— Critical issues concerning the Church —

Dear Believer,

The Church of the Displaced (COD) is an emergent part of churchdom unfamiliar to most.  It represents a present day dispersion of God’s people growing at a rate second only to the Apostate Church.  It grows with each pulpit compromise, loveless act and “weakly” Sunday service.  A winnowing appears to be under way; a separating of the true from the false.

Having observed this growing schism since 1976, we herein attempt to introduce the COD and outline the issues.  To set the stage we recap a recent, personal church visit, representative of COD’s most widespread complaint; another watered down, powerless and unsatisfying assembling of those called “Christians.”  It’s typical of countless Sunday gatherings from which many true believers exit for their final time.

CODfish* Denomination?

*Church Of the Disaffected

Some 3 million seasoned believers join it each year.¹

(Part 1 of 4)

"... if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.  But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." — Acts 38b-39

When the church we’d been visiting said they were going to put on a God-and-country extravaganza on July 4th, we decided to instead visit another which might be serving up “sheep food.”  Selecting one noted for excellence in expositional teaching, we arrived at 7:20, and that being the early service on a holiday, the sanctuary was barely half filled; not surprising.

While waiting for things to begin, I reflected on the facilities, from the exterior to the sanctuary’s decor.  It was clean, contemporary and in good repair.  In fact, except for a stylized bird icon on the far wall, the premises were nondescript and could have passed for the headquarters of a fast-food franchiser.  Included was a cafe, gazebo and a book/gift shop.

The popping of microphones soon signaled the program’s start and on cue, we stood in unison as the young man standing between two “worship leaders” welcomed us, noting that the Senior Pastor was on vacation.  He then turned the platform over to the 2, plus 3 equally young persons manning an electric guitar, bass, a cadre of drums and a set of cymbals.  In sync with their opening downbeat, two computer-lit screens switched from displaying “commercials” to flashing the lyrics of a series of squishy and unfamiliar, “I-my-me” type choruses.  Only on occasion could the worship leaders be heard above the zealous twanging and banging and lead guitar vocalist.  My impaired hearing made it hard to track, affording time to glance around.  Surprisingly, I discovered I was in the majority.  Practically NOBODY was (visibly) worshipping!  (Though the right foot of the lady to my left was keeping time with the thumping and a man several rows towards two o’clock was lip-syncing.) Some were reading the well designed bulletin or their Bibles, while others appeared to be spectators — sipping coffee or nursing water bottles.  Platform activity seemed almost irrelevant to most.  How strange!  I was beginning to feel cheated out of an anticipated, family worship time.

Mercifully, after half an hour, the pastor’s lieutenant reappeared and the others desisted.  Smiling, he said we would continue “worshiping” by giving, and on cue, ushers circulated collection baskets.  He then instructed us to “take a moment” to fellowship (actually, almost a full minute).  It was his next proclamation that induced shudders: “I have lots of announcements” — after which he essentially read the bulletin.  Ten minutes later the Bible was finally cracked and he DID do a good job teaching around his text.  He then perfunctorily dismissed us as the next group was arriving.  While moseying back to our van, I reflected on how often we have left such services disappointed.  Diane later concurred but as usual, tried to put the best face on it.  Oh well.

I recall the ominous warning dropped into my spirit in 1993: the church could wake up too late someday, to discover it’s missed it — BIG time.  The Spirit later revealed that, figuratively, we believers were sent to the store for a loaf of bread and a pound of butter but instead, invested in a sub-division enroute.  Specifically, we’ve been commissioned to "make disciples" (MT 28:19) and Shepherds are charged with "equipping" them for ministry (Eph 4:11-13).  We have NOT been called to create, fund and foster all the facilities, fluff, falderal and phoniness now passing as “church.” 

You who’ve been with us for awhile know we love the church (the biblical version).  If you’re new, please accept that I’m NOT speaking out against the Church.  However, I AM saying, in the strongest Spirit-permitted words, that the church is in danger because of monumental generational deception.  So much so, many local congregations have all but forgotten “bread and butter” in their lusting after leeks and melons.  Lolling in the filth of Babylon, we sanctimoniously believe we’re all the elect and about our Father’s will.  Yet, even conservative church segments, while railing at liberals, largely ignore the plight of widows, the homeless and unsaved in our preoccupation with mega-church growth and an edifice complex.  The most telling evidence of our plunge into blinding deception is the widely held belief that all who’ve recited Romans 10:9,10 are destined to spend eternity in heaven.  Really?!

Why “danger”?  According to polls, moral standards, thinking and conduct in churchdom are indistinguishable from those of the world.  If you took an average pagan of 1954 and replaced his be-bop jargon with Christianese, he would fit unnoticed in today’s “church.”  Hear me!  I’m not just letting off steam because of a disappointment.  I’m sounding a warning trumpet to the true church and before finishing, a note of hope to all who groan, travail and maybe even despair over it.

Why danger?  Because churchdom’s methodology is often Babylonian.  Just as our nation’s coins shamelessly proclaim, “In God we trust” — we SAY we trust in God, but shamefully trust in self and the world’s ways.  Godless trusting often stains our actions toward finances, facilities and to families.  Largely ignoring the Lord’s bread and butter mandate, we surf the trinkets, treasures and trash of the world, downloading them into the blood-bought Church of Christ ... thinking and values appealing to world-bound hearts and minds.

I wish I could be as bold as Jesus!  “Vipers!”, He would shout as He overturned our church-sponsored tourist schedules to the Holy Land and gluttonous Caribbean cruises.  “I know ye not!”, He would declare while squelching our after-service calorie clutch or current building project — both designed to provide more “southern comfort” to the only uncontested expansion of our pew-bound and self-indulgent lives.  I do fear God might spew us out; that we might become unholy vomit for not addressing the “bread and butter” issues of our call (Rev 3:16).  After being cleansed of filth by the blood of the Lamb, we’ve draped ourselves in Christian garb and plunged headlong back into the cesspool of things repugnant to God.  Worse yet, we cloak some of it in religiosity and advertise the insipid yuk as “church.”  It’s foolhardy to think we can get away with this!  Jesus cries out: "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear" — Mk 4:9b. "Come out ... and be separate!" calls our God — 2Cor 6:17.  Woe to us!

“COD” ... the answer?

As a result of the church having lost its way enroute to the work site, nearly 3 million¹ seasoned believers are opting out of organized religion every year.  Mind you — not leaving the faith, just pseudo Christianity as modeled by churchdom.  These are relatively mature believers who, in the main, are earnest, sober-minded, prayerful, biblically literate and often gifted.  They also have a keen desire to be properly fit into the church family.  The fact that many are movers and shakers, prompts the question: is God doing a new thing?  Is a more obedient and conservative branch now under construction?  The dispersion of the displaced 100 years ago birthed the Pentecostal movement.  Could it be?  H-mm.

God willing, we’ll continue this next month; meanwhile, we invite your prayers and input.  We also exhort you to "... look up and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws nigh" (Lk 21:28).  We must keep our eyes on Him and our knees on the carpet as "... we press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Php 3:14).  Be vigilant; there are potholes in, and bandits lurking near the very narrow walk of faith (1Pet 5:8).

1. Exit Interviews, by William Hendricks

— Articles in this series —

• Rabble and the Redeemed — Are "rabble" among the redeemed leading the Church astray? (Part 2 of 4)
• CODfish Wilderness — Be encouraged, it’s a time & place of preparation. (Part 3 of 4)
• CODfish Update — Church Of the Displaced. (Part 4 of 4)

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