Luke 9:49-50

A true Christian church is empowered by the love of Christ, and that love is extended towards others. When it’s all about appearance, a church becomes ugly with its doctrine of convenience, and watered-down message. If Christians make up what a church is, we need to ask ourselves what kind of church we’re creating.

And so it’s been abused and then you think of the word unity. Oh, we must unite, huh?
Have you heard that we must unite? What does that mean? Unite?
Listen, I’m gonna give you a truth and like some truth.
We don’t like it because it stings unity, especially in spirituality, especially in, in church and church unity.
Unity is not the most important thing. It is not the priority.
Truth is the priority. Truth is the number one thing.
And if you, for example, and here’s the beauty of what we’re talking about.
Jesus in our day could have easily said, hey, John Jack Peter Mike.
Look to the truth, the essentials of my word and do those who are ministering.
Adhere to that. Yes, then unite.
But my friends and I know you’re going to get this tape, go do it and you’re going to go give it to the guy that, that you want to hear this go do it.
I just said it nationally back in Washington DC and the mail hasn’t come in yet, but I’m sure it will.
Here it is unity on the essentials.
When I pray, when you pray you are praying to the father in the name of Jesus Christ says the Bible, huh?
That’s what the Bible. Jesus said.
That’s how you prayed when you go to pray and you’re asked to pray and there’s a Buddhist, there’s a Hindu, there’s a Muslim and you’re asked to pray and you have a prayer meeting with them.
Let’s be honest, let’s be true to their doctrine and to our doctrine.
Listen, you have erected in that interfaith prayer meeting.
You have erected a bunch of altars to different gods. Did you know that?
Oh, but pastor shame on you. You should unite with people, unite with people. For what reason?
Just to unite, hug, be sweet. You know. No. What is the truth? OK.
Listen, this may be over extreme but it’s in California.
A five oh one C three that is a nonprofit organization called a church. It’s called a church.
It’s a church, the guy ordain.
They, they have all the thing they can marry and bury and they can do all the stuff they do.
The church of Satan in San Francisco. They read the Tibetan book of the Dead.
They read Anton Lavey, uh Satanic Bible. You do you want to unite with them?
Well, if we all hug one another, maybe we’ll all get along. That’s impossible.
Truth is the priority. Never, never sacrifice, truth on the altar of unity.
If we agree, didn’t, Jesus say my sheep hear my voice and they, what follow me, that’s the standard basis of unity.
And then listen to this, what makes the church bad when the soul is unchanged, when that church is, is unchanged on the inside that the, the, the, the people aren’t changed by the power of God’s word because it’s not there.
You look into the eyes and there’s nothing there of that church.
There’s no holy living like we learned about in the church that’s alive.
There’s no praying, there’s no need to pray. You just, you don’t pray.
There’s no prayer meetings, there’s self help courses, instead of prayer meetings.
And there’s no reason to witness that makes people uncomfortable. Why?
Witness there’s churches and the name, it has a name, church and they do this or they implement these things.
Do you know that the Bible teaches that as you and I get closer into these end times in which we live, the real church.
The Bible says we’ll be hated and mocked and made fun of attack.
Did you know that if you love the word of God?
And if you love Jesus and if you’re active in your faith, you’re gonna be labeled as a, a wacko.
You’re one of those people who believe in God and that there’s only one way to heaven, Jesus.
Yes, that’s exactly what the Bible says.
What makes the church bad is when the spirit, the Holy Spirit is absent. This is a serious thing.
Why when you listen to its heart it doesn’t have one, it doesn’t have a heart.
How, how do we know? That’s a strong thing to say. Hey, listen, the Bible warns about these things.
Number one, it’s doctrine, it’s, it’s doctrine becomes public opinion. What’s, what’s, what’s the, what’s public opinion? That’s its doctrine.
And then also this, it focuses on things that are, listen, it prioritizes things I should say that are social issues.
