The First Church of God on Sodom Street – Pt1

It sits at the corner where it has sat for 75 long years. The name is unimportant as well as who is Pastor, for this church is not just one simple country church, it’s also a well established main street church, it’s a mega church, it’s every church in America and as such, they all have something unique about them, they are all beginning to accept that which many years ago they would never think to accept – sin.

In many churches across America, from the largest innercity one to the smallest rural setting, there’s a common bond between them all, that bond is homosexuality. For many years, the church has faced many problems within it’s walls, from gossip to adultery to divorce, problems of the flesh have always seemed to challenge the Church and yet the Church has remained strong. But now that strength which has endured for centuries against every demonic force from hell, is giving in toward something more destructive and almost no one is voicing a concern.

There is a policy among many within the church that is nothing more than what I would call a “conspiracy of silence” among leadership – and for good reason. The statistics of people involved in homosexual sin are growing at an astonishing rate among believers and the question needs to be asked as to why? And why is leadership protecting this behavior?

In 2009, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America adopted a resolution which allowed openly gay pastors to serve within their churches in their organization to the dismay of many faithful and long time members. The stunning resolution adopted by the ELCA made the radical step possible to ordain and establish the long time evangelical group, the first “gay” friendly Christian Organization.

On top of the defense of homosexuality within the church by the Lutheran’s, came another sad aspect to the downward slide to depravity, and that was the recent revelations of several popular evangelical Pastors whom publicly denounced such sins, yet were privately living the lifestyle.

The recent acknowledgments of Jim Swilley, Pastor of the mega church in Georgia, the past indiscretion(s) of Ted Haggard and the most recent charges against Bishop Eddie Long, the fact that these prominent and celebrated leaders within the evangelical church whose personal morality have been tainted with moral intrigue should cause all of us to examine what is truly happening in the body of Christ and more importantly, what are we willing to do about it?

A recent poll among evangelical Christians showed an interesting move away from views that were once considered the issue of the day, to a more liberal, broader view. In a recent 2008 poll of those asked what the current issue(s) for the church were, surprisingly it had nothing to do with immorality or sin, but secular issues. The top issues for those Christians polled were; personal indebtedness (81%) followed by poverty (78%) and illegal immigration (68%) [ source.]

Christians have made a significant change in their views on morality and this new ideological change has seemingly pressed itself into the church and it’s acceptance of things which are forbidden by God. This is the result of the religion of tolerance which, among young people, many are embracing and why those within the Christian community is failing to rectify this problem.

Which brings me back to my original point of this article, the church today has changed her appearance and resembles nothing of her former self. The modern church is becoming a haven of immorality and abomination. The current gospel of wealth and self-esteem has replaced her original message of repentance and holiness and it has made her sick and weary. If she does not reject the current messages that run rampant within her many pulpits across this nation and the world, her impact will become less effective.

Pastors, youth pastors, choir directors, church staff, are all becoming active roles for many within the gay movement. Even in contemporary Christian music, we are beginning to see the fruits of tolerance teaching and the acceptance of alternative lifestyles and disturbing even more is the mood of many within the vast denominations who simply turn their head out of ignorance and impartiality. The truth remains the same, the church is facing it’s own cultural war and from the recent events in Christian circles of those believers coming out of the religious closet, she’s losing this battle.

The apostle Paul made it perfectly clear when he warned of what would occur in these last days when he wrote, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;” (2 Thess. 2:3)

A falling away from what? From the truth. When Christians no longer view immorality and idolatry as their top concern but instead focus on the things of the world that are but temporal and meaningless, then something is wrong at the core. Our desires have changed to reflect more of a cultural relativism than a Biblical perspective and in so doing, we have allowed diversity, immorality and social apathy to be our guide. This is not the commission of a Christian.

In order for us to salvage our message, there must be a call to repentance within the body of Christ. Our ways have become deluded with the cares of this world and not a desire to see lives changed. We have become tolerant to sin and immorality and this must change, even if it means the removal of those who are in authority who have ushered this sickness in. Our mandate, our spiritual life depends on it if we are ever going to survive the coming challenges which lay ahead.

God give us leaders and spiritual warriors who will not bow at the altar of tolerance and acceptance, but will lead the church into her finest hour. The bride is still worth it.