#118 The State of the Church 2014

Synopsis: Program #118 – “The State of the Church 2014”

In conjunction with the President’s State of the Union Address, I give my annual State of the Church Address because in the eyes of the Lord, the Church is truly the most important institution on earth. In this year’s address, I remind the church of the sobering truth that “judgment must begin with the household of God” (1 Peter 4:17). We often forget that God plans to judge the church before He judges the world; for it is the purging and purifying of the church that is His top priority. The world in its rebellion is merely God’s tool to humble, teach and refine His people.

After listing some problems in American Evangelicalism – worldliness, false teaching, greed – I explain how the church will be purged through suffering. God’s goal is not our comfort, but our holiness. Our life on earth is not to be paradise but a remedial process. I conclude with two truths: (1) God’s people are not ready to rule, and (2) What is seen as the church’s decline and setback is actually the church’s growth and advancement.

Scriptures Referenced: Isaiah 9:7; Daniel 2:44; Psalm 9:19-20; 1 Peter 4:17-18; Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 4:20-22; Revelation 2:16, 20-23; 1 Timothy 6:5; Hebrews 12:7; John 15:2; Philippians 3:10; Hebrews 2:10; 1 Peter 4:1; Philippians 1:29; 1 Peter 4:6; Isaiah 10:12; Revelation 6:9-11; Matthew 16:18; Colossians 1:5-6