I’m all for social issues, but not as the priority again, God’s word in our relationship with the Lord is our priority.
Should we not go out and feed the homeless?
Of course, listen, do we feed the homeless and then turn to God and say, look, I fed the homeless now, save me.
Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Because we do know the Lord and love him.
We go out and feed the homeless. Big difference to God. Be the glory, great things he has done.
Hm. Well, its doctrine, a bad church is public opinion.
What’s that gonna sound like if the papers get a hold of it, that’s their fear.
It’s worship has been replaced by entertainment. People come in, they file in.
There’s this ban plane or there’s this thing, this production deal.
I know that in America there are churches who have quote worship leaders and they’re not Christians on staff paid to do what they do and they’re not even Christians.
I don’t know about you, but that is an offense.
I’d rather have somebody get up here and whack spoons together who’s filled with the spirit of God than, you know, led Zeppelin, lead us in worship or something.
I don’t know. That’s how old I am.
I don’t know what bands but Jack, I mean, they’re really, you know, they’re really good, good at what?
And even if they’re really nice people, do they know the Lord?
How can you lead people in worship when you don’t even know the God you’re singing to, hey, we lift our hands to whoever you want.
Holy, holy, holy is your name. We just don’t know what it is.
No, no. Watch out.
I know I can feel I’m making enemies in this message, but I gotta keep going. This is truth.
It’s power is in its appearance, its power is in its appearance.
This is a dangerous age we live in because it can be gigantic and beautiful and spectacular by the way, just because it’s gigantic, beautiful and spectacular doesn’t mean it’s bad.
I’m just saying it could be an appearance spectacular, but it could be a bad church. How do you know?
Well, listen to what Jesus said to the church at Leo de Jesus said this because you say that you’re rich and you’re wealthy and you have need of nothing.
Do you not know that you’re wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. Jesus said that in revelation 3 17 yikes.
Can you imagine if he said, Jack? Come here? I want to talk to you. Yes, sir.
Do you not know that the church that you’ve led is so weak that it’s blind, miserable, pathetic, naked.
Would you not, would you not die? I would just wither that break your heart.
Jesus warns very, very sad and tragic.
Third final point, the good, the bad and the ugly what makes a church ugly and maybe an ugly church is the most dangerous church of all Because this kind of a church has a little bit of its beginnings with John.
When John looked at that man, he said, we forbade him, we shut that guy down Jesus because why?
Because he was not among us or not with us.
He was not in our click because an ugly church can go about and deceive terribly.
What makes for an ugly church is this is that it’s critical.
When you take its pulse, it’s not dead, but it’s not exactly alive either.
When you take its pulse, it’s faint.
It has some sort of a leftover ember of being a dynamic, healthy, lively church in love with God.
It’s dying. How does it die?
It’s critical in that it’s dying because it’s become now more in love with success than Jesus or anything else.
It’s what it looks like. It’s what it appears to be.
It’s focused on being so impressed with itself. When you hear people say things like this.
Well, I go to fill in the blank that is listen to that individual which will spread.
If the whole church thinks that way to an ugly church. I go to the church of X Y Z.
And what does that matter?
There are local churches all around the world. God made it that way.
Why? Because everyone cannot go to one church. Have you ever gone out on a Friday night?
Is not Burger King packed. What about Carl’s Junior? Isn’t subway packed?
Aren’t the restaurants packed packed all of them? Why?
Because people eat at the places of their choosing as they’re led in the spiritual sense.
God sends people to churches where he wants them to be for a reason. Everyone cannot be in one.
No pastor can pastor one church of the world. That’s insane.
You’re listening to Real Life with Pastor Jack Hibbs.
You know, to hear more episodes and maybe catch up in the series. Just go to Jack Hibbs dot com.
That’s Jack Hibbs dot com. And for now let’s get back to our teaching.
Once again, here’s pastor Jack church. Listen, don’t be critical.
