The Tipping Point: A Response – Day 3

Today I will be looking again at Kirkpatrick’s comments to the Presbyterian News Service. Today I will look at our partner churches around the world.

The Holy Spirit is doing great things all around the world. Churches are being planted. Lives are being transformed. Supernatural signs and wonders are a regular occurrence. The transforming power of the Holy Spirit is working mightily in churches in the developing world. These churches are biblical! These churches are evangelical! These churches have a passion for Jesus!!

Now let’s look at the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Our denomination is RICH and has forsaken its first love. (Revelation 2:1-7) The PCUSA is like the church in Ephesus in the Revelation of John. We tolerate those who are “wicked.” We “wink” at those who commit abominable sins. We keep false “apostles” in our midst. The number of clergy and denominational staff (presbytery, synod and GA) who do not believe that Jesus is the only way to God is unacceptable. We (the church) allow them to live in our midst, teach in our midst and we honor them with positions of power in our denomination. They are false “apostles” in our midst. As horrible as these things are they pale in comparison to how we have forsaken Jesus! Too many deny his virgin birth and bodily resurrection. Too many deny his miracles. Too many do not see the need for people to accept Jesus Christ as their savior and Lord. Too many ignore his command to go into the world and make disciples.

The warning to the church in Ephesus is coming true to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Christ is taking away our “lampstand”—the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). We crumble and waste away while faithful churches around the world grow and transform lives.

Revelation 2:5 says that the church needs to repent. The only way that growth and vitality will return to the PCUSA is by our denomination repenting and returning to Christ.