Why Today's Churches Are So Horrible

Acts 4:13, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”

I think the greatest thing lacking in pastors today is a genuine close walk with God. When the Jewish rulers saw the BOLDNESS of Peter and John to speak THE TRUTH, they knew that these men had been with Jesus. The reason why so many pastors today are indifferent, weak, Caspar Milquetoast, and unwilling to take the time to respond to people's emails and love people where they are is only because they have not been with Jesus. They aren't walking with God.

I receive many emails from people who tell me that I am the only preacher who takes the time to help them. In some cases they make strange statements, speaking of seeing demons or having hallucinations. Many pastor's assume that such people are crazy and ignore them. I always give people the benefit of the doubt, unless I see open contempt and mockery. Many people are messed up in their thinking from Hollywood and the ungodly world, so they don't know any other way to communicate. So I always give them the benefit of the doubt that they just need someone to love and care about them. I know that is what Jesus would do.

Pastor Jack Hyles said that the greatest advice he could give any preacher is to "Walk With God!" ... 

How To Walk With God (by Pastor Jack Hyles)

Galatians 5:22-25 lists the "fruit" of the Holy Spirit. Most pastors walk in the flesh, not in the Spirit. For if they walked in the indwelling Holy Spirit, they would have love, patience, faith, meekness, peace, longsuffering, goodness, temperance, joy, gentleness and concern for every individual human being. Pastor R. A. Torrey (1856-1928) rightly said: 

“We are too busy to pray, and so we are too busy to have power. We have a great deal of activity, but we accomplish little; many services but few conversions; much machinery but few results.” —Pastor R. A. Torrey

There is an astounding true story in Mark 5:1-15. A man had been possessed of devils. No one knew how to help him. The only solution that the local townspeople could come up with was to bind him with ropes and chains. But when Jesus met the man, the Savior healed him, casting out the devil. Mark 5:15, “And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.” Isn't that something? At first the townspeople tried to bind him when he was crazy, but now that he is sitting still in his right mind, they are afraid of him! This is so typical of human nature, to solve every answer with either locking people up, or shunning them in fear.

Fear is part of our human nature. But the Bible says that Peter and John became bold because they had walked with God, that is, they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” When you spend quality time searching the Scriptures (John 5:39), praying about everything (Philippians 4:6), walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25), bringing every thought into captivity unto obedience to Christ (2nd Corinthians 10:5-6), walking humbly with your God (Micah 6:8), it is inevitable that you will be influenced by Him.

We live in a perverse American culture today, where society cannot even figure out what gender people are anymore. Demonic influences are everywhere! People all over the country are hurting and they need to know that God loves them. Society's answer for everything is to either incarcerate, indoctrinate or drug people, when what they really need is Jesus Christ. The crazy man in Mark 5 was made whole when He met the blessed Savior. People need to hear the Gospel preached unto them (Mark 16:15).

The Charismatic Movement has been lying to people for several decades, falsely teaching them that the sign of being filled with the Holy Spirit is to Speak In Tongues. Nothing could be further from the truth of God's Word. Dr. John R. Rice (1895-1980) used to wisely teach that the sign of being filled with the Spirit is a desire to win souls to Christ. The dearest thing to the great heart of God is soulwinning, evidenced by Luke 8:15, “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” The parable of the Sower and The Seeds in Luke 8:11-15 is not about salvation; but rather, spiritual maturity. The fourth group of seeds are those that fell upon good soil and matured to bring forth FRUIT. This is God's goal for every believer, to become a soulwinner. John 15:5, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

You can tell which churches are full of believers who walk with God, to the same extent that the church is a soulwinning church! Of course, this mainly depends upon the pastor. The local church was never intended by God to be a place where you go to worship. Not one verse in the Bible teaches that we ought to attend church to worship God. In truth, we should worship God seven days a week. We go to church to fellowship with other believers, a place to mature in Christ, a place to tithe, to find comfort and encouragement, and to do the work of soulwinning. America needs more soulwinning pastors who walk with God.

“If there's one thing I want you to have, I want you to know God!” —Dr. Jack Hyles, a quote from the MP3 sermon, “How To Walk With God.”

The truth is that a pastor can go to work everyday and go through the external motions of being a pastor, and yet never walk with God at all. Some pastors are not even born-again! Pastor Jack Hyles preached a wonderful sermon called: “The Spirit's Abiding.” All is in vain unless the Holy Spirit comes down! Walk with God dear friend. Whether you be in the clergy or a layman in a local church, walk with God! You mothers laboring at home, walk with God. Every child ought to walk with God! Every dog and cat should...oops! Seriously, we should all spend time walking with our great God and Savior.

The reason why our churches are so horrible today is because professed Christians don't walk with God. How do you walk with God? Dear friend, God is no different than getting to know anyone else in your life. What do you do when you admire a celebrity? Why, you go buy every book, magazine, CD, poster and form of media you can find to know everything you can about your idol. When we search the Scriptures we are learning all about Jesus. John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” If you want to walk with God, then you need to get to know Jesus, and the only way you'll ever get to know Him is to abide in the inspired Word of God. I encourage you to listen to Pastor Hyles' sermon: “How To Walk With God.”