2023-07-13 21:44:49
The adherence of many churches to progressive values motivated one pastor to invite Christians to read the Bible and assess whether their congregations remain true to God’s Word or have given in to the prevailing culture.
Jack Hibbs is pastor of the megachurch Calvary Chapel, in the city of Chino Hills, California (USA) and expressed his concern with the speed with which the culture “woke” (awakened, in English) invaded the churches in his country:
“I see the Church today, predominantly the Church in America, on its heels, on its back, cornered, because the Church doesn’t seem to know its Scriptures or its place,” the pastor said during an interview at the National Convention of Religious Broadcasters. “It’s like a ship at sea without an anchor. Today’s pastors don’t know what they should say, they try to omit themselves instead of just speaking the truth with love”, he said.
To combat this, Hibbs encouraged believers to delve into the Scriptures, as it is the Bible that provides insight and allows people to identify falsehoods, such as the subtle nuances of woke culture, commonly referred to as progressivism in Brazil:
“Woke is now trying to refine itself; it is more subtle than when it first appeared. How will I know about these nuances in this ‘awakening’ world what are we in? The Bible. The Bible asks for discernment, and God gives it. We don’t have that. God the Holy Spirit will give us insight from the Bible to tell us when something is wrong,” he emphasized.
“Ask God, ‘Lord, show me what’s here,’” emphasized Pastor Jack Hibbs. He pondered that although not all churches are the same or end up adhering to different theologies regarding secondary issues – such as the gifts of the Holy Spirit – a true and biblically sound church will not waver in the authority of Scripture, the deity of Jesus and other important matters.
“God will lead you to a church that is a biblical worldview church. When it’s a biblical worldview church based on biblical truth, then Jesus said, ‘Be salt and light.’ Go to the world around you. And that’s where you get the culture involved,” he said.
ministry challenges
Pastor Jack Hibbs made headlines in November 2022 after rallying his congregation to oppose an attempt to make abortion legal in the California Constitution.
“I think the Church today needs to stand firm, preach what they believe in and, if they don’t, the pastor needs to take a cruise, discover himself or get a new job”, he fired, adding that pastors who hesitate to speak the truth in controversial subjects need to remember that their commitment is to please God.
“If you are called, you can withstand any bombardment. You take any criticism because when you lay your head down at night, you are free. You get your assessment every day when you shut yourself in, so to speak, with Jesus: ‘Lord, tell me how I may have misrepresented you today,’ or ‘Tell me what things, God, you want to build up to today.’ . I’m telling you, I wouldn’t know how to live if that weren’t true,” he testified.
With decades of ministry, he admitted that pastors suffer from burnout, and that is why it is important to prioritize family time, self-care and true responsibility, so that this is a form of shielding from unbiblical influences: “I think accountability it works best when it’s made with love. If we love each other, let’s tell each other what’s wrong and what’s right… men don’t need to be slaves to satan’s tricks anymore. The Gospel is more powerful than that.”
In the end, he sent a message to people who, in some way, were hurt in the church: “Please listen everyone: put your eyes on Jesus. I want to ask you this question: What did He do to you? The world has wronged us, people have let us down, and even in the name of Christianity we have been offended. But when I look and read what He said and did in the Bible, now my perspective is correct. And my eyes are on Him. It would be very difficult for someone to disappoint me because I don’t expect anything from them.” The Christian Post.
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