The State of The Church: What Does Jesus See? | Day 3: When Nobody Blushes Anymore

There was a time when certain things would have troubled the conscience of God's people. There was a time when sin brought conviction, repentance, and a desire to make things right. Can we say the same for today?

BREAK

”Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall..." That’s Jeremiah, chapter 6, and verse 15, KJV.

Jeremiah is here describing a people who had reached a dangerous place. They were no longer ashamed of their sin. In fact, they had become so comfortable with wrongdoing that they had lost the ability to blush.

Think about that. We are on to Day 3 of the series: The State of The Church: What Does Jesus See? Today’s topic: When Nobody Blushes Anymore.

At the time when Jeremiah spoke, sin had become normal. Wrong had become acceptable. Conviction had been replaced by justification. And surely, we can say the same as we live in this day and age.

The people were no longer asking, "What does God think?" They were asking, "What can we get away with?"

The prophet Isaiah warned of such a time.

Isaiah 5:20 (KJV), ”Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness..."

When a society or a church begins reversing God's standards, spiritual decline is already underway.

Micah delivered a similar warning.

Micah 3:11 (KJV), ”The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us?"

That’s contradictory. The leaders were acting corruptly while still assuming God was with them. Sadly, that danger has never disappeared.

The story of Eli and his sons illustrates this truth.

1 Samuel 2:22 (KJV), ”Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel..."

Eli knew what was happening. His sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were abusing their priestly positions, dishonouring God, and exploiting the people. Eli spoke to them, but he failed to restrain them. Mercy! 

1 Samuel 3:13 (KJV), ”For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not."

Those final words are sobering: "he restrained them not." Family, as grown as our adult children are, we as parents have a job to do when we see them going astray. May the Lord be our Guide, because I know from experience this is not an easy task.

God's judgment did not come because Eli was unaware. It came because he tolerated what should have been confronted. Family, there is a difference between knowing something is wrong and dealing with it.

A church cannot experience revival while excusing what God condemns.

A church cannot become healthy while refusing correction.

A church cannot grow spiritually if accountability is replaced by silence.

Jesus addressed this issue in the Church at Thyatira.

Revelation 2:20 (KJV), ”Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel... to teach and to seduce my servants..."

Notice the word "sufferest." They allowed it. They tolerated it. They permitted it to continue. That was their problem. The issue was not ignorance. The issue was tolerance. The Apostle Paul warned that such conditions would increase in the last days.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (KJV), “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves... having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof..."

A form of godliness without transformation is not revival.

A form of religion without repentance is not Christianity.

A form of worship without obedience cannot please God.

Family, have we become more concerned about filling pews or getting views than confronting sin? Have we become more interested in avoiding offence, not wanting to step on anyone’s toes, than in pursuing holiness? Have we reached the point where we excuse what God calls us to forsake?

The good news is that conviction is evidence of God's mercy. When God exposes sin, He is offering an opportunity for repentance, restoration, and renewal. Sadly, many of us get defensive when God uses whom He chooses to tell us about ourselves.

Family,  a church that refuses correction cannot experience genuine revival. But a church that humbles itself before God, receives His correction, and returns to His ways can once again experience His presence and power.

As we close today, let us ask ourselves: Have I become comfortable with something that God is calling me to change? Have I stopped feeling convicted about attitudes, behaviours, or habits that once troubled my conscience? 

Let’s be clear: The greatest danger is not that sin exists around us; it is that we become so accustomed to it that we no longer recognise it in ourselves. When nobody blushes anymore, repentance becomes rare, and revival becomes difficult. 

May God restore our sensitivity to His Voice and His holiness. 

Click here for the full Live Empowerment Session: https://www.youtube.com/live/rxOBS42418o?si=oJWwn9gO-uWrAKLV