the New
Word
order
a clarion call to defending
the faith once delivered to the saints
-4-
Something very troubling is happening. Something very troubling indeed. I realise that what upsets me may not disturb others, but in my opinion it ought to be noteworthy at the very least. When men take it upon themselves to defy Scripture because of their own sensibilities & attempt to pass that off as biblical by appealing to the susceptibility of their audience, it offends me. It offends me to the core of my petty & grossly insignificant little being. When men take it upon themselves to accommodate the world & seek to justify that accommodation from the very Scriptures they defy, it offends me. It offends me from head to toe & turns my stomach. When men take it upon themselves to actively make a name for themselves, erect a platform for themselves & use any & all means necessary, including a direct defiance of Scripture & an accommodation of the world, in order to accomplish their dreams, ambitions & goals while enriching themselves, it offends me. It offends my love for & growing understanding of The Word of God. Paul speaks the truth when he states, ‘For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.’ (Philippians 2:21). The not so subtle displacement & replacement of God’s Word as supreme authority in The Church is leading to an eventual avalanche. We have been given an immovable object. It’s The Gospel. However, there is a name-making-Word-defying-world-accommodating generation of men & women today, who are masquerading as an irresistible force. They represent what I like to call a New Word Order. We are told that we are to be ‘..steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord..’ (1st Corinthians 15:58). Why aren’t we?
These are they that are rewriting & reinventing Doctrine to suit themselves. Brethren, we are in an era when something’s got to give. While people like me may wax lyrical & reminisce about the good old days & the way things used to be, others are using every resource available to them to perpetuate their Gospel. I’m not talking about the Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses. I’m talking about professing Christians within the professing Church. This is to say nothing of a corrupt leadership who are drowning in their own pathetic ineptitude.
The 20th & 21st centuries have seen & are seeing, larger advanced strides in a multitude of fields of endeavour, than at any other time in the history of the world. Science fiction, with all of its fantastic & imaginative innovations, is fast becoming science fact. Information technology & electronic communications are enabling the exchanges of all manner of data at unimaginable speeds. The Scriptures have already told us that in the last days, knowledge would be increased (Daniel 12:1-4). Well, knowledge has increased & at an extremely alarming rate. Almost anything that we want to see or know, is quite literally at our fingertips. How much we take for granted.
I grew up in an era when none of this was offered, yet now, we cannot live without regularly updating our statuses on social media. The idea that every home would have a telephone in it was once laughed at & the suggestion that all households would have a computer was once considered a stretch. Mankind seems to be able to do whatever he imagines, but the last time that men did that, The Lord stepped in & stopped them. Will He do it again?
Knowledge, technology & information are not negative things in & of themselves. They can be used to our advantage in the spreading of The Gospel. The ability to store, access & transmit large tracts of data, frees both space & time. Instead of buying & transporting hundreds or thousands of volumes of books, stacks of CDs or editions of editorials, we can now download whatever we need to a simple & nondescript USB flash drive that is able to hang inconspicuously from a keyring. It’s what we do with what’s available to us that raises the question of its validity & it also challenges us concerning the propagation of the truth. In taking The Gospel to this post-modern & neo-pagan generation, we have to be careful.
Some within The Church are seeking to redefine what we believe & Who we believe in, under the guise of contextualisation. However, as we will see, this comes at a price that, sadly, some are all too willing to pay.
The fashionable trends that seem to have come to dominate Christendom’s contemporary landscape, are little better than the slick advertising campaigns assembled by fast food chains. The Church might as well go right ahead & print dogma discount vouchers & coupons. Cheap Grace has been given a whole new meaning. McDoctrine & Kentucky Fried Christianity are the order of the day, with Chicken Nuggets of teaching, a side of Fresh Fire Fries & a skinny shake that’s extremely light on sound, biblical truth. It seems that The Church has willingly lowered its standards, standards set in place by those who have gone before us, having suffered, shed their blood & died in order to establish the truth of The Gospel & The Word of God. I’m speaking of The Lord & His Apostles. I’m thinking of men in the history of The Church who stood for the truth & bowed the knee to none but Christ alone.
As I have often said, we are living in a time when anyone & everyone may have a Facebook page, blogsite, web address, Twitter account or YouTube channel. However, these things do not a ministry make. Moreover, many of the ministries that are promoting themselves & offering their wares for sale to the multiplied thousands who listen to them, pay a nominal homage to the truth in their doctrinal statements.
The What We Believe buttons on their websites do little or nothing to inform us about what they actually believe. Their genuine beliefs are revealed in what they teach & preach as standard fare. Just like those in Genesis 11 who wanted to make a name for themselves & build a city, with a tower that stretched to the heavens, so also today within The Church, there exists a group of men & women who are content to build their kingdoms while paying lip service to the building of the Kingdom, without God. Brethren, these things ought not to be so. Again, It’s what we do with what’s available to us that raises the question of its validity & it also challenges us concerning the propagation of the truth. Whatever we are willing to do in order to attract people is exactly what we’ll have to continue to do in order to keep them.
