The Church is Lying when it says Peace, Peace without Repentance
Intro: Well morning friends and visitors. My name is Matt Johnson and for the next two weeks – we are going to think about A FEW PARALLELS that exist between Ezekiel and Revelation – especially related to false religion and the harlot church.
PRAYER: Well, in a few weeks time, its CHRISTMAS. And all over Sydney Christian Churches will be putting on their nice, beautiful carol services – while preaching PEACE on earth and good will to men. But is that right? Of course, peace on earth and good will to men is biblical. It comes from the KING JAMES VERSION of Luke 2:14. But as Christians we know that what Luke 2:14 – really means is peace on earth and good will to all men and women (WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS AND REPENT OF THEIR SINS). There is NO PEACE with God apart from faith in Jesus and repentance of sin. But is that clearly communicated to all the nominal Christmas and Easter crowd who come for a nice touchy, feely experience at Christmas? OR are we preaching a false gospel?
I find myself increasingly saddened by the GENTLY, GENTLY (let’s not offend anyone) approach that church leaders now take on every issue. They now speak with so much double talk and carefully clarifying everything they don’t mean – that you really can’t be sure what they do mean. We are now so gently, gently on everything – that you rarely hear a sermon calling people to repent of anything?
This past week I watched a popular Christian podcaster interview a couple of Sydney pastors about their plans for Christmas. They were both asked WHAT they would preach and HOW they would preach this year. Both of them – then proceeded to speak about the importance of understanding and exegeting the audience (and why they are coming to church at Christmas), more than they spoke about understanding and exegeting the Bible and why Jesus came to earth to save sinners.
Both of them kind of said that because people come to Christmas services expecting us to be politically correct – Christmas wasn’t really the best time to call people to faith and repentance. Instead, they’d simply 1) give people an excellent church experience AND 2) offer a Christianity Explored type course in the New Year – for those who want to find out more.
Now the host of the podcast – asked both ministers about their success rate in getting people to sign up for a Jesus course. Both of them then admitted their strike rate was not good at all. So the host then said – so you’re going to try the same softly softly approach this year – even though its not really working for you. They both kind of nodded. The podcast host then laughed and said:- you know what they say about people who do the same thing over and over again – expecting different results? (PAUSE) (For those who don’t know – its Einsteins whimsical definition of insanity?) But the response was crickets. The two pastors looked at him blankly, not knowing what to say…
The problem is there comes a point when gently, gently is not just insanity, it is unfaithfulness and it is a false gospel. If churches communicate peace, peace to this sinful, idolatrous world without faith in Jesus and repentance from sin, it is a false gospel…
Point 1: The Institutional Prophets preach Peace when there is no Peace
Show: Ezek.13:1-3, 10-11 (READ)
Explain: Well over the past few months I’ve shown you that Ezekiel 1-11 and Revelation 4-11 pretty much mirror each other in terms of concepts and ideas. In both books JUDGMENT is coming because of gross unrepentant sin. In both cases Ezekiel and Jesus are commissioned as watchman calling people to repent. Yet, in both contexts, Gods 2nd temple and Gods 3rd temple end up trampled by the Gentiles. So today I want to look at the corrupt religious leadership in Ezekiel AND how this is the origin of the harlot metaphor in Revelation. All the passages we read today in Ezekiel 13 & 14 are about religious leaders who are completely unfaithful to God. What do we call such people?
Well last week (as we were finishing Revelation 11) I introduced you to the concept of the spiritual harlot who rides the beast of Babylon. The harlot idea was introduced to us – in terms of THE GREAT CITY in which the two witnesses were killed and then denied proper burial. You think who could be so HEARTLESS and IRREVERANT as to deny two faithful Christian witnesses proper burial?
Then (to many peoples shock) I suggested THIS HARLOT is actually the institutional church. The harlot is made up of church leaders – who are no longer true to Gods covenant. The harlot is also regular church goers (who align themselves with these corrupt church leaders – denouncing and mocking Christians (like Fred Nile, Martyn Illes or Israel Folau) who take a stand for biblical truth. IN JESUS’ DAY the harlot was the Jewish Sanhedrin and priests who manipulated the Roman beast into killing Jesus who was a threat to their religious authority.
