HAVE MODERN CHURCHES BECOME A DEN OF THIEVES: Robbing God's Glory
By way of my missionary travels, I have been in, or in contact with, probably more than a thousand churches in the last twenty-five years. These churches have been in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, Chile, Cuba, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Spain, Canada, and, of course, the United States of America. It has been my privilege, in the providence of God, to meet some of the most godly men and spiritual churches upon the face of the earth. My personal life, my family, and the ministry to which the Lord has called me, have been greatly enriched by these experiences.
However, in my travels and ministry, I have been awakened to a number of churches, ministries, and pastors, who instead of being the salt and light of the earth, are more like a "den of thieves" as Jesus coined the term. Jesus referred to these evil men as He made His way into Jerusalem and the temple in the final days of His life. Upon seeing those who bought and sold and misused the temple as a way to obtain personal gain, He zealously overthrew their tables and chairs. He drove them out, declaring, "It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves."
I have often wondered if Jesus were to come to modern day churches, what would be His reaction? Would He see modern day churches, like those of the first century, praying, beseeching, fasting, and interceding? Would He find them ever conforming to and obeying the commands and purposes of our Lord Jesus Christ? Or would He find them to be a den of thieves? I believe there are modern day churches that are a den of thieves. They have altered the purpose for the house of God. They have modified the original intent of the church of God. Whether in ignorance or willful intent, they have robbed God.
As I write this, I hear the murmuring criticism of some, like in the days of Malachi, who question: "Wherein have we robbed Thee?" What have we stolen from Thee? Wherein have we defrauded Thee? These questions strike deeply at the spiritual ignorance and rebellion of our day. We are ignorant of our sins, because we are ignorant of God and His Word! We are ignorant of our imperfections, because we are ignorant of His perfections! May God grant us grace to recognize how we as modern day churches have robbed God and become a den of thieves.
We have robbed God and become a den of thieves because we have stolen His glory. All glory, without exception, belongs to God. "Unto HIM be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages" (Ephesians 3:21). "For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen" (Romans 11:36). "Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created" (Revelation 4:11).
God does not share His glory with anybody or anything. "I am the Lord: that is my name, and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images" (Isaiah 42:8). "...I will not give my glory unto another" (Isaiah 48:11). God is eternally zealous concerning His own glory. He will not permit another to receive the glory that only belongs to Him. In fact, God curses those who will not glorify Him solely and exclusively. "If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings, yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart" (Malachi 2:2).
How rare to find a modern church that breathes, exists, and pants after the glory of God. A church that prays for God's glory. A church that longs to see God exalted and Christ magnified. A church that denies itself personal comfort and ease so that God will be glorified. We have stolen God's glory by time watching during the sermons, and by our many personal demands and exigencies. We have turned our churches into man-centered and man-praising institutions. We are quick to give the praise and honor to a man rather than to God. We pat ourselves on the back as if we have done it, not recognizing the font from Whom all blessings flow. Yes, sadly we have robbed God of His glory.
We have sung the praises of men so long, that we do even remember how to properly from the heart praise God and give Him all the glory. We have lauded men with honorary doctorates and so many different worldly-esteemed titles, that we fail to recognize that without God, we can do nothing. We have overlooked the reality that God has chosen the foolish things of this world, the weak things, the base things, the despised things, and the things that are not, to destroy the wisdom of this world, to remove all vain glory and boasting, and to promote the glory of God. We glory in our pastors, in our programs, and in our ministerial success to the point that God is just an afterthought. We sing, "To God Be The Glory," but we in turn give all the verbal praise and recognition to men. We have forgotten the apostolic admonition, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (1Corinthians 10:31).
