Lamentations 2:14 7/30/2019*

“The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin.”

Are the sermons at your church always “I’m OK, you’re OK”?  Are you constantly told that it’s not your fault and there is always someone else to blame?

That may feel nice, but it’s not true….

Some of your problems are completely your fault and require action from you.

On your own merit, you are not OK, and neither am I. We both struggle with sin at times, and if you don’t believe that I can name one of your sins right now.

You need to be part of a community that not only encourages you but lovingly challenges you.  One that will expose sin before it destroys you. You must not only be open to being challenged, but willing to gently challenge others as well.

You say "I don’t want to make my friend uncomfortable"…but If I claim to love you and refuse to point out something that can annihilate you …then my love is questionable.

God says a prophet that doesn’t point out sin is “false and worthless”.

Unfortunately, there are churches all over the world that fall into this category.  They have morphed into self-help organizations that hold pep rallies once a week to build up the congregation’s self-image. But they routinely ignore sin and God calls that false and worthless.

Should we leave church with a bloody nose every Sunday? .... of course not.  But if you have never been irritated by something the pastor says only to go to the bible and discover it is the Truth…then you are listening to a cheerleader not a prophet.

When you choose a church, the music matters, the activities matter, the children’s program is important…but if the pastor doesn’t point out your sin, and no one is watching your walk… then you are being lulled into a comfortable lie.

Find a group of believers that loves you enough to risk hurting your feelings.

Remorse and repentance are part of growth…make sure your pastor accurately handles the word and you have people willing to lovingly pull you back onto the path when you wander off.

“When it comes to privacy and accountability, people always demand the former for themselves and the latter for everyone else.”
― David Brin