Now a similar thing is emerging in Ezekiel’s day. Look again at verse 3 (READ). Now remember a biblical prophet is meant to speak the words of God. But Ezekiel says – the institutional prophets of Israel are just talking rubbish and claiming it is from God. They are institutionally recognized prophets. But they are false prophets.
Now look at verses 10-11 (READ). Now first off we see they are WHITEWASHING something. Whitewash or lime wash is like a super cheap paint you put over things to hide blemishes. And the thing they are whitewashing is the wall of protection that used to surround Gods people. The wall is God’s Word. God made it clear in Deuteronomy 28-30 that if the Jews kept the law – then God Himself would like a wall of protection around his people. But over time people started disobeying Gods Word and that wall started to become more and more flimsy. It almost always started with ignoring the Sabbath. Then, came the idolatry and the sexual immorality. Now to fix the wall – the true prophets called people to repent of their sin and return to Gods Word. But these institutional prophets are just whitewashing the problem. A kind of “Ahhh that sins not so bad. Look if we whitewash it like this – it doesn’t even look like a problem”.
You know it’s only the SABBATH LAW. It doesn’t really matter if you observe the Sabbath! Just make sure you give God a bit of time each week. Then, this whitewash extended to idolatry and sexual immorality. “Yes, we know some of Gods people are going to the high places of Baal and engaging in fertility rituals. But its not so bad – because we still have a temple where we can ask for forgiveness. Until they didn’t. False institutional prophets often whitewash things instead of confronting problems and calling for repentance because its easier…
Apply: So they whitewash things like SUICIDE and EUTHANASIA calling it voluntary assisted dying (and accommodating it in their systems). They whitewash things like full-term abortion or transgenderism or even what is now happening with IVF. (Fertilising 12 eggs, implanting a few and then donating the left-over embryos to science is NOT a Christian option). Of course, any young Christian couple wanting to worship the idol of family will justify IVF to themselves as not that bad. But it is bad. What happens to the remaining embryos who are turned into HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM CELL lines for modern medicine is evil. We must not whitewash evil. We must call for repentance.
But the other thing institutional false prophets do – is they assure people they have “PEACE” with God, even while they continue in blatant sin. When Ezekiel preaches chapter 13-14, it is about 592BC and many Jews are already in Babylon. JUDGMENT has already started to fall. But still they are not repenting. They’re still engaging in their idolatrous practices and sexual immorality. And still – the false institutional prophets are telling them – PEACE. PEACE! We are the elect of God. We are the chosen people. Don’t worry! All this calamity has nothing to do with sin. Its just a spot of bad luck!
And Ezekiel says – RUBBISH. Ezekiel says these false prophets (and the people listening to them) have now committed apostasy. So they are about to be expunged from Gods book of life (Slide 3; Ezek.13:9). THE FACT IS – A) not everyone descended from Abraham is a true Jew (Rom.2:28-29). B) Nor is everyone who says to Jesus – Lord, Lord – a true Christian (Matt.7:21). So Ezekiel says God is going to remove the harlots from the inheritance of the true bride.
Apply: THE PROBLEM IS our western, evangelical church is now full of false prophets. Often they’re very nice, woke, politically correct people who are very good with all the Christian jargon. They just lack the courage to apply it to people’s lives. But heres’ the point. When church leaders A) whitewash sin and say B) peace, peace to unrepentant church goers (when there is no peace) they are becoming false prophets…
Point 2: The Institutional Prophetesses encourage Syncretism & Witchcraft
Show: Ezek.13:17-19 (Slide 10)
Explain: Well, we now meet institutional religious leaders who are WOMEN. They are encouraging God’s people to tie magic charms or talismans to their hands and their foreheads. This is actually a TYPE of the mark of the beast. The Hebrew translation is a bit clunky. But it appears that A MAGIC TALISMAN is being tied to the right hand and the forehead – to make it easier to buy and sell things in Babylon. Its kind of a mark that you’ve joined the spiritual club of Babylon and membership has its benefits. If you accept the mark you’ll be able to get a few handfuls of barley and a few scraps of bread. (Sell your soul, so you can feed your stomach in slavery). So they are not just harlots. They’re also cheap harlots. They’ll sell their soul for a few scraps of bread…
Now if you know your Bibles – you’ll know that the Jews were told in Deuteronomy 6 – that GODS COMMANDMENTS were to be tied to their right hands and their foreheads. The reason this was the case was because its faithfulness to Gods covenant that truly brings God’s blessing. Not talismans. Let me show you (Slide 7; Deut.6:6-8). Now orthodox Jews took this literally and started tying MINI COPIES of Gods law to their foreheads and their right hand (because the right hand was seen as the place of Gods blessing). (Slide 8). These little copies of Gods law became known as phylacteries. Now the real point was – (not phylacteries on our forehead); but Gods Word shaping our thinking and shaping what we do with our hands. It was about faithfulness to the covenant of God.
