Thank you so much for tuning in and Welcome everyone – Hope you’re well!  I’m your host, Ben Lively, and you’re listening to “Shaken Awake” – Episode #27!  

 

I just want to thank you for tuning in, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing right this very moment.  Want to thank some new listeners in Ireland that started listening last week – welcome aboard and we’re glad to have you!

 

And, as always, I promise you another great show – But, more than anything, my HOPE for you today, and always, is that you have an actual encounter with the Lord - He’s is always right there beside you.  

 

I want to give a HUGE shout out for a moment to my Brothers in Christ, Christopher Miller, West Pride, and Tyler Reed, Admins and Moderators, along with myself, of a strong Christian Men’s group on Facebook known as “Men Who Follow Christ.”  They’re official sponsors of this show and I couldn’t be prouder of them and the selfless sacrifices they each make to helping to spread Christ and the Gospel to men around the world.  If you’re a man of God or striving to be one, join us today on the Facebook Group, Men Who Follow Christ”.  

 

This place is for men but we do recognize the need for women to have a place like this so we support our sister page at:

www.facebook.com/groups/theweepingwomenofchrist/

 

I just got off the phone before recording this episode with next week’s special guest, Matt Hardy – MAN, am I ever excited to introduce him to you next week and as always, give God all the glory for Shaking Awake another believer in the body of Christ!  What an amazing man of God he is!

So, without further ado, let’s get ready to invite God in with us, right here, right now and allow Him to speak directly to your heart and minds.   

 

So here goes, here is today’s topic: “What the Churches Are Not Sharing With You, That God Wants You To know.”

 

The point of today’s episode is NOT to bash the church or those in it.  The point of today is to hold a mirror to the churches (buildings and those in in) and ask, why don’t we see enough of Christ in them, and what are we missing that they’re not sharing.   

 

So, this episode comes from several genuine and sincere places – 1.) what I’m hearing in the Christian community today, 2.) what I’m reading in God’s Word that was never taught to me in the churches growing up or today, and 3.) reflection about the first 41 years of my life where I ask myself – how come no pastor, church, or Christian every shared this wisdom and knowledge with me my entire life, that I’m now plainly staring at in my Bible in front of me? 

 

 

Our changing cultural values continue to affect our spiritual lives and often shape our church experiences. Today’s churches aren’t exempt from social trends and factors, and here are a few traditional practices that are becoming extinct within faith communities:

1. In a spiritual climate that’s extremely sensitive and suspicious of legalism, any type of firm action taken by a pastor or church can be highly unstable — often interpreted as aggressive, controversial, and hurtful.

Previous church models of authority and discipline have been so abused, and have such a bad historical reputation, that many Christian communities have simply abandoned the practice of church discipline.

Combine these factors with an overwhelming choice of churches to attend — where any type of uneasiness or conviction can result in worshippers leaving to go elsewhere — and you can understand why spiritual leaders are reluctant to enforce any type of accountability.

2. With the rise in mega-churches and the onset of media-centric services that leave little room for familiarity and freedom, many congregations no longer practice the valuable experience of voicing — and listening to — people’s personal testimonies.

There’s no longer the opportunity for people to communicate what’s happening in their lives — whether good or bad — in what we’ll call “corporate” church services anymore. Publicly professing what God has done for us, and openly sharing our struggles has become increasingly difficult within church settings. Grieving, rejoicing, and simply living life together involves being vulnerable and intimate communication, but this has often been sacrificed for the sake of logistics and comfort.

Real life is messy, awkward, and disorganized — but church services rarely are, and this is worrisome. Christians have become afraid and uncomfortable with being honest and transparent — simply because it’s become such a rare experience.

3. The Bible commands that believers pray together, but churches are moving away from praying during major service times and are instead reserving it for much smaller and more informal venues, like small groups, for example. Prayer requests are now almost exclusively reserved for bulletins, church websites, and prayer chains (facilitated by phone and email), but we shouldn’t abandon praying together as a corporate body of believers.

