Good Morning Beloved,
Thanks be to God for all of you joining us today.
I don't believe it was by accident or chance.
Let us pray
Heavenly Father,
You know the prayers of our hearts.
Some of us are sick and tired, some of us are worried,
we fear for those we love, we fear the future.
Some of us are grieving, we don’t know how to go on.
We need your help!
We pray for our world
where poverty and persecution has an iron grip…
whether that is close to home, or abroad
We need your Spirit to confront powers and principalities,
tyrants and governments and corporations
that feed off of their power and perpetuate poverty.
Father, we pray especially for those
who are contemplating of taking their own lives.
Guide and guard them, showing them that there will be good days
We pray for those whose lives have been shattered
by the death of a loved one, or suicide,
draw them close, and give your comfort.
Restore hope to the hopeless
In Jesus name we ask and pray
Amen
Today's message is entitled: The New Pentecost
It's not the typical message I normally teach, but the Lord has laid it heavily upon my heart to set aside the prepared message and share it anyway. And all I have to say is, if it's important to God, it needs to be important to each of us!
"Thus says the Lord:
“Stand in the ways and see,
And ask for the old paths, where the good way is,
And walk in it;
Then you will find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’"
And walk in it;
Then you will find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’"
Beloved, there is a "New" sort of Pentecost that is trying to take over the church, Jesus' church. This new Pentecost is deceiving many into thinking that a new way is better because it’s more socially acceptable, politically correct, and it attracts younger people. The newer the fad, the more young people you'll have.
People wouldn't ordinarily come to church..
I've even noticed some of the older Saints of God are going toward this new way instead of staying on the old tried and true path. Even some of churches are headed that way.
What’s wrong with the old way?
What's wrong with the "old" Pentecost?
What's wrong with singing about the blood of Jesus or the cross, instead of singing this new contemporary stuff?
If the leaders of the church, are altering the teaching, avoiding certain passages, to keep from offending people, if we're not teaching what the Bible says about sin, who are we helping?
We are set apart for a reason, to go against the ways of the world.
Not conform to them. Not all new things are bad, some things are okay to adapt to, social media for example. It enables us to reach people who would never have access to the Word of God.
I share with you today a story of an older gentleman. I won't share his real name out respect.
He slowly tottered, a little unsteadily on his cane as he entered the Church. The Sunday Morning Greeters welcomed him with much ado. No one recognized him, or recalled ever seeing him before. His clothes, although clean and pressed, definitely were way out of style.
After shaking his hand, someone handed him a program and visitor’s card to be filled out and asked him his name, I'll call him John Van Horn.
I noticed the bewildered look on his face, as he softly replied, my name is John Van Horn.
"I’m not a visitor!” he said, with a more forceful voice, as he looked at all the unfamiliar faces. “I started attending this church when I was in my twenties. I got baptized in this church and received the Holy Spirit in 1949, soon after this church was first built. “And who are you people?”
“Where’s Pastor Simmons?” The old man continued, “He can vouch for me!”
There was a long pause. Finally the oldest greeter spoke and said, “Brother Simmons went home to be with the Lord in 1988, and we’ve had several pastors since then.”
"Oh... I see, my doctors told me that I had fallen into a deep sleep or something like that, for a long time. But, I had no idea how long.
The last thing I remember was when John F. Kennedy was voted in as President. What year is it now, the old man inquired?”
“Would somebody please help me sit down, this is all too much."
he said softly.
They carefully led him to a pew so he could sit down. As I observed the older gentleman, he seem to be in a state of shock.
I walked over to him and shook his hand, told him my name and welcomed him. "Nice to meet you", he said as he looked around carefully to see if he could find one familiar face. He wasn’t sure. He saw nothing he recognized in any of their faces.
He said "Everyone here seems friendly and attentive." Before church even started, many came by introducing themselves and one of the ushers eventually took his visitor’s card from him and laid it on the pulpit.
The worship service was very enthusiastic, and the musicians and choir performed with great expertise.
But I realized something...
This had been his church, for many years, yet somehow, it was not the same church. It looked pretty much the same, except for a few renovations, but it didn't feel the same.
I realized, that he really did feel like a visitor.
At the end of the worship service, Brother Van Horn started walking towards the door. I could tell his mind was still whirling, trying to sort out all of his emotions and somehow reconcile them with his memories. As he was nearing the door, I intercepted him, asking if he was alright. He told me that he really enjoyed the worship service, and that he was very impressed with the message. He said it was "very powerful and stirring."
I thanked him and told him, "I am so grateful to see you today, I'm glad you were able to come. When I began preaching, someone had told me that you had taken a bad fall and had fallen into a coma. So, I continuously prayed for you. I am happy to see that you received your miracle!”
“That was really a wonderful message this morning, Pastor. I will feast on that one for a long while.”