If you’re being critical, your pulse is waning and you’re, you’ll be in love with success and not, not only that, but your fellowship will be absolutely exclusive.
Lisa and I were told at our doorstep that we’re going to hell unless we drove to Los Angeles to a certain church which doesn’t allow for these carnal things.
You see these carnal things. These are evil, evil satanic guitar. Satan it stools.
And I said, wow. Really? Wow. We have drums too. You have drums.
Oh, you need to come to Los Angeles to Archer.
Why, why, why do we need to go? You need to be baptized? I said, I’ve been baptized.
You need to be baptized by our ministers. Really? Yes. Why?
You don’t have to go to L A to be baptized by your ministers. True. Listen to this.
Because we have holy water in our church. Yeah. Well, why didn’t you say so?
This is a real thing at my doorstep. That’s ugly, isn’t it? That’s scary.
Oh, man, I thought, when that guy said that, I thought about that and this vision came into my head of one of the baptisms last year.
We were baptizing people in the ocean. You know, if you were there, it was awesome.
I picked this one girl up, she came up out of the water and she had seaweed right across her face.
I didn’t mean to offend you if that offends you, but we can get around to being so exclusive and fellowship and then compassionate, compassionate.
Uh Yeah, we’ll be compassionate, this group of people, an ugly type of church.
We’ll be compassionate to either our own or to those who deserve it really.
That’s a critical church and it’s wrong.
Secondly, what makes the church ugly is that is when it’s sold, it’s proud, it’s a proud church when you look into its eyes, there’s something there.
But listen, it’s liberal and progressive in its standard of living. It’s not interested in holy living.
It’s liberal. They think that that’s the standard of maturity. Now, we now do this.
We allow this.
Uh the Bible was written 2000 years ago and that was good for them.
But we do this now in our liberal theology, we allow all these things in the name of God with a steeple and the cross on the top.
It’s dangerous. Liberal and proud.
It’s definition of prayer is think a happy thought or just be positive rather than falling on your face before God and crying out to him for help.
As you see, as we see in the Bible and witnessing, it’s not politically correct to witness.
And then with this, we end what makes a church ugly is when the spirit of God is neglected in an ugly church.
How’s that? Well, it’s doctrine is convenience.
Jesus said, by the way that the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit will use the Bible to lead us into all truth.
If you don’t have a Bible in your church, then you’re not gonna grow because the Holy Spirit does anything to use.
So the doctrine will be convenient, watered down easy, feels good.
It’s worship, it’s a production, it’s power is in its ability.
Jesus said, I know your works, revelation 3 15. And he said this to a church.
By the way, I know your works that you are neither cold nor hot.
I wish you were cold or hot.
But then because you are lukewarm, you’re neither cold or hot.
I in the New King James, it says I will vomit you out of my mouth.
I think in the old King James it is, I will spew you out of my mouth because you say I’m rich and I’m wealthy and I have need of nothing as a church.
And so we want to ask this question, what’s in this for me?
What am I to do with this information? Pastor Jack, this has been hard stuff.
Can we just tell a joke?
Yeah, I wanted, I wanted to tell a joke this whole time. This is serious stuff.
I understand that I just want you to consider these few things. You might want to write these down.
This is for your life. This is for my life. I already have it written down.
Consider this you and I make up what this church is.
You see, I’m only visiting.
Do you, are you a Christian or are you gonna go back home to a church?
You make up what that church is? You are the complexion of that church?
What kind of a church are we creating?
Are you an asset and a blessing to others? Only you?
And I know that answer number two. Do you participate in church life? Number four.
If everyone tit like I tithe what could the body do in the world.
If everybody tied like we tithe, what could the body do?
What could the church do in the earth number or five?
If everyone loved just like you and I loved, what would the church be like?
See, we’re making this church by who and what we are?
And if everyone prayed just like you and I prayed, what does it sound like for this church?