So the question in Revelation is whether 1) our thinking and 2) the works of our hands have the mark of God or the mark of Satan. THE MARK OF THE BEAST may even have to do with BREAD. What are you willing to do for bread? Are you willing to play the harlot – to keep food in your stomach; to save your life? What really comes first – God or stomach, God or flesh? Those in Gods kingdom put God first. Those in Satan kingdom – always put self first. THE TEST: God or self?
But please note – it is institutional religion who are trying to coerce Gods people to accept the mark of the beast. Accept a little black magic – its ok. Don’t worry. It’s just a little bit of cultural diversity. We’re in Babylon now. So we need to be “all things to all people” and accept this little mark on our forehead – in order to survive. I mean they are the law of the land so we MUST submit. I know it conflicts with our biblical principles. But let’s all take this experimental vaccine tested in aborted stem cells. Let’s all bow to transgender ideology and the rainbow flag. And let’s shut up about full-term abortion – because this is what we need to do in order to survive. Mmmm. Sell our principles. No one wants to be a harlot. But many people (including religious church leaders) are willing to sell their principles in order to scrape the bottom of the barrel and survive. And welcome to Babylon – Sydney.
Now this is called SYNCRETISM (Slide 9). God absolutely hates syncretism – because he is a jealous husband. When we blend religions together – we start playing the harlot – because we give ourselves to God and we give ourselves to demons. The Bible is clear that behind all the other religions in the world – demons are at work. So when we blend the Christian faith with other religions – we start playing spiritual adultery with God. A) We do the cha cha with God on Sundays and then B) we do the cha cha with demons as we play with tarot cards.
Apply: Now as a Christian leader I would not participate in Yoga classes – because its associations and philosophy is still eastern religion. Now I know many Christians claim it is simply exercise. It’s not spiritual. I think that is dangerous. Not all yoga classes in Sydney are simply exercise. So, if another Christian sees you doing yoga and then walks into a yoga class – that is actually teaching eastern religion (as many are) you have now caused your brother or sister to stumble. Even your presence in a yoga class – which is still associated by most people with eastern religion – is compromising your Christian witness. Is it ok for Christians to blend different religions together. I’d say there are plenty of other ways to do exercise…
At present there is also a lot of pressure from certain woke bishops to blend Christianity with indigenous spirituality. WELCOME TO COUNTRY is now normal in many churches. But I believe singling out a particular people group in church (and paying honour to them) while well intentioned, is actually contrary to the gospel. We are meant to be one people – in Christ. In church, all glory and honour goes to Christ.
Apparently, it’s now also ok to have SMOKING CEREMONIES in church. Now please remember I participated in an Aboriginal church in the Pilbara – for 4 years. I ate kangaroo, emu and goanna most Sundays for church supper. I have also seen a feather-foot point the bone at a Christian woman named May and her daughter died – 3 days later. I have met many, many indigenous Christian pastors who clearly say – stay away from smoking ceremonies and corroborees – because they are spiritual. Smoking ceremonies claim to cleanse people from dark, animistic, evil forces. But as Christians we know TRUE CLEANSING FROM SIN & EVIL – comes through the blood of Jesus. The cleansing ceremonies God has given us in the church are baptism and the Lords Supper. So please be very careful in this space.
