Scripture
Ref. Jude 1:3-4 (KJV) - 2 Peter 2:1-2 (NKJV)
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 2:1-2 (NKJV)
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.
Introduction
We are in a spiritual
battle fighting against principalities, powers, and spiritual wickedness not
only in government and society but also the body of Christ, and it is highly
damaging to the church to the effect that it is reshaping the whole scope of
the way we worship, live, and evangelize! Over the past few years there has
been a gradual infiltration of enemy forces within the church ranks bringing in
modernistic trends which have blinded the eyes of many church folks by the
highly sophisticated spiritual weaponry that is used to fight, not just
against, but in the
church today.
On the Day of Pentecost
the Holy Ghost demonstrably transformed the lives of those in the upper room,
amazed the nations, convicted, convinced, and converted the lives of over 3000
souls ushering in a new era and entity known as the church and the church age,
this was literally the dawn of a new dispensation. The church literally began
in a blaze of Glory. I don’t believe God ever intended for the church to be
ushered in with power and glory and authority only to decline to an empty,
lifeless, ritualistic practice to co-exist with the world and religious crowd
instead of transforming everything it comes in contact with in the world!
God’s purpose for the
church from the beginning was and still is to be the Ekklesia, a people called
out of the world that through the power of the Holy Ghost would ignite a
revival in the world, awakening the conscience of those that are blinded by sin
to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, leading many sons and daughters into
glory, transforming everything it comes in contact with, and being the lights
of the world leading lost souls out of darkness into the marvelous light of
Jesus Christ. However, the church is failing in its purpose because we have
become complacent settling for mediocrity by not desiring to maintain a spirit
of excellence in everything we do for the Lord and in the church!
Just look around Mediocrity says it’s o.k. to come to church 15 to
30 minutes after service has started instead of arriving 15 to 30 minutes ahead
of time to pray and seek God for his will in the service. Mediocrity says it’s o.k.
if I don’t go Sunday night or mid-week bible study, I’m tired and I won’t be
missed anyway. Mediocrity
says its o.k. if I don’t fulfill my position someone else will do it and if not
the job is not that important anyway. Mediocrity says Sunday school isn’t for me 10am is
way too early in the morning. And so it goes on and on with those who really
don’t mind if the church never grows at all. We’ll survive, we always have!
What is the problem or
the issue some might ask? The issue is a deadly pattern that many churches in
this day have fallen in. The problem is that when you don’t strive for excellence
in your service and relationship for God, your enthusiasm will eventually
dwindle, no excitement, fire, and zeal for the house of God! The pattern is all
too real, churches that have lost their zeal will sooner or later open its door
to the first spirit of deception we are talking about this evening.
The
Spirit of Accommodation
2 Corinthians 11:2-4 (NKJV)
2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted--you may well put up with it!
2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted--you may well put up with it!
There are churches out
there that will accommodate
anything you want to do because they are more concerned about getting
along and not rocking the boat than they are about your soul. Jesus loves you
just the way you are, so if you want to be a homosexual and believe that you
are on your way to heaven there are churches out there that will say homosexuals’
is only an alternative lifestyle and God is too just of a God to send you to
hell because you fell in love with a member of the same sex. Come join us we
will accommodate you!
Preachers are preaching
messages of accommodation just so their churches can be full. We have churches
throwing hip-hop parties playing snoop-dogg and 50 cents talking about we are
getting the young people, but they are blinded by the spirit of accommodation.
They say come as you are
God will accept you the way you are, and that is true but what they fail to do
is tell them you can’t stay that way you must change because it’s holiness or
hell. We got teenage boys coming in the church with their pants hanging down to
their ankles and we say that’s alright just come and that’s good to get them in
the church, but once they have been in a while and sound doctrine has been
placed down in them it’s time to tell them that God wants excellence both on the inside and outside
so pull up those pants, ladies button up that blouse. We need to have the
spirit of excellence and not the spirit of accommodation!
The
Spirit of Assimilation
Romans 12:2 (KJV)
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
The word “assimilate” a
change in a sound or action so it becomes identical with or similar to
something or someone else’s sounds and actions. Oftentimes in these last days of the
church it is so hard to tell the difference from the church and the world. The
church sounds like the world, looks like the world, acts like the world, and
the results of this is they have become ineffective in the world because they are infected by the world
because of the spirit of assimilation. The church needs to stop trying
to be like other churches and be more like Christ!
The
Spirit of Association
Ephesians 5:6-12 (NKJV)
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
There is a dangerous
trend going on in many modernistic churches. In a so-called effort to reach the
un-churched they are meeting with them on their ground and partaking of their
deeds to supposedly when them over. But what are you winning them to? That’s my
question! I heard a pastor on TV not long ago speak of sitting down drinking a
cold one with a groups of friends to win some confidence. What? Or the one at
the tattoo parlor getting marked up so he could enter a certain part of town to
minister the love of Christ. You’re kidding me, right?
