the truth. We're not going to reach the world by opening our church doors for a few hours a week and dishing our sermonettes.

Lazy Pastor Says He's Not Trying to Grow His Church

I know of a pastor in Chicago who has about 15 to 20 people present on Sunday morning. I am mentioning him again because he is the epitome of what is wrong with America's churches. I actually heard him say from the pulpit that he WASN'T trying to grow his church. He said his job was to pass on to the next generation what had been handed to him. What generation? You don't have any members! Kindly said, the guys an idiot! Every pastor should want to grow his church. Look folks, God's not interested in empty pews, He wants His house full (Luke 14:23). It wasn't a surprise when the same pastor declined to go soul winning with me.

I looked through his weekly bulletin that's passed out every Sunday in church. He had a list of things that the church was going to pray about on Wednesday. I noticed “the abortion issue.” Week after week his church prays about the “abortion issue,” but NEVER lifts a finger to do anything about the murdering of little children. There's an abortion clinic right down the street, but the church is nowhere to be found. The local community never hears a word of protest from that little church. The light of the truth is hidden within the walls of the “church.” Like I said, most churches operate more like an occult organization than they do a New Testament church. It's a disgrace.

Why Are the Churches Silent?

In the 1970’s Anita Bryant took a stand for decency and morality standing up and speaking out against the homosexual agenda. For her efforts, she was rewarded with being abandoned by the Christian churches across the Nation and ultimately suffered a divorce when the homosexuals began to make phone calls to the churches she was speaking at threatening to blow them up. The churches decided to give in to this terrorist tactic and abandon Anita. Then in the 1980’s Pastor Jerry Falwell took a stand against the homosexual agenda and many leading pastors and churches also ostracized him across the country as being a little too political and getting off focus of preaching the gospel. As a result the churches joined in with the liberal media in labeling Falwell as a hatemonger. Well today, churches are getting to reap what they have sown...

“Be not deceived, God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” —Galatians 6:7

Here's what Anita Bryant's husband said...

Anita Bryant's husband, Bob Green, was quoted as saying, “One thing we have noticed in letters we receive from people is the question, 'Why should it have to be a woman and mother in the forefront of this battle, instead of the Christian leadership in this country.' Since the petition drive began, Anita has had her life threatened almost daily.”

Shame! Shame on America's Christians. We out to all be ashamed of ourselves for being so complacent and careless with our freedom.

“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for conscience people to remain silent.” —Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson, an unsaved man, had more sense than the average Christian does. Jefferson knew the road which leads to tyranny...silent citizens. If America's Christians don't speak out, then who will? Sadly, many of the heathen are speaking out while Christians play the religious game.

“Let's quit fiddling with religion and do something to bring the world to Christ.” —Billy Sunday