This blog was posted on Glenn Bentley Ministries Blog in response to an article called; "The Me or We Generation"
Finally someone stands and speaks the truth to my generation! Finally someone in my generation recognizes our greatest weakness or dare I say our greatest sin!
America finds itself in the dangerous territory of biblical prophecy. How did arrive at this abode? What is the process that has navigated us to these dire straits?
We have arrived at this abode on the teaching of humanism and through the infiltration of humanistic teaching within the church.
"The Greatest Generation" was great because of the intense adversity they endured. There has never been another that survived more than they. However, the very training that built their formidable muscles has become the very substance that allow them to produce the "Me" generation.
They simply tried to give away what made them great instead of allowing their children to struggle, strain, and scratch their way in this life. It is impossible to replicate something without allowing the replicatee to go through same process of replication. Ease makes a person weak but pressure makes a person strong.
Church leaders are really the ones to blame for the current plight of America. I can say this because I belong to their fraternity.
Leaders for far too long ignored the imperative teaching of Paul in 1 Timothy 6:17, 18. The church by in large takes two approaches to wealth. They either refuse to teach on it for fear of repercussion or they teach it as something God wants them to be. Both of the stances are sinful and sickening. I believe that these two paths have had the greatest effect on American society.
When you eliminate teaching on the responsibility of wealth you eliminate 27% of New Testament Scripture.
Leaders not only refuse to teach on wealth but they eagerly lead their churches into great debt. Where in Scripture did our Heavenly Father call us to build buildings that we have to go in debt to build? The Southern Baptist Convention, of which I'm a member, is the most indebted denomination in the world. There is only one word to describe this plight; sinful! This is sinful due to the fact that there are missionaries awaiting commissioning but remain stateside until the finances are available. The finances would be available if the debt didn't exist. The church has taken the bait hook, line, and sinker. What's the bait? The bait is that polished programs, magnificent music, slick sermons, and state of the art sanctuaries are what a church needs to reach people for Christ. The last time I check it was the Holy Spirit who did the saving and our responsibility was to provide an environment for discipleship.
We must return to the teaching of scripture on wealth. We must return to the teaching of Philippians 2:1-11. We must eliminate and eradicate "me" from our vocabulary. We must add words such as: we, us, and others. We must return to passages such as Acts 2:42-47. We must think of others better than we do ourselves.
I believe the Sovereign Lord of Heaven has allowed this recession to wake the church up and to give her an opportunity to shine. I believe the Lord is chastening His Bride. What will we do? How will we respond?
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