What's wrong with the church? August 13, 2023 with Butch Shoemaker

I ask my wife, “what should I preach about” and she said, just preach about what’s been on your heart lately. And Let God do what he does.

What’s wrong with the Church?

I went to a graduation at a high school this year and the keynote speaker told the kids that they are going into a world that has turned its back on “traditional Christian values” and it made my blood boil. It made me mad because he said it as if there was no hope as if they would be a lost generation. And he said it as if the generations before had somehow gotten it right. And I was instantly reminded of a few instances in the Bible of immorality:

               God flooded the whole earth because he found 1 man that was worth saving – Noah

               Sodom & Gomorrah was destroyed for their perverseness

But most recently:

in the 60s the pot head hippies had their free love

in the 70s it was the disco and the cocaine

in the 80s it was glam rock with the groupies

As if this new generation had taken things to a new level of depravity.

I call CAP on all that and for anyone pushing that garbage,

               This generation is full of GRIT!!! They have been through the fire like no generation before them.

               This is a generation acutely aware of, well, everything. They grew up hard-wired to the internet.

Nothing has been kept from them or hidden from them. Very little to no protection from the world and all its influences.

They were raised by a generation of people that were thrown in the deep end to learn how to swim.

It’s not the values that are fading away

It’s the traditions that this next generation will not be weighed down with!!!!

               They won’t dress how they are “supposed” to dress

They won’t talk the way they are “supposed” to talk

They will NOT be conservative with their worship – THEY WILL DANCE UNTO THE LORD!!! Like King David did.

They will have the liberty to confess their sins one another.

They will not be ashamed or fake or quiet about how they feel!!

They will be loud!!!

They will be bold, so bold it will get on your nerves. Because secretly some traditional Christian value people wish they were them.

They will worship in truth and in spirit and the Traditional Christian value people can’t take it!!!!!

I challenge you to pay attention to this generation (and not just the younger generation, also the new generation of believers) and watch them be exalted from the ashes of what God has burnt down, from what God has closed, from what God has shut up, and a warning to all the old heads that wanna discourage the new wine that God is distilling in these kids!!

They have a fresh fire!!! God is raising an army and if you're not paying attention, you will miss the movement of God.

Encourage- push- promote these young people.

they are the next preachers

they are the next generation of worshippers

they're the up-and-coming prayer warriors

they are bold

They won’t do it the way you do it

God speaks to them differently.

I am not saying God has changed. I am saying God is the master of communication and he speaks to each generation in a way that they understand.

So listen young person and new believer!

What’s wrong with the Church?

Matthew 7:17-20

Running Churches as a business/ family business. Profiting

The sexually immoral were allowed to speak in certain churches as representatives of God, at the same time promoting abominations unto the Lord. – That’s bad fruit!! ravenous wolves

And worst of them all are the ones that help people become complacent with their sin. The one that says you are fine just the way you are. You just focus on being the best version of you, you can be – That’s Bad fruit!!

If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck and quacks like a duck. It’s a duck!!!

Just to be clear – I am not talking about a brother or sister that is struggling at a certain period in their lives – we all have that. No no no

I’m talking about the Ravenous wolves that bear bad fruit. There is a difference.

That’s all we hear nowadays. What’s wrong with the church?

Ain’t nothing wrong with the church!!!! The CHURCH is not a building or a denomination. It’s the body of Christ.

Ain’t nothing wrong with the Body of Christ (The Church).

It’s the people around the church that profess but ain’t possessing anything!

The complainers, scoffers, the backbiters, the fake folks, the disrupters, the followers of false doctrine, the children of the devil dressed up like followers of Christ. Faking the funk!!

It’s the people around the church that profess but ain’t possessing anything!

Ain’t nothing wrong with the church.

 people showing up on Sundays at churches in suits and ties, dressed to impress. But God does not look on the outward appearance of man. So, who are they dressing up for?!!!

There isn’t anything wrong with wearing a suit, stop making a big deal about people who don’t.

Tithing, singing, talking the talk, but they don’t walk the walk, running around all week acting like their real daddy the devil, because they have never been saved!!!!

People who have been born into this, who know when to say Amen! They know when to stand up, sit down, spin around. But they have never been saved!!!!

You want to know what’s going on? Matthew Ch 7 is what is going on!!  You will know them by their fruits!!

When you get people showing up that have been saved and sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost burning with a holy fire, the fire that will burn everything in you that ain’t got no business in you!!

And when your hands go up its HOLY Hands,

When you open your mouth it’s a holy mouth

When you walk it’s a holy walk!

When you talk it’s a holy talk!

Why, because you’ve been born again!

Ain’t nothing wrong with the church!

God only bears Good Fruit!!

God only bears Good Fruit!!

Jesus only bears good fruit! But the Ravenous wolves even challenged him in those days.

Matthew 12:9-14

Matthew 13:24-30

When people say “What’s wrong with the church” -they are seeing sons of the wicked one and the trees that are bearing bad fruit. The tares growing up around the church!

The people that are professing but not possessing anything!

The traditional religious folks that just want to weigh you down!

This Pastor at Impact Bears GOOD FRUIT!

How do I know – I was spiritually lost when I came into Impact church. I was saved but wondering around in the wilderness weighed down buy religious expectations. God used Pastor Kendon to show me what Jesus meant when He said, come unto me all ye that are burdened and heavy ladened and I will give you rest.

I am not bragging on my Pastor. I am bragging on my God!!! I met a Pastor that talks the talk and walks the walk. A man after Gods own heart. He pushes and pulls no matter what. He prays for people that come to Impact and for those that have left. Most of all He Believes!!! His life is committed. There is no doubt. He loves with a Godly love.

He is Galatians 5:22-23

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.  24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Ain’t nothing wrong with “The Church”

Yahweh is our God. Jesus is our risen savior and our King. The Holy Ghost is our comfort, guide.

He does not call people out of the darkness into the light to be weighed down with tradition and religion. Or to bear bad fruit. You will know them by their fruit.

Christ died on the cross bearing the sins of the world, Your sins.

He went to the cross, so you did not have to, he died without sin of his own, willing to bear yours. He paid your penalty. Because you can not pay it yourself.

Believe – Jesus was crucified with two thieves, one on either side

Repent – Following Christ mean you agree and purpose to turn to him and follow Him, which means turning away from sin. Bearing good fruit.