Man's ego is always in competition with the glory of God. Spiritual politics, ladder climbing, and religious hierarchy is always a disastrous threat to the glory of God. Where men are considered of utmost importance and value, where men are placed upon pedestals, where there is spiritual jockeying for position, fame, or opportunity, you can be sure that God's glory has been trampled upon and, almost, totally forgotten. These are abominable practices of our modern churches that rob God of His eternal glory. It has well been said that success has ruined more in the ministry than hardship and difficulty. Why? Because men have tried to take credit for what has been done. God will not share His glory with anyone, not even a big-named, famous, and successful preacher or church!
Many of our strong, local church, Historic Baptist men, have stooped so low as to glory in the church rather than in the church's Lord. We have gloried in her unbroken perpetuity without giving praise to Him who preserves her in utmost faithfulness through every storm and trial from Palestine to the present. We have caused men to admire the church and her virtues instead of her Head and Saviour from whom she obtains her reflected beauty. What is the church apart from Christ? What beauty does she have apart from Christ? What perpetuity does she have apart from Christ? What lasting impact upon our world does she have apart from Christ? What privileges does she have apart from Christ? What eternal glory as the bride does she distinctly possess apart from Christ? The church is nothing, absolutely nothing, an eternal nothing without the particular, redeeming, and sanctifying love and purpose of her Lord and Saviour! We must not glory in that which He created, even if it is created with great honor, but we must glory in Christ alone. He alone is all in all. We are complete in Him. We are saved and redeemed by Him.
In following, I hope to suggest some Biblical counsels, I trust, based on the Scriptures alone, for making a church a God-glorifying institution:
1. Make all aspects of the church Christ-centered, Christ-preeminent, Christ-focused, and Christ-exalting. Eliminate anything that draws attention away from Christ, from His character, His will, His work, His Word, His glory, His honor, and His praise. The church was never founded so that we might admire and glory in the apostles or other godly men. The church was founded so that in ALL things Christ might have the preeminence. The church was not founded to honor heroes, military men, missionaries, pastors, or any other human beings. The church was not founded to honor the state, state officials, or local authorities. The church was founded to honor and glorify Christ alone. Who has the right to introduce into church worship of the Lord Jesus Christ a practice that was not started by Christ in His earthly ministry?
2. Develop the church with a complete equality amongst men and women, rich and poor, master and slaves, and educated and ignorant. The church must truly not have any respect of persons. All men must be seen and accepted as equals. Christ is the only Head and Legislator. While men honor, esteem and promote one another, Christ will never have His rightful place. Only as men humbly submit one to another as equal brethren, will there be the capacity for Christ alone to be glorified and have the preeminence.
3. Establish the church so that it is identified with Christ alone and not with some human personality. By that, I mean, a church should not be known by a "Diotrephes" (3John 1:9), by a "Jezebel" (Revelation 2:20), or by some other famous singer, preacher, or other important public personality. The church should never be recognized as the church of the Apostle John, or the Apostle Paul, or of Dr. Hot Stuff. The church should publicly and privately be identified with Christ.
4. Make the church so that she is recognized as having only one Head and Legislator. To say this is a convention church, an associational church, or a certain fellowship church is to rob God of His glory and His headship and authority over His own church. The church must be recognized as having only one Head in all things.
5. Make the church so that there is no competition in titles, responsibilities, or in spiritual gifts. God has sovereignly granted to each member his spiritual capacity and participation in the body. There should be a zealous effort made to make each member recognize this fact so as to avoid all jealousy and envy. As Paul stated, "I am what I am by the grace of God." Each member participates in the church body life as God has sovereignly gifted him. Each member should be wholly thankful for His own gifts and ministry, and equally thankful for the spiritual gifts and ministry of others.
6. Teach the church constantly that the supreme motive in all things is the glory of God. The glory of God is more important than mens' reputations, pastoral careers, numerical growth, and the applause and accolades of men. The church body must be taught the first point of the Baptist Catechism: "What is the chief end of man? The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."
May this article cause us to reevaluate our church life, bring repentance to where there is sinful deviation from God's will, and instill in our hearts a renewed love and appreciation for the great and eternal glory of God who alone is worthy of all honor and praise. To Him alone be all the glory now and forevermore. AMEN!
