by Darnell Whitfield

I was thinking about the way the church is today versus the church of yesteryear, and it appears to me that the church has accepted mediocrity over the wonderful majesty of Jesus Christ.

I have never seen a time when it is more important to be a rock star-type of preacher rather than a leader who is concerned about the condition of the souls that they come in contact with. These leaders will not strive to help those who are floundering with their spiritual walk, and this has been going on for the past 40 years.

Leaders are treating God’s “House of Prayer,” as if it is a club where anything goes with the exception of true worship.

Yes, just as Jesus declared when He entered into the temple of Jerusalem that the Pharisees had turned God’s house into a den of thieves, if one looks at today’s church we see that everything is going on, except what was intended by our Father God.

Leaders are so busy trying to impress man, that they leave no lasting impression of the beautiful love and saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Spiritual leaders are more concerned about the money in the church’s bank account rather than banking on our Father God’s supernatural healing power.

We have become obsessed with dancing, mimes and how well a speaker can move the people rather than how the born-again Christian is developing spiritually.

We have allowed ourselves to lower the bar of morality in the church thereby causing evil to flourish in the church and across the land.

We have accepted mediocrity as a standard, rather than God’s great majesty.

The Scripture is correct in its observation in Galatians 6:3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”

The church has become corrupted with leaders, who are supposed to be of God, stealing from God, and yet the church keeps these people in their roles as leaders.

We forget that we are to be living examples of Jesus Christ, Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”

We are to walk in a manner that no one can bring a charge of indecency or evil.

We must remember that we are bibles being read by men, women and children, and we must realize that we lead the followers in the body of Christ and hopefully inspire the rest of the world that love for God first, the body of Christ and the world will cause a great change in the way men, women and children act in their daily walk.

I know we live in a country where we have become so angry with each other that destruction and death seem to flourish.

We live in a time where ignorance abounds and it has permeated the church.

We live in a world where division is the norm and unity dies in the dust.

Why?

Because spiritual leaders are not spiritual. They base their actions on emotion, they base their desire on things rather than being totally, sold out to God!

The Bible teaches that we, who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord, are to seek first the kingdom of God, and all of our needs will be met (Matthew 6:31-34.)

It’s not too late for us to step up from the muddy mediocrity of flesh, into the great place of God’s beautiful spiritual majesty.

How?

By walking in a manner that shows the world around us that we refuse to argue for the sake of arguing and sit down and let’s find out where we can begin to agree and take the necessary steps to repair what ignorance has destroyed, such as, unity, peace, and love, just to name a few.

We all play a part in making the church great again, our neighborhoods great again, our cities and towns great again, our state great again and our country great again.

7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (Galatians 6)

Let’s reap majesty instead of mediocrity!

DARNELL WHITFIELD is senior pastor of Diamond Grove Baptist Church in Franklin. Contact him at 742-1343 or revwhitfield@me.com