I hear a lot of churches preach about being speaker friendly. I have been told by pastors that I can’t do certain things during Sunday worship because it might scare away the unbelievers or those who are not ok with living by the Spirit.
Come on.
Let’s be honest, they’re really afraid of losing money.
I see nothing in Jesus’ ministry that makes me think I must water things down. He spoke. Everything He said was true, yet some understood, and others didn’t. Many were offended and guess what, He let them walk away. Have we forgotten that? Let’s read about one such instance…
“But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. On hearing it, many of His disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” Aware that His disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of man ascend to where He was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you- they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has enabled them.” From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him. John 6:50-66
Did you notice the part that said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has enabled them.”
It’s funny, it doesn’t say, “Those will come if the message is watered down enough and if the lighting and programs are big enough.”
We have things so mixed up.
It’s time to let God come and unravel our lives. Unravel the faulty gospel we cling to. It’s time to speak with boldness and live unapologetically for and with Jesus. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
No message needs to be watered down. We need the Father to enable people to receive Jesus. That should be our prayer.
365 Days in the Presence 