He said, well, what do I do? What do I do? My friend.
This is what the Lord laid on my heart. Maybe it blesses you.
Maybe I don’t know, pray to the Lord who invented the church in the first place. OK?
Ask him, ask him to make me make yourself biblical, to stay at it until my church grows and is better and healthier because I attend it and to continue to seek the creator of the church, Jesus Christ.
And what he wants me to do see you and I are prone to criticize everything.
I don’t like that church and they do this thing. That’s a funny thing. Why do they do that?
Stop it, change it. Pray seek the creator of the church.
That’s who we’re all trying to seek, isn’t it? And follow number two, establish a daily Bible reading discipline.
Like so many of you are through the Bible, God will speak to you and I through his word, the Bible seek him in the word of God.
Pray establish a daily bible reading number three.
Look for a need that you can fill in this church and do it in Jesus name. Pastor.
You know what? As I pulled up, I saw that. Fix it. Do God bless you. Go do it.
How come there’s no one greeting us on this side of the building.
God is asking you then to go do it, friend. God bless you and do it.
Well, how come the chairs are dirty or what? God bless you.
He just showed you we need chairs to be cleaned.
If God shows it to you, God’s probably calling you to be the one to do it.
Use your gift because as a believer, you have at least one spiritual gift and use it.
Make sure you’re using it, using it, try to wear it out, use it and then I end with this.
Be faithful through ups and downs and thick and thin. Don’t let anyone stop you from serving God.
Please don’t do that. As a Christian Lord. Here I am.
I’m gonna serve you and don’t let somebody come up and say you’re gonna, what I’m gonna serve the Lord.
You. Yes, I am. Well, what can you do? I don’t know but I’m gonna serve him.
Listen, God, thank God. Thank God.
He is an encourager because mankind man is often a discourage uh it’s tough.
Maybe today you’re gonna say, yes, I’m gonna, that’s right.
I, you know what time is too short, I’m gonna do this for God.
I’m gonna, I’m gonna make my life count and you gonna march out of here and you’re gonna go home and maybe your wife or husband will say, well, how is church?
It was great. I’m gonna be committed, man. I’m gonna make my life matter.
I’m not gonna be some kind of a bad or ugly believer. I’m gonna be real bumps and all.
What does God say? You can do it? Come on, God says, come on, you can do it.
Come on, come on, you can do it. Let’s go. He’s always picking us up. He’s awesome.
Let’s make sure that we are a church that’s alive.
Pastor and bible teacher Jack Hibbs here on real life radio with his message called the Good, the Bad and the ugly.
Thanks for being with us today.
You know, this message is part of Pastor Jack’s series called The Gospel of Luke.
It’s a series on the book of Luke and the unveiling of Jesus Christ to this world.
And we’ll continue on the next edition of Real Life radio.
Now, imagine what could happen to your spiritual life when you make devotions, a part of it.
Now, a special time with the Lord to both talk to him and listen to him is a great thing to read a verse from scripture.
Let God know what it means to you.
And pastor Jack understands the importance of devotions and it’s why he shares personal experiences in a devotion type setting at his website.
Simply go to Jack Hibbs dot com. Click on that tab that’s labeled devotions.
Once you’re there, you’ll find a brand new devotion each week.
You can also subscribe to his devotional list for daily reading.
And if you are blessed by pastor Jack’s devotions, which I’m gonna say you probably will be.
There’s a way for you to email him and let him know all about it. Tell him about it.
You can do it directly. It’s all right there at our website Jack Hibbs dot com.
That’s Jack Hibbs dot com. This program is made possible by the generous contributions of you.
Our listeners. Visit us at Jack Hibbs dot com. That’s Jack Hibbs dot com.
Until next time, Pastor Jack Hibbs and all of us here at Real Life Radio. Wish for you.
Solid and steady growth in Christ and in his word, we’ll see you next time here on Real Life Radio.