A lack of joint prayer has had some fairly disturbing consequences. For example, the next time you’re at church, look at the prayer request lists that are accessible to the congregation — 99% of them will be physical ailments. Then look at what’s missing: nobody will share about marital problems, depression, fears, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, domestic violence, and addictions — we’ve lost the ability to be spiritually transparent within our spiritual communities.

4. For similar reasons to not practicing discipline, churches avoid really challenging believers to go beyond their comfort zones. Discomfort is seen as something to avoid at all costs for fear of isolation and scaring away worshippers — so few are brave enough to authentically push congregants towards higher levels of maturity, especially when the price could mean lower attendance numbers.

5.  Churches used to be innovative leaders in education, but now all “higher level” teaching is seemingly reserved for Christian colleges and other higher educational institutions. Local churches have outsourced their responsibility for deep, academic, and complex teaching related to the Bible, theology, philosophy, and doctrine — often trading it in for shallow entertainment.

Yes, some of Christianity’s most important principles can be simplified, but Christians are losing the ability to know how to do word studies, read Scripture within context, understand the historical roots of our faith, and comprehend basic foundational principles; it’s no longer being taught within churches.

6. Growth is the new idol of the church. It’s supposedly a sign of God’s favor and reflects the spiritual maturity of a community, but it’s caused a serious lack of sacrificial giving. Churches often see their bottom line as the top priority, and secular business models have hijacked the values and overall mission of many churches.

Resources are diverted towards growth and expansion rather than mission, and the gospel is sacrificed for the sake of sustainability and profitability. Churches will never admit this, but you can always see where true priorities lie by following the money.

7. Churches have become these centers of sermons and pastoral instruction, and this isn’t bad as long as it inspires people to take action and is accompanied by real-world application. But this is where most churches fail: they’re great at explaining the gospel and talking relentlessly about it — but are horrible at actually carrying it out.

With a fear of discomfort, and the extreme busyness of our culture, churches have stopped stressing real-world ministry. Participating in church now means attending weekly services — but rarely requires anything beyond that. What if churches required their congregations to go out into the world and be missionaries, sacrificially, humbly, and passionately loving others just as Jesus did — practicing what is actually being preached, and taught them how to do it?

Today, many churches are guilty of being too safe, convenient, and comfortable. But enjoyment isn’t the overall purpose of going to church. It should often make you feel uncomfortable and uneasy — and not in an abusive or guilt-ridden manner — but in a way that mimics the life of Christ.

 

Why am I listing out the flaws of churches today?   Because aren’t you going to one?  Can you empathize or sympathize with what I just went over?  If so, you’re being affected every Sunday by those things that should have never entered the church building or the church congregation to begin with!!!!   I went over this in detail in episode 18 entitled, "You Don’t GO to Church – You ARE the Church".  Recognizing the fact that the body of Christ, His church is YOU, not the building we call the church.  Yet, we go every Sunday and sit there and….what?  Listen, right?  Some of you aren’t even going!!!!  What are we listening to?  What are we observing?  What are we taking away?  How are we better living our lives for Christs and/or being better servants?  By going to church?  NO – that’s called, we’re going to church.  That doesn’t define who we are as God’s children, that’s just a checkbox for most.  Congratulations, you went to 34 out of the 52 church services last year and the year before you actually made it 40 out of the 52!!!  What!?!??!?  What is church providing YOU that is growing your faith, helping you to live the way Christ asked us to live, seeking the lost, leading others’ to Christ, or growing your spiritual discipline, authority, and growth?  If we’re being honest with ourselves, the answer is likely – not at all, very little, or seldom at best.  

 

So, if you’re now asking, “Well, how can I apply this to my life starting today?” this is what I would say – first, don’t rely on church to be your God.  It’s not and it never will.  Let God be your God.  Let the truth in His Living Word be your guide, your roadmap, your compass, your place of wisdom, and your spiritual mirror.  Do you see Christ in you when you read your Bible?  Do you read your Bible?  Do you dwell in your Bible, your Living Word of God?  If not, how are you growing in your relationship with Christ?  Who are you relying on for your growth in Godly wisdom and spiritual growth?  Church?  For one hour, once a week?  My entire life, up till 41 years of age, I helped lead NO ONE to Christ, except one boy back in 8th grade in my Christian school I attended for a few years.  How many chances did I pass on?  How many of them, no longer alive, could I and should I have impacted and helped lead to Christ?  How many are in hell right this very second as you listen to this podcast?  It’s frightening.  And I’ll have to answer to that one day – what excuse will I give?  What reason will I have for Him?  None, that’s the answer.

