Because of the selling of the Jesus in the last fifty years, the entire point of the gospel has been lost. Jesus didn't come to help us build buildings, businesses, and amusement parks. Jesus came to save sinners. In my generation, it seems we have completely lost this concept. Now, the idea is that Jesus has come to make you successful, to make you a winner- to make do what you couldn't do, be what you couldn't be, accomplish something great. Believe it or not Jesus didn't come for any of that.

Jesus came to save sinners! Jesus came to set us free. We were lost and undone, we were guilty before God without hope. We were dead in trespasses and sin but Jesus came to SAVE!

 Our generation doesn't like these words. Saved, how repugnant. Sin, what an ugly word. Were we ever really that guilty? Of course we "miss the mark", "make mistakes", "aren't all we'd like to be", etc, but guilty of sin? We don't even want to go there. Sinners in need of a Savior? Surely this is just old school religious thought. Let's talk about positive things like love and prosperity. Let's talk about victorious living. Let's go on to deeper things.

But how can we? While we have been soft-pedaling Jesus, the world has gotten worse and worse. we have grown ever more cautious in our witness. We cruise around the office like secret service Christians supposedly waiting for the unction of the Holy Spirit, while the world is rushing head long into hell.

To hear modern Christians talk, one would have to assume that hell no longer exists. Did it burn out? No one - not even preachers talk about it anymore. It has become a joke. "See you in Hell" is the flippant attitude of a generation that knows no fear of God and no need of a Savior. God have mercy!

How could they? We have left the way of Jesus and the apostles. Jesus warned of hell more than anyone in the scriptures. The apostles followed His example, but this way is out of fashion in our generation. I guess we've found a better way.

Today, we skip over sin, its wages and its eternal consequences. We don't want to appear negative. We're selling something here! We'll accentuate the positive- we'll appeal to a man's lust for health and prosperity. We'll appeal to his lust for honor and esteem. Too bad Jesus was such a sorry salesman! Too bad He didn't realize that playing to a man's ego was the way to go. Why, if He'd have preached it our way, He'd have ended up as the CEO of a Fortune 500 company instead of nailed to an old rugged cross!!

I CANNOT BE FACETIOUS ANY LONGER! The words stick in my throat. Such blasphemy is intolerable. But isn't this the "gospel" picture that's being presented to the world today? Church has become straight up big business. We're selling something here. Do you really go expecting a word from the throne of God? Do you really expect the pastor to come out of his study on fire with anointing of the Holy Spirit?

What if he did? What if the pastor had an encounter with God that transformed his entertaining little sermon into a confrontation with the Holy God? Before the charismatic movement turned the gifts of the Spirit into the pathetic, pastel little dainties that amount to little more than crowd manipulation, God used to show up. In Pratney's book called REVIVAL, the author tells of a particular service where Leonard Ravenhill was preaching for an exhausted William Branham. However, at the conclusion of the service, Branham showed up and declared that God was present to heal and that He (God) would heal as a confirmation of the Word preached. People got up and rushed to the front. Branham began to minister. One of the first people in line happened to be a woman. Branham told her discreetly that she would have to turn from some particular sin that the Holy Ghost exposed. The man behind her, her husband, protested and Branham confronted him with his sin of adultery! After that, there was no line! Oh it's easy to say you want God, but do you really mean it?

What if God showed up? That would shake things up. What if we didn't put restrictions on God? Really? With our little programs and our little traditions- no restrictions? Get real!

Our expectation is not that God would show up at all. We go to church and if you want to know the truth, we're satisfied. We don't want God to show up and expose our sins. We don't want God to show up and interrupt our program. We don't want God to show up and make us late in line at the cafeteria. We don't want God to show up and make us miss the football game. We've got stuff going on. We've got plans. We've got things to do and places to go. Sure the Christian Sabbath is Sunday but "hey, three hours on Sunday morning is plenty".

Now you wouldn't say it. You wouldn't let your preacher say it, and you probably won't receive it, but you should! Don't you see? This is why you can read anything but the Bible. Why you never fast, can't pray and everything else! We're playing church and playing with God. But have you noticed? GOD ISN"T PLAYING! He's letting us have church as usual. He's just not showing up?

We have our testimony but where is the  manifestation of God? I'm not talking about signs and wonders. I'm talking about God showing up and souls being saved, sin being confessed and conquered and revival breaking forth. I'm talking about congregations, even cities, being staggered by the Holiness of God and His people transformed into a "peculiar people showing forth His praise" "zealous of good works." I'm talking about people who will come out and be separate and touch not the unclean thing - people delivered from the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, and the lusts of other things. I'm talking about a people who begin to take their cross and follow Jesus and lay down their lives, hopes and dreams for HIS!

O Church, God said "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land." (II Chronicles 7:14) Can we choose that? Can we choose to humble ourselves and pray and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways? Then and only then will God show up.

I believe it's God's will. I believe He longs for us to get real with God and back into His harvest. There simply is no more time for this childish mess we are caught up in. Oh God have mercy. Oh God give us hearts that want You Lord!

Rev. Joe Hildebrandt Sr.

Thanks to Kim Josephson for notes and inspiration.

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