RELEVANT or REAL? I KINGS 14:22-24: Now Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, more than all that their fathers had done. 23 For they also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree. 24 And there were also perverted persons in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.” OBSERVATION: What a sad ending to the first transitional reign of both Judah and of Israel. Solomon had not finished well. He had allowed the influence of foreign wives to lead him away from the true worship of The Lord. Now his son Rehoboam follows in his footsteps, as does Jeroboam from the 10 Northern Tribes. It is interesting to note the motivation of their similar sins. Jeroboam made his golden calves, set up worship centers in Bethel and Dan, in an attempt to solidify his kingdom. He feared that the people would go to worship in Jerusalem, be drawn to the heart of Rehoboam, and defect from his rule. So he set up false worship centers, idols, and high places throughout the Northern Kingdom. He also set up a non-Levitical priesthood, even making himself a priest. On the other hand, Rehoboam had the true center of worship, the Temple in Jerusalem. Yet, he would not be outdone by Jeroboam! So Rehoboam set up idols and high places throughout Judah in an attempt to keep his people from defecting to the Northern Kingdom. What a trap it can be when we try to compete with the world. We need to realize that we possess something more powerful, more attractive - than the latest thing. We hold the truth of God! It is the truth of the Word of God, not the latest thing that sets people free. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that breaks every yoke, not our methods or style. We need to remember this in our efforts to be relevant in our culture. Shouldnt we be as relevant as possible? Absolutely! Should we act like the world, look like the world, and take our cues from the world? ABSOLUTELY NOT! The First Century believers were counter-culture believers! They did not try to create their own replacements for the pagan temples that surrounded them, they fled from them! They did not continue in the practices that once bound them in sin, they repented and departed from them! What is more powerful, something that creates an appearance of change, or something that produces real change in the heart? We have ceased to pray for real revival, real transformation, real conversion. We have become content with change that we can produce externally, rather than change that is produced by The Lord internally, through the Spirit, and that changes a persons character, behavior, and choices. As we endeavor to be relevant to our culture in our presentation of the Gospel may we seek first to be real in our faith. Reality trumps religion every time. I would rather see the true transformation of one heart for the Kingdom of God than thousands pretending but never attaining the true righteousness that comes by faith. Paul said he counted everything else as loss for the excellency of knowing the true righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. May we do the same. In Jesus Name!
Posted on: Sun, 06 Jul 2014 11:21:38 +0000
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