Jesus’ response to a man who had just lost his father, but wanted to become a disciple of Jesus: “Follow Me and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Jesus’ comment to His own disciples, caught in a raging storm and fearing for their lives: “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?”
Jesus’ instructions to His disciples concerning cities and towns that reject Him: “And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”
Jesus’ view on bringing “peace” to this present world: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
Jesus’ words on the place of family in our affections: “He who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
Jesus’ view on God’s “wonderful plan for your life”: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”
Jesus’ words to Peter after Peter faltered in walking on water: “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Jesus’ opinion of the religious leaders of the day who had gotten away from scripture and were “teaching as doctrines the commandments of men”: “They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
Jesus’ words to one of His closest friends after that friend expressed deep horror that Jesus should suffer and die: “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Jesus’ comment to His disciples after they failed to heal an epileptic boy: “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?”
Jesus’ comment to a man who had suffered for 38 years with an infirmity: “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”
Jesus’ comment to a woman who had been living with a guy: “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,” for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband.”
We are living in a generation of politically-corrected speech. The truth is watered down, so as not to offend. And lies are represented as half-truths. No where is this more apparent than in our social media today. And it is being practiced by some who have become so divorced from actual Bible teaching that a new gospel has come about. That is the gospel of non-offensiveness, “Luv, luv, luv.” We’ve become the generation of John Lennon instead of Jesus Christ.
Jesus would not receive a “like” today on Facebook even from some Christians! He is too blunt, too honest, and always, always, holds His people to a high standard.
We have become a generation that is more concerned about feelings than truth. “Speak the truth, in love,” one is always taught. Yet, if truth be told, Jesus managed to offend even His closest friends and family on occasion.
God’s truth can hurt at times. If it offends, it is because there is something in us that doesn’t like what He is saying. Facebook would throw out the truth to spare the feelings. God proclaims the truth and bids us to be crucified with Christ.
In the garden of Eden, God gave man one blunt command: “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die.”
But, Satan the serpent was cunning. Satan saw an opportunity to deceive God’s people by appearing kinder and more sympathetic to them and questioning God’s motives. “And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, “You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’”
The generation of today is one with pleasures and material possessions in abundance. We have become narcissistic. God has become an add-on to our lives and not the center of our lives. Other things have usurped His place. Our technology has puffed us up. We are making the fatal mistake of equating intellect with wisdom; man’s teaching with the word of God.
We are seeing a different gospel being touted today. It is the gospel of facebook. A mindset that sees the old way as the wrong way; that sees the Bible as needing a radically new interpretation and presentation. We have swallowed the lie of the garden, in its 21st century package.
It is becoming increasingly apparent to those who actually read the Bible and take it at its word, that Bible truth is being squelched in our society today. Even some church services starting out with scripture are tending to launch out far, far away to the sea of man’s theology and his “hip” take on things. A word of warning to all pastors and teachers out there: One day you will stand before Almighty God and account for what you fed the sheep. With all diligence, you’d better be sure you are preaching what the Bible actually says.
Jesus described the end time condition of the church in no uncertain terms. It is“rich, increased with goods, having need of nothing.” Yet, in God’s estimation, it was “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” The very generation that might see the great tribulation of Antichrist, is also the most unprepared for it.
How does the military prepare men and women for the rigors of war? It is not through some non-offensive, easy-listening-music program. The military toughens its soldiers up, both physically and mentally. The military equips and trains its soldiers how to survive and how to do damage to the enemy. But, when was the last time you heard a really good sermon on sin, Satan, or the great and terrible Day of the Lord? For the most part you won’t, because the facebook generation has blocked it.
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