 

Here’s what I missed all those years growing up in the church, 41 years ago and as I continue to attend, albeit, it’s a phenomenal church with a phenomenal pastor, I’m still missing what I’m reading and The Holy Spirit is helping me understand every day through my fellowship with Christ and my dwelling in God’s Word:

Everything.  Literally; everything.  I know what you’re saying….” Awww, c’mon Ben – your church must not be a good one!”  No, my church is a excellent one and so is the pastor.  Except, it’s only as a compliment to what God Himself and The Holy Spirit has told and showed me over the past 2 years, not what the church has.  It’s a great addition, but it’s not a supplement by any stretch of the imagination.  It’s not a substitute – it’s far from it.  It’s like listening to a song on the radio, vs. going to the concert.  In reality, it’s listening to the interpretation of a man using a few lines of Scripture, rather than dwelling and meditating on the Holy Spirit-inspired, living Word of God.  Vast difference, no?  

 

Here’s what we miss in church; here’s what I missed in church my entire life and STILL isn’t being taught today:

 

·       That the real story behind Adam and Eve, Noah, Moses, Daniel, Samuel, Samson, and Jesus, was not just the two-sentence piece of main story-line scripture stretched out to become its own big, entertaining story.  I was never told the stories that surrounded the dramatic climax.  I was entertained, but not educated.  I was amazed, but no wisdom was gained.

·       That John 3:16 isn’t the magical golden ticket that gets people into Heaven!  There is scriptures to prove there’s more, beyond John 3:16 that you need to know in order to hear the words, “Well done, My good and faithful servant.”

·       I missed the parts in Revelations, which show the order in which the End Times are laid out, in full detail, the signs and the wonders that will take place; by the way, we’re into the end hours now!  

·       I wasn’t told about the race that is set before us; the race we must run and cross the finish line – no one told me that if not, we aren’t crowned with the crown of victory.  There isn’t any participation ribbon in Heaven – there is a crown for those that finish the race!!!  What race??!?!?  No one will enter the Kingdom except those that do the will of the Father!  What’s the will of the Father?!?!!!?  That too, was never discussed in the church with me!!!!

·       Tithing – a tenth is the derivative of the original word tithe.  I didn’t know it also meant your time, resources, energy, gifts, and will of the Father – I thought all it ever meant was money in an offering plate!

·       Church never told me that Church wasn’t even a tenth of my week – why did I believe that the one to one-and-a-half hours I was in a building called a church was a requirement???  NOWHERE in the Bible does it say this!  In fact, an institution known as a church is not discussed in the Bible – the original places of worship were in people’s home, known as house churches!!!

·       Why did I grow up to believe that the pastor had all the answers?  Why did I grow up to believe that what was preached at the pulpit was my weekly portion of what God wanted me to know – why was I never told or encouraged to read my Bible! 

·       Why did I never learn about Paul and His conversion, or how he was ordained by God to spread the Good News throughout the Gentile world??? Why did He reveal secrets, which Paul then reveals to us in the Bible, but our pastors do not then reveal to us?!?!

·       Why was I made to sit silent in pews and listen to a message that only used 2-3 scriptures, but left out 99% of God’s word in every message??

·       Why wasn’t I encouraged to go out and witness to others and spread the Good News?  Why instead was I told to bring and encourage more people to attend my church, but not to do the same in encouraging others to study the Word of God?

·       Why wasn’t I convicted or led to feel convicted by going to church, but usually left happy and carefree and without worry – why did the Bible convict me of my sin, but the church did not; in fact, why did church not even talk about the sins I was in or how to come to salvation through Christ??

