If you read the book of Jude, in the library known as the Bible, you will quickly learn the fate of those who occupy the pulpit, but do not preach the message of Christ. It's not pretty.
The Gospel ... it is not just a message of salvation, it is also a blueprint on how to live one's life. It's not just a message of God so living the world, it is the message of sinning no more.
Today's pulpits are filled with heretics. Yes in your town, perhaps your church. If you read God's word and spend any time with Him in prayer (not just talking, but listening) you will easily know the wolves in sheep's clothing. It is my personal conviction a majority of today's churches, and many of the largest, are the home to the worst, most unbilical teaching. Do not judge one's messages based on crowd size or appearance. That is a bad mistake.
Samuel was annointing the next King of Israel and when he came upon one of the big, handsome sons of Jesse. But God spoke to the prophet and told him that Eliab was rejected. He rebuked Samuel for looking to the outside appearance of Eliab, not the heart. God has another son in mind ... the son who was not even there. He was the youngest and, forgive me, the runt of the litter. The one God had chosen was named David. It figures.
To be sure, there are plenty of "David" churches ... just not nearly enough and they are not the majority by a long shot.
This is where the question usually comes. "How do you know? It's not like you can attend all of them."
Fair point, I can't. But I know because I can see the world and what is happening. It's a reflection of what is happening in our churches. I can read and I know what many "mega" churches are teaching and what a multitude of demoninations are doing. The numbers of people who have forsaken even attending church is revealed in polling as are the numbers who simply believe in God.
Deep down you know the truth, too.
The scratching-the-itching-ears-of-attenders gospel is rampant. It has taken over denominations all over the world. In the United Kingdom, the Church of England is lost. When I say lost I mean blindfolded, spun around ten times, bumbling, stumbling falling to the ground and can't get my bearing lost.
A few days ago the topic at the Oxford Union was Christianity. One of the speakers challenging the unbilical direction of the Church was a Reverand Calvin Robinson. He was, for all but a few moments, utterly brilliant. His is a clarion call to all Christians to get back to God's Word, remembering that it is us needing to fit it, His Word does not to conform and fit us and our lifestyle choices. We are to be changed.
My thanks to one of our TMS Research Assistants who sent this my way.