I modestly nodded his thanks and smiled. Then motioned with with my hand, encouraging him to continue. He continued, saying, "As I looked around at the congregation a bit, trying to find a familiar face, I was very surprised to see that many young people were just looking as though they were wanting to be entertained, carrying on conversations with each other, while the message was being preached"
With a distressed look, I shook my head in agreement, and asked him to continue. He said, "I only knew one song, but when I used to attend, we sang songs about the Blood Of Jesus, the Old Rugged Cross, the Holy Spirit, Baptism in Jesus Name and about Heaven. I mean they were nice enough, and I suppose I’ll get use to the new stuff, but I sure do miss the old."
“I noticed too, there was no testimony or witness in during service today. You do still have witness and testimonies don’t you?” As I dropped my head, shaking my head no. He added,
"I really did miss not hearing the testimonies and witnesses."
I sadly agreed with him, explaining most people just don't want to stand up before the congregation and share anymore, I've tried.
He continued, “I was really happy to hear the prayer before the service started today, just like it used to be. I like that!”
He took a deep breath, sighed and continued, " I also noticed the facial hair on some of the men in the church today,
I have to say; I never saw that when I was younger. But then, not many of the guys dressed up for church today.
Pastor, where do they have to go that’s more important than God’s House? Don’t people dress up for God anymore?"
Rather than responding, I encouraged him to continue.
"Pastor, I know I am just an old man. But, I was really caught off guard today when I looked at some of the
lady folks. Many of the younger women and girls here evidently aren’t very
careful about how they dress in public. The clothes the ladies wore today were much tighter and much shorter than they used to be here in this church. Pastor, why would they do that? Doesn't any one today care about modesty? In the old days, saints used to feel convicted by stuff like that." He continued...
"Back in the day, Moms and Dads wouldn’t have even let their kids leave home looking like that! They wouldn’t have even allowed them to buy those clothes in the first place.
I gotta say, many of 'em today don’t look like saints. And some of the boys’ hair styles looked like they just got out of bed, like they didn’t even bother to comb their hair for church this morning."
He paused for a moment then added, “I guess I am sounding like a tattler, and I sure don’t mean to be. I know that things in this world have changed and in church too, since I was here last, but not all the old ways were bad, were they?
I guess what surprised me the most, was what the kids had in their hands during the church service are
some kind of telephones they can carry in their pockets now.The ones by me seem to be really fascinated with them and giggling part of the service.
I noticed some of them showing each other pictures or something and laughing. They just played with their phones. I just wonder why their parents didn’t even try to stop them.”
Now, the older gentleman lowered his head as if he was trying to sort out all the changes he had observed. After a long pause in the conversation, he finally lifted his head and with a warm smile on his face and a gentle sound in his voice, he said, “Pastor?”
"Yes?" I replied.
“Pastor, I am an old man and I really don’t like change much. But, I am so surprised and even shocked, by some changes I have seen in church today. I know in one's lifetime, things change. I know too that some changes are for the good and there is nothing bad about them, but some of these changes scare me to death."
I explained to him, that some of the changes, I've seen, especially in recent years, I didn't like either. That many times, I feel like I'm wasting my time, trying to preach God's Word, to people who come to church, continue to live in ways, not pleasing to God, and seem not to even need Him, unless their in some sort of trouble. But then God reminds me of the one and ninety- nine, in Matthew 18:12–14 and in Luke 15:3-7 and He assures me, that if even one hears, if His message reaches them, I've successfully done what He has asked me to do.
He smiled, nodding his head up and down, then said, "This is still my church and I'm glad you're my Pastor."
Now listen to his next statement: “Regardless of what generation we're from, we are THE Church. God's Church. And we should
ACT like God’s Church and we should LOOK like God’s Church.”
I agreed, and told him, “Some of these changes I don’t like either, But often changes are made gradually, and over time, people, including the Church, get used to them. I continue to work to change some of what has changed in our churches, and I am really grateful to have a few people in the church standing behind me. I thank God for every one of them. And pray for the rest.
I then invited him to pray with me, as I read a verse from Scripture:
" if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually."
We sat for a moment longer, and prayed for God to bless the church. Opening the ears of those hearing His message each time we gather.
In closing....
There are very little holy convictions;
There is very little Holy Spirit praying.
There is very little that goes on in many churches that even pertain to God or His Word.
Obedience is not in the hearts of many today.
Today's church has become another place to be entertained..
And THAT'S NOT what the church was built by Christ for!
I could go on and on about this New Pentecost and how we have tried to use the world and the things of the world to bring the Kingdom of God to the earth and it hasn’t ever worked and it never will!
Beloved, that's my goal as your Pastor, and I understand that change is often difficult, especially when they are not so gradual. But I am determined, to do what Our Father has called me to do, share His Word and with His help and continued blessing, tightly grasp the helm and turn this ship around, in the process, set us all back on course to our final destination...
I hope you all know it is only because I love you and care where you're ending up. We're all in this together but I'm going to need everyone's help. I want us all to end up together, stronger, better prepared for the day when Christ returns for His church!
We must realize, that our worship is a privilege, not a burden.
Neat apparel and shiny shoes won't get people into the kingdom of God. But, if the package is unkempt or inappropriate, people may not bother to examine its contents.
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
Brian Monzon Ministries