·       Why wasn’t I ever encouraged to be baptized, or the meaning behind being baptized

 

 

 

I would like to start off by saying most of the people in churches of today are lukewarm false converts.  I was one for the first 41 years of my life, but I had no idea!  Do I blame that on the church?  No, but I know the church could’ve and should’ve done more to educate me.   You know, like study and read and preach from the Word of God, not from sermon notes or their iPad.

 

Sometimes a person is just a weak immature believer, but he won’t remain that way. 

 

Then, other times a person is just lukewarm and has one foot in and one foot out and falsely thinks that he is saved. 

 

I would like to add as well that sometimes even the strongest of Christians can lose zeal or backslide, but they won’t remain in that state because God will discipline them and bring them into repentance. 

 

Repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Christ today and you shall be saved. Many will go before God and they will be denied Heaven and God’s wrath will be upon them.

 

1. They only come to God when they have a problem.

2. Their Christianity is what can God do for me? How can He make my life better?

3. They don’t obey the Word of God and even try to twist Scripture to justify sin. They call obeying the Bible legalism or radical.

4. They think they are Christians because they do good deeds or go to church. They live like devils 6 days a week and are holy on Sunday.

5. They compromise with the world because it’s the most popular choice.

6. They only want to be Christian because they are afraid of hell.

7. They have no repentance. They are not truly sorry for their sins nor do they want to change.

8. They think they’re saved because they compare themselves to others around them.

9. They never or rarely share their faith.

10. They care more of what others think rather than the Lord.

11. They don’t have new desires for Christ and never did.

12. They are not willing to make sacrifices. If they do make sacrifices it will be close to nothing and it won’t affect them at all.

13. They love to say things like do not judge.

 

1. Revelation 3:14-16 To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

2. Matthew 7:16-17 You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. You need never confuse grapevines with thorn bushes or figs with thistles. Different kinds of fruit trees can quickly be identified by examining their fruit.

3. Matthew 23:25-28 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but, on the inside, you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

4. Isaiah 29:13 The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.”

5. Titus 1:16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

6. Mark 4:15-19 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

 

7. Matthew 7:20-25 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and, in your name, perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers! Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

 

8. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

9. 1 John 3:8-10 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

10. Hebrews 10:26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left.

 

11. Matthew 6:1 Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.

12. Matthew 23:5-7 Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.

 

13. 1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.

14. James 4:4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.

 

15. James 2:26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

16. James 2:17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

17. James 2:20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?

 

18. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

19. 1 Corinthians 5:11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.

 

20. Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

21. Matthew 10:38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

 

22. 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

 

23. Acts 26:18 to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.

24. Matthew 10:32-33 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

25. Mark 1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

 

 

So, my final question to you is then this:    Where are you gaining your spiritual wisdom, insight, encouragement, advice, direction, and advice from?  Is it your church, your Bible, or perhaps neither?  How do you know what you don’t know and how will you EVER find out you don’t know it?

My final statement is this:    Church is not and was not ever a requirement of Christ.  You cannot go to heaven just because you go to church.  Even more, going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than being in a doctor’s chair makes you a doctor.   Every single answer to every question can and only will be answered between the pages of Genesis 1:1 and Revelations 22:21 – it will never come from a pulpit.  Get into the Word, and stay in the Word; dwell in the Word, and live by the Word.  Let those with eyes to see and ears to hear see and hear this message by diving into the only true word of the Living God – the Holy Bible.  Everything not taught in church is in it.

So, before we end today’s show, I just want to thank you all again for tuning in and I HOPE you were touched by God through today’s message and scripture. I’d like to ask you a favor only IF you received any value out of today’s show – would you tell at least one person you know – call them, text them, email them, talk to them – tell them to give this show a listen.  

 

Check out the show at shaken-awkae.com, email me at ben@shaken-awake.com or call or text me directly for any reason at (407)-493-3208 (repeat).  If you have ideas for the show – LET ME KNOW!

Next weeks episode is another powerful and DO-NOT-MISS episode – thanks for joining!  

Until next week, take great care of yourself and each other, and God Bless You all.  

 

Outro music.