Is the simple Gospel so outmoded that it has to be dressed up or dumbed down beyond all recognition? For some, in certain parts of The Church, the answer is yes.
If we have to make The Gospel that we are preaching more sanitary, more attractive & more palatable to the world in order to reach the lost, I suggest that we’re no longer preaching the real Gospel. A slick logo, a catchy slogan & stunning graphics will occasionally mask a lack of substance in our Gospel presentation. The systematic lowering of the bar in order to facilitate numerical growth & make people comfortable, is fast leading to an erosion & ruination of The Church at large.
The Lord Jesus Christ set a high standard & an unprecedented precedent that fewer & fewer are adhering to or seeking to uphold. The Lord didn’t compromise whether those in His audience were Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, the common people, His relatives or His own disciples.
However, there are some who feel that it’s both necessary & acceptable to circumnavigate the truths given to us by Almighty God, embodied in The Lord Jesus Christ & laid down in Apostolic Doctrine. They’re embarrassed. For them, their idea of apologetics means saying sorry to the world. I kid you not.
If we dare to depart from The Gospel as it’s been given to us & as it’s prescribed & described in Scripture, we sail into error. A false Gospel presents a false Christ, preached from a false interpretation of God’s Word by false men who will, in turn, produce false converts & false fruit. This is already happening more quickly than at any other time in the history of The Church.
Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them (Matthew 21:42-45).
There was a time when men wouldn’t compromise with The Gospel to the extent that they’re willing to today. They wouldn’t have dared. Those who tinkered with the truth & tailored it to suit the cultural whims of the day were soon marked as fractious men. They were marked & avoided. God had drawn a huge, great, big, thick, deep line in the sand, but generations have been occupied by believers & leaders who have systematically sought to fill that gap & shorten the distance between us & them.
Do we now stop preaching the true Gospel in order to accommodate the world? Do we? Some have taken it upon themselves to remove the Cross & build a bridge of marshmallow love & sickly sweet, non-judgemental acceptance, replete with angels that look like fairies, prancing unicorns in their Nativity plays & shimmering, translucent rainbows to keep the rebels happy. When Jesus began to preach He said ‘Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ (Matthew 4:17). That was His catchy slogan. The Cross was His cleverly designed logo. Now the bar has been lowered to the point that it is no longer recognisable. Come as you are, has somehow morphed into you can also stay as you are. You Don’t Have to Believe, to Belong. You don’t have to encounter the Cross at all.
Today’s popular Gospel is completely & absolutely innocuous. It is ineffective. Today’s Gospel has no Divine guts in it because they’ve been ripped out & replaced with something altogether human. It bears more resemblance to a Piñata that’s stuffed chock full with God’s goodies. We can prosper & be in health, even as our souls prosper (1st John 1:2). We can give & it shall be given to us (Luke 6:38). We can move mountains, change situations & harness the power of God by simply believing & speaking His Word (Mark 11:23-24). If a man or woman hits God hard enough, for long enough, with their stick of faith, the blessings fall out & shower them.
This is another Gospel. There is no Cross to take up. There is no self to deny. There is no cost to count. Surely Christ & the Apostles didn’t really mean what they said, did they? Well if they did, I’m sure there’s a milky, water-based translation of The Bible or a paraphrased version somewhere that will say it in a way that’s much more comfortable for unbelievers to swallow. Afterall, The Gospel is good news, isn’t it? It is, compared to the bad news. This bad news is tucked away though. No one wants to hear it because it’s not nice. Yet it’s right there in the red letters that identify Jesus as speaking.
There were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish (Luke 13:1-5).
What if a preacher uttered words like these after a tragedy like Dunblane or a catastrophic event like Lockerbie? What if a minister stood up on the 1st Sunday after the events of 9/11 & told people that unless they repented, they would likewise perish? Again, Jesus didn’t compromise whether those in His audience were Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, the common people, His relatives or His own disciples. They were told what they needed to hear. They were given the truth, though inconvenient. This wasn’t all that Jesus ever said, or ever had to say. He said it, nevertheless. However, in this New Word Order, it’s cheaper to be economical with the truth & a lot easier to smooth over anything that might scare the unbeliever away. This is a false economy. This is a false pretence. This is a false Gospel.
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force (Matthew 11:12).
Men & women need to be shown their desperate need for Christ as their Saviour, because of their sinful state. There truly is good news for those sinners who are destined for eternal hell, just as there is good news for those sinners who have believed. These facts are fast disappearing from the vocabulary of many modern ministers, even though said facts are sound & biblical. Why? I’ve asked several of them & I’ve received no replies.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (John 3:14-17).
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life (Romans 5:6-10).
These & several other verses are constantly put forward in the modern preaching of The Gospel, as shining examples of God’s lovingkindness towards mankind. I agree that our God is loving. I agree that He is kind. His mercy & amazing grace are as eternal as He is. However, let’s not engage in the worst type of dishonesty when we share The Gospel. Remember what we read in John 3:14-17? Keep reading. The next verses are printed in red letters too.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved (John 3:18-20).
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him (John 3:36).
