What’s the Problem, Anyway?

If you are paying attention at all, you know that we have a lot of trouble across our nation. When I see the secularists, the humanists and the religionists in front of the cameras playing the fool, I ask myself often, What’s the problem there?
The answer is not hard, but it is often so obscured that very few people are seeing it.
As you read the Bible, you see officials like Herod, Pilate and Agrippa. You also find religionists like the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Their actions also provoke the question, “What’s the problem with them?”
In very simple, straightforward terms, they are lost, unsaved and unregenerated. If they knew the Lord and listened to Him, they would not be who they are and what they are.
So let’s move to the twenty-first century where we have the secularists, the humanists and a variety of like-minded players. What is their problem? They too are lost, unsaved and unregenerated. They do not know the Lord and their behavior reflects that every day.
A Second Question
Now here’s a logical follow-up question. Why do men latch on to the liberal causes like abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, homosexuality, same-sex marriage, etc.
The answer is that they are not listening to the Lord. If they were, they would not be embracing those causes.
However they identify themselves, their actions are the results of a heart that is not attuned to the God of Heaven.
A Third Set of Questions
Now here is a third and more difficult set of questions. What’s the problem with the religious crowd, the professing Christian folks? Why are so many of them entrenched in a worldly lifestyle? Why is it hard to get them to church? Why do so few get involved and serve faithfully? Why don’t they tithe?
In all candor many of them have a little bit of religion but are not saved. In some cases they are connected to a church that advocates some version of reformation but does not preach the Bible way of salvation.
However, some of them are saved; but like the Corinthian church of the New Testament, they are way off track from where they should be. Jesus said to the church in Sardis, “Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead” (Rev. 3:1).
So what’s the problem? They are not walking with the Lord. They are not taking the Bible seriously. They are not obeying the Lord’s commands. They are drifting away from their godly heritage. They are driven by the culture.
The trends and the times are bigger in their eyes than the truth of the Scriptures. Demographics dominate their thinking. They are so captivated by “this generation” that the message of regeneration gets diluted and diminished.
So What Can We Do?
Well, we can decide to give discouragement the boot. We can get on our work-clothes and dedicate ourselves to our God-given duties. We can start walking with the Lord and listening to what He says.
I think that would mean:
1. We can have church when Sunday comes
2. We can preach boldly and without fear
3. We can win people to Christ
4. We can teach people the Bible way to live
5. We can train soul winners
6. We can start bus routes
7. We can have Bible-centered youth ministries
8. We can build solid Christian families
9. We can take a stand in our town
10. We can urge people to vote
11. We can stay excited
12. We can rejoice in the Lord
13. We can stay fundamentally solid
14. We can refuse to compromise our principles
15. We can avoid the compromising advocates
16. We can stop catering to those who are drifting away from fundamentalism
17. We can refuse to allow disappointment or circumstances to drive us off the proven path
18. We can pray
19. We can believe God and trust Him
20. We can do what’s right on any given day in whatever situation we face
21. We can be true, stand up straight and be the servants of the Lord no matter ‘what the problem is’
Amen! Amen! Amen! Let’s stay at it!