Please also remember to be consistent. Where do you draw the line and why? If its ok to do Yoga in a western, “its just exercise” way. Then perhaps its ok to do smoking ceremonies in church – in a we’re just showing cultural respect way. And if its ok to do smoking ceremonies in a cultural respect way, then maybe its ok for Christians to fast at Ramaddan with the Muslim’s – in order to show multicultural solidarity. And if its ok to fast at Ramadan (being all things to all people) perhaps our church should have a float next year in the Mardi Gras.
Friends syncretism happens little by little, degree by degree – like the FROG in the pot of boiling water. Its often sold as being all things to all people. BUT if we give up our Christian principles or start saying blessing and cleansing is to be found in things other than Christ – we are beginning to play the harlot…
Point 3: The Elders of Gods People have Idols in their Heart
Show: Ezek.14:1-3 & 6 (READ)
Explain: Well THESE ELDERS before Ezekiel are probably the beginning of the Jewish Sanhedrin. Moses was told to appoint 70 elders to help him lead Gods people. THE ELDERS (were an official, institutional, religious body) that was meant to govern Gods people. Now it is possible that all the 70 elders of the Sanhedrin are in Babylon, rather than Jerusalem. Babylon’s modus operandi when they conquered a country – was to round up all the leaders and and take them back to Babylon as slaves. Then, without proper leadership left (in the conquered country) they could leave the poorer people in place and make them pay taxes – without any danger of a coup (because all the leaders were gone).
So we are perhaps now looking at the highest institutional, religious body in Israel coming before Ezekiel – wanting a word from God. So Ezekiel gives them a word. A word of condemnation. These religious leaders A) have idols in their hearts and B) have put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Now I’m sure they were still very nice people. Religious leaders tend to specialise in a kind of sickly, sweet, shallow niceness. But verse 8 says God is about to remove them from His people (Ezek.14:8). They are apostate and they are about to be numbered amongst the goats, instead of the true sheep.
THE PROBLEM IS they have committed apostasy. They have fallen away from Gods covenant. They have committed spiritual adultery – so divorce is even allowed. But even now – Ezekiel still calls them to repent. This is their only hope – REPENT! But how receptive are most religious institutional leaders to such rebuke and chastisement? (PAUSE) That’s right! Not good. They’re usually too proud and too self righteous. So generally speaking when the bride calls the harlot to repent, the harlot simply turns on the bride and tries to silence her. I mean this is what happened to Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Jesus. In love the true bride tries to call the harlot church to repent and the harlot gets vicious.
You know, in Matthew 23, Jesus actually lays the blame for the blood of every true prophet in the Old Testament – from ABEL TO ZECHARIAH – at the door of the religious harlot (Matt.23:33-36). Jesus says it is always hypocritical religious leaders who mock, persecute and kill Gods true people. They are also the ones who rarely REPENT…
Now the word REPENT or REPENTANCE – means to turn around. It means to turn away from sin and start to honour and obey God. This word occurs about 60x in the entire Bible. But it occurs 11 times in Revelation. That means 18.3% of all calls to REPENT from sin (in the entire Bible) occur in Revelation. As judgment draws near – God calls the world to REPENT – because the only way for any of us to be saved is by believing in Jesus and repenting of our sin.
(GOSPEL) When Jesus died on the cross he took the punishment for everything you have done wrong. What you deserve from God because of your sin is death and eternity in hell. But when Jesus died – he took the punishment for you. He did this because HE LOVES YOU. Now to be saved you have to believe Jesus did this for you and you need to repent of you’re sin. In love for Jesus dying for you – you need to turn away from that which offends God and dishonours Jesus. Now do you love Jesus enough to give up X? If X is in anyway – disobeying Jesus’ commands or clouding the gospel – do you love Jesus enough to give it up, lay it down, let it go…
I look at the western world today and I think we are not much different to the days of Noah, the days of Sodom and Gomorrah or the days of Ezekiel. And if that is correct – it is definitely not a time for saying “PEACE, PEACE.” It is a time for calling people TO REPENT of their sins. Perhaps right now – the place that most needs the gospel is the institutional church. OF COURSE, it is not for me to judge. But I do see some huge problems. I am beginning to see what looks like harlotry. So I am trusting that God will AVENGE all the faithful blood of the bride that has been spilt and con