However, in my travels and ministry, I have been awakened to a number of churches, ministries, and pastors, who instead of being the salt and light of the earth, are more like a "den of thieves" as Jesus coined the term. Jesus referred to these evil men as He made His way into Jerusalem and the temple in the final days of His life. Upon seeing those who bought and sold and misused the temple as a way to obtain personal gain, He zealously overthrew their tables and chairs. He drove them out, declaring, "It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves."
I have often wondered if Jesus were to come to modern day churches, what would be His reaction? Would He see modern day churches, like those of the first century, praying, beseeching, fasting, and interceding? Would He find them ever conforming to and obeying the commands and purposes of our Lord Jesus Christ? Or would He find them to be a den of thieves? I believe there are modern day churches that are a den of thieves. They have altered the purpose for the house of God. They have modified the original intent of the church of God. Whether in ignorance or willful intent, they have robbed God.
As I write this, I hear the murmuring criticism of some, like in the days of Malachi, who question: "Wherein have we robbed Thee?" What have we stolen from Thee? Wherein have we defrauded Thee? These questions strike deeply at the spiritual ignorance and rebellion of our day. We are ignorant of our sins, because we are ignorant of God and His Word! We are ignorant of our imperfections, because we are ignorant of His perfections! May God grant us grace to recognize how we as modern day churches have robbed God and become a den of thieves.
We have robbed God and become a den of thieves because we have stolen His glory. All glory, without exception, belongs to God. "Unto HIM be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages" (Ephesians 3:21). "For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen" (Romans 11:36). "Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created" (Revelation 4:11).
God does not share His glory with anybody or anything. "I am the Lord: that is my name, and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images" (Isaiah 42:8). "...I will not give my glory unto another" (Isaiah 48:11). God is eternally zealous concerning His own glory. He will not permit another to receive the glory that only belongs to Him. In fact, God curses those who will not glorify Him solely and exclusively. "If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings, yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart" (Malachi 2:2).
How rare to find a modern church that breathes, exists, and pants after the glory of God. A church that prays for God's glory. A church that longs to see God exalted and Christ magnified. A church that denies itself personal comfort and ease so that God will be glorified. We have stolen God's glory by time watching during the sermons, and by our many personal demands and exigencies. We have turned our churches into man-centered and man-praising institutions. We are quick to give the praise and honor to a man rather than to God. We pat ourselves on the back as if we have done it, not recognizing the font from Whom all blessings flow. Yes, sadly we have robbed God of His glory.
We have sung the praises of men so long, that we do even remember how to properly from the heart praise God and give Him all the glory. We have lauded men with honorary doctorates and so many different worldly-esteemed titles, that we fail to recognize that without God, we can do nothing. We have overlooked the reality that God has chosen the foolish things of this world, the weak things, the base things, the despised things, and the things that are not, to destroy the wisdom of this world, to remove all vain glory and boasting, and to promote the glory of God. We glory in our pastors, in our programs, and in our ministerial success to the point that God is just an afterthought. We sing, "To God Be The Glory," but we in turn give all the verbal praise and recognition to men. We have forgotten the apostolic admonition, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (1Corinthians 10:31).
Man's ego is always in competition with the glory of God. Spiritual politics, ladder climbing, and religious hierarchy is always a disastrous threat to the glory of God. Where men are considered of utmost importance and value, where men are placed upon pedestals, where there is spiritual jockeying for position, fame, or opportunity, you can be sure that God's glory has been trampled upon and, almost, totally forgotten. These are abominable practices of our modern churches that rob God of His eternal glory. It has well been said that success has ruined more in the ministry than hardship and difficulty. Why? Because men have tried to take credit for what has been done. God will not share His glory with anyone, not even a big-named, famous, and successful preacher or church!
