Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. Matthew 16:18

R.T. Kendall has been a writer that I have admired and gleaned so much wisdom from. I have recently been compiling many parts of the books I have read over the years into my prayer journal. I have a half-dozen by Kendall, and just the other day I was going through them, adding quotes from him into the journal in order to bring them before the Lord in prayer. In doing so, I came across three things that he wrote that have really "stuck" to me and address a lot of what is happening in the church both corporately and individually. I want to share them with you in this writing.

"God is not looking for Public Relations people, but for prophets." I think we need to really examine what passes for preaching in the church today. Those who fill a pulpit, whether literally or figuratively, are to be "forthtellers" for God. They are to proclaim the heart, mind, and will of God to His church. More and more, with pastors feeling they must present themselves as "hip, cool, and relevant," the church is acting more as a PR voice for Jesus, than as one sent to prophesy in His name. We present a church and Jesus who is foremost concerned with meeting your needs, not transforming your life. We're presenting Him as One who will always be there for us, while never making any costly demands upon us. We present a Gospel that's all about us, not all about Him, and our root need, salvation is only vaguely touched upon. People may be told they need Jesus, but little of the real reasons why, that He and He alone is the only way to the Father, and that all who are without Him, who have never been made new in Christ will be hopelessly and forever lost. More, they are rarely told of the holiness of God, and His call upon their lives to partake and live in that holiness. This is not universal, but I think there is far more "preaching" from the PR voices than the prophetic ones..

Secondly, Kendall gives the example of The Leaning Tower of Pisa. Some years back, the caretakers of the tower discovered there was a problem in the foundation, and they feared that the Tower would eventually fall. They called in engineering experts to fix the problem, but they told them to fix it without correcting the tilt. Such is the state of many in the church. We are all for what is offered in Christ. We want the abundant life. We want His love, mercy, joy, and peace. We want the riches, all of them, to be found in Him. But we don't want Him to correct and transform the "tilt" in our life. We don't want Him to make straight that which is crooked. We want Him to take care of everything around us while leaving what's within us alone. We love the tilt in our lives, even when the tilt is leading to our eventual destruction. PR spokespeople can make peace with this. The Prophet can never do so.

Last, Kendall wrote of how the modern church seeks every way possible to reach people, to grow, and to see the tide of evil turned back. The results in the west have been pretty abysmal. It's not the lack of sincerity. Kendall suggests that it may well be the lack of tears. Tears. Deep, heart wrenching tears of pain from a church burdened and broken over the condition of the surrounding culture, and the sin that holds millions in dark captivity. We may not lack for energy in reaching out, but we certainly do lack the tears. When was the last time you and I wept for our nation, the nations, our neighbors, even our own family? Kendall writes, "Nothing moves the heart of God like tears." Tears that come from broken hearts. Tears like those that Jesus wept as He stood looking down upon the city of Jerusalem. Tears that I believe the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit continue to weep over a lost and broken world. Tears that He weeps over you and me as He beholds our tearless, prayerless lives. May we, individually and as the church, have weeping hearts for a world trapped in darkness.

Well, those are the points that spoke to me this week. Hopefully they'll speak to you as well. I hear the call of the Spirit through them. Whatever He would have you hear, may you hear it well.

Blessings,
Pastor O