How many men & women have accessorised their lives with Jesus Christ, by repeating a simple prayer at the end of a service where they’d enjoyed branded coffee, sumptuous cake, free Wi-Fi, concert style worship, cinema seating & a non-offensive motivational speech, dressed up as a sermon? Have those things if you want them, but don’t exclude the whole truth of The Gospel, because if you do, you’ll end up with nothing more than a glorified, exclusive club. Jesus lambasted the club members of His time & He will do it again (Matthew 23:1-36).
Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come. And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins (John 8:21-24).
The truth may hurt, but it also heals. Ultimately, we have to be brought to a place of conviction, being pricked in our hearts (Acts 2:37). We are not good people who have come to serve a good God. If that were the case, Christ would not have had to die for our sins, be buried & raised from the dead for our justification. We are a sinful, evil, wretched & worthless people to whom God has extended His immeasurable mercy & grace. It is a great disservice to The Gospel & those that hear it if we proclaim the good news to people, hoping that we can avoid giving them the bad news. Brethren, avoid the new word order.
To be told that God loves us, wants the best for us, has a plan for us & wants to heal & prosper us, is wonderful to hear. However, men & women must be told that without Jesus Christ they have no hope of eternal life. They will be damned to hell. They will be judged by a just God. They will be rejected by The Lord, just as they have rejected Him.
If we’re already good people & Christ is simply an enhancement of our lifestyle, salvation is an optional extra. But when we are shown that without Him, we will suffer punishment in an eternal hell, salvation becomes an optional essential. Mankind still has the option of accepting or rejecting Christ, but with a clear & honest presentation of The Gospel as laid down by Christ & the Apostles in Scripture, every man & woman makes an informed choice. To remove the bits we don’t like simply because they’re unattractive & replace them with things that were never there in the first place is an evil act. This is the New Word Order.
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach The Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned (Mark 16:15-16).
The New Word Order is avoiding a vital part of The Gospel by not informing men & women of their supreme need for repentance. They want to remove everything that offends the conscience & replace them with everything that entices the senses. Unregenerate mankind will always be drawn by & to all that appeals to their desires & so when sinful man only hears that he can be loved, accepted & blessed by a God Who loves, accepts & blesses unconditionally, I contend that he’s not hearing the whole Gospel.
That uncomfortable & offended disposition a man feels when he is told of his need for repentance from sin, is the conviction of The Holy Spirit & the partial Gospel being preached today will not produce the conviction of sin that the hearing of the whole Gospel will. How many people accept Christ because they felt like it after a sales pitch & an invitation to join a club that just happened to be called a church?
If a person hasn’t heard the whole Gospel, what have they believed? What do they believe? What will they believe? Most importantly, if the New Word Order will do this with The Gospel, what other biblical Doctrine will they tamper with? This is a rhetorical question. They systematically cave in on issues time & again, ignoring the plain teaching of Scripture, which is the very foundation we are built with & upon (Ephesians 2:20, Acts 20:32). If you have some time to waste, knowing that you will never get it back, turn your television on & surf any of the common Christian channels available. See for yourself. This, is the New Word Order.
Despite the naughtiness of it all, the real Gospel is still being preached & taught. It has not disappeared. It’s still plainly revealed in Scripture & there are those who are faithfully declaring its truth, ‘..warning every man and teaching every man..’ (Colossians 1:28). The Gospel has not changed.
Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also (2ndTimothy2:1-2).
Timothy wasn’t instructed by Paul to teach his version of The Gospel. He was told explicitly to commit these same things to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others. Faithful men who shall be able are fast being overshadowed by able men who are not faithful to the same Gospel that Jesus & the Apostles preached & taught.
The New Word Order & its unbiblical attempt at modernising The Gospel, The Church & Apostolic Doctrine comes at a cost. This group of men & women may all say the same thing. They may all be as one. They may build nepotistic ministries that bear their names, stretching to the heavens. However, to build without God is foolish. To build without His Word is careless. To build without His will is catastrophic (Psalms 127:1).
The fellowships that we attend must be committed to God’s Word & to The Gospel. Not our version of it, but The Gospel as declared by Jesus Christ Himself & His Apostles. As such, we may be rare entities. The Lord spoke specifically concerning ‘..this gospel of the kingdom..’ being preached as a witness before the end comes (Matthew 24:14). Where is that witness within the new word order?
However,
there are others who have willingly embraced the New
Word Order & the disposition of the name-making-Word-defying-world-accommodating. They don’t preach The Gospel. They
compromise on anything & everything that will make them
unpopular, skirting around issues that need
to be addressed & exposed, leaving important questions ignored or unanswered.
Am I bothered? Yes I am. Should I be? No. Whenever there’s a muddy puddle in
the street, you never see people gathered around discussing or debating it.
They simply exercise enough good sense to step over it & avoid it. However,
if one or more of those people walked through that puddle & then attempted
to enter my house, that’s a different kettle of fish. The feet that ought to be
shod with the preparation of The Gospel must not be soiled & we must
not allow anyone to tramp an impure version of the truth through God’s
House, The Church. The New Word Order are embarrassed by
the truth of God’s Word & that is why they constantly try so desperately to
supress it. This is why I do what I do.