Many of our strong, local church, Historic Baptist men, have stooped so low as to glory in the church rather than in the church's Lord. We have gloried in her unbroken perpetuity without giving praise to Him who preserves her in utmost faithfulness through every storm and trial from Palestine to the present. We have caused men to admire the church and her virtues instead of her Head and Saviour from whom she obtains her reflected beauty. What is the church apart from Christ? What beauty does she have apart from Christ? What perpetuity does she have apart from Christ? What lasting impact upon our world does she have apart from Christ? What privileges does she have apart from Christ? What eternal glory as the bride does she distinctly possess apart from Christ? The church is nothing, absolutely nothing, an eternal nothing without the particular, redeeming, and sanctifying love and purpose of her Lord and Saviour! We must not glory in that which He created, even if it is created with great honor, but we must glory in Christ alone. He alone is all in all. We are complete in Him. We are saved and redeemed by Him.
In following, I hope to suggest some Biblical counsels, I trust, based on the Scriptures alone, for making a church a God-glorifying institution:
1. Make all aspects of the church Christ-centered, Christ-preeminent, Christ-focused, and Christ-exalting. Eliminate anything that draws attention away from Christ, from His character, His will, His work, His Word, His glory, His honor, and His praise. The church was never founded so that we might admire and glory in the apostles or other godly men. The church was founded so that in ALL things Christ might have the preeminence. The church was not founded to honor heroes, military men, missionaries, pastors, or any other human beings. The church was not founded to honor the state, state officials, or local authorities. The church was founded to honor and glorify Christ alone. Who has the right to introduce into church worship of the Lord Jesus Christ a practice that was not started by Christ in His earthly ministry?
2. Develop the church with a complete equality amongst men and women, rich and poor, master and slaves, and educated and ignorant. The church must truly not have any respect of persons. All men must be seen and accepted as equals. Christ is the only Head and Legislator. While men honor, esteem and promote one another, Christ will never have His rightful place. Only as men humbly submit one to another as equal brethren, will there be the capacity for Christ alone to be glorified and have the preeminence.
3. Establish the church so that it is identified with Christ alone and not with some human personality. By that, I mean, a church should not be known by a "Diotrephes" (3John 1:9), by a "Jezebel" (Revelation 2:20), or by some other famous singer, preacher, or other important public personality. The church should never be recognized as the church of the Apostle John, or the Apostle Paul, or of Dr. Hot Stuff. The church should publicly and privately be identified with Christ.
4. Make the church so that she is recognized as having only one Head and Legislator. To say this is a convention church, an associational church, or a certain fellowship church is to rob God of His glory and His headship and authority over His own church. The church must be recognized as having only one Head in all things.
5. Make the church so that there is no competition in titles, responsibilities, or in spiritual gifts. God has sovereignly granted to each member his spiritual capacity and participation in the body. There should be a zealous effort made to make each member recognize this fact so as to avoid all jealousy and envy. As Paul stated, "I am what I am by the grace of God." Each member participates in the church body life as God has sovereignly gifted him. Each member should be wholly thankful for His own gifts and ministry, and equally thankful for the spiritual gifts and ministry of others.
6. Teach the church constantly that the supreme motive in all things is the glory of God. The glory of God is more important than mens' reputations, pastoral careers, numerical growth, and the applause and accolades of men. The church body must be taught the first point of the Baptist Catechism: "What is the chief end of man? The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."
May this article cause us to reevaluate our church life, bring repentance to where there is sinful deviation from God's will, and instill in our hearts a renewed love and appreciation for the great and eternal glory of God who alone is worthy of all honor and praise. To Him alone be all the glory now and forevermore. AMEN!
This is a graciously written, much needed article, succinct and true. Who can doubt the invasion of human aggrandizement, entertainment, religious politicking and influencing occurring within the Lord's churches? Need not we to judge ourselves that we be not judged, condemned, and chastised by the Lord? Can we not see ourselves as others see us, as the Lord sees us? May this article be greatly used of the Lord to foster spiritual conditions of much needed repentance and revival within our churches.
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