This past weekend I went to a local grocery store and beheld the eerie sight of desolation and empty shelves. As I looked around, it felt like a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie. As world governments all work aggressively to find a solution and prevent the further spread of COVID-19, people are deeply worried. For the first time in the 243 year history of the United States of America, churches are closing their doors on a mass scale; not because of war, civil unrest or persecution but because of a virus. Truly we are living in some strange times!
Despite the mass panic and fear, I believe in God’s absolute sovereignty and control over this situation. In fact, I sense God is beginning to purify His church and is preparing to release His glory. I also believe God has a message and warning for the church of America during this time – RETURN TO THE LORD.
“”Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm. Who knows if He will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him – a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes; let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her dressing room. Let the priests, who minister to the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar; let them say, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not give Your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?'” Joel 2 :12-17 NJKV
In the Old Testament, the rending of garments was an outward expression of humility manifested through the emotions of anguish and grief. The type of clothing that people wore represented the social class of the wearer and to tear that was to strip away any self importance in complete humility and brokenness.
There are at least two dozen Biblical accounts of individuals rending their garments. The first account is recorded in the story of Joseph and his brothers betrayal. When Reuben did not find Joseph in the pit, he tore his clothes (Genesis 37:29). Shortly after when Jacob was told Joseph was mauled to death by a wild animal, he also tore his clothes and mourned (Genesis 37:34). To list just a few more Biblical accounts, when the Israelites were defeated at Ai, Joshua tore his clothes before the Ark of the Covenant (Joshua 7:6). When the Judge Jephthah saw his daughter after making a rash vow to God to sacrifice the first thing he saw after God delivered them from Ammon, he tore his clothes (Judges 11:35). When Job received news that he lost everything he owned, including his children, he tore his clothes and worshiped (Job 1:20).
Despite this Old Testament practice, God told His people through the prophet Joel to rend not their garments but to rend their hearts instead. In essence, God was asking His people to return to Him with a heart of brokenness and humility!
Today, the message of repentance is hardly preached anymore and it is not a message that is well received; however, the message of repentance is one of the most critical messages preached in the Bible. The very first sermon Jesus ever preached occurred right before he called the twelve disciples and His message was similar to the one John the Baptist preached.
“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.”” Matthew 4:17 NKJV
Repentance is such an important message that even Jesus’ disciples mirrored His message on the day of Pentecost!
“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:37-38 NKJV
Notice that the people were “cut to the heart.” This is a metaphor meaning to be overcome with emotional anguish and grief. Tragically, repentance in the modern church culture has been relegated to an emotionless ten second repeat-after-me prayer; however, this is NOT true repentance. True repentance is a state of brokenness. It is coming to the realization that our sins have offended holy God and the wages of sin is death.
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart – these, O God, You will not despise.” Psalms 51:17 NKJV
The message of repentance is without a doubt a message for the lost but the message of repentance is also for the church. No one person is exempt! In fact, Jesus had these choice words for the church of Ephesus,
“Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lamp stand from its place – unless you repent.” Revelation 2:5 NKJV
In Revelation chapters 1-3, Jesus describes seven types of churches. Out of the seven types only two received accolades from Jesus – the persecuted church and the faithful church. My question is what category of church would the church of America fall under? There are countries where it is illegal to be a Christian. Christians living in these countries do not have the luxury of meeting in public places so they gather together in the secrecy of their homes. If caught with a Bible they are executed or are gruesomely tortured until they renounce Jesus! On the other hand, the spoiled church of America has had the privilege of worshiping God in public places without the fear of imprisonment or death for over two hundred years! We definitely cannot say the church of America is a persecuted church.
Can we say the church of America as a whole is a faithful church when many congregations across our nation only love their own, embrace the heretical teachings of Progressive Christianity, tolerate sin, appoint homosexual clergy, operate without Holy Ghost power and spiritual authority, and have no life because the presence of God is missing from their midst?
If we were to be perfectly honest, we would have to answer “no!” This only leaves five categories and sadly we still couldn’t place the church of America into one of these five remaining categories because the church of America as a whole is a hideous amalgamation of all five! The church of America must realize her offense against Almighty God and return to the place of repentance and brokenness before God removes her lamp stand! America must return to the Lord!
One of my favorite examples of returning to the Lord is the story of king Josiah. Josiah was the grandson of Judah’s most wicked king Manasseh. When Josiah was twenty-six years old, the high priest Hilkiah found an old copy of the Book of the Law hidden in the temple. Josiah’s secretary, Shaphan, took the Book of the Law before Josiah and read him the book. After hearing the words of the book, Josiah tore his robes and wept (2 Kings 22). Not only did Josiah tore his robes that day, his heart was torn asunder (2 Kings 22:19).
For Josiah, repentance wasn’t a one time event to be forgotten or reneged; it was his lifelong commitment!
“Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him.” 2 Kings 23:25 NKJV
May repentance be our lifelong commitment! May the church of America come to the realization church was never meant to be a location or an event; the church is the PEOPLE. May the church of America remember the Great Commission doesn’t say “stay” but rather “GO.” May she return to the Lord with all her heart, with all her soul, and with all her might so she can rise above this pandemic and provide the one thing the world is desperately needing right now – hope in Jesus Christ. Will you make a lifelong commitment with me to return to the Lord?
Joshua Hawk 