Articles
Not Until He is Exalted
May, 2010
As I drove home after church on Wednesday evening, I wondered why so few members come. Other church parking lots looked pretty empty too. Not many attended their church services either. Even fewer members come to prayer meetings. It seems that people have more exciting or more important things to do.
Why does the zeal of church members wane? God explains our condition in Hosea 11:7 when He says, “My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to the Most High, none at all exalt Him.”
Backsliding does not require that I forsake all religious activities and start hanging out in bars. It does not necessarily imply abandonment of morals. It also means sliding in the wrong direction with less affection or enthusiasm for God. Less devotion to Him. Less worship of Christ. Less prayer to the Father. Less hunger for the word of God. Less filling of the Holy Spirit. In other words, I backslide when my passion for Him cools down and I experience less desire for God’s glory.
Your path heads towards what you exalt. Stop and see which direction you are going. Who do you really place first in your life? Who and what is most important to you? The world will be drawn to Jesus when we exalt Him. They know what is most important to us and what we really exalt. They can tell if we exalt money, success, wealth, social status, political control, friendships, tradition, routine, new cars or hanging out with the “right kind” of people. They will come to Him when they see His power, the evidence of it in our lives and our love for one another. When these are missing, they aren’t interested in Him or our churches.
Please don’t attempt to revive crowds by enticing members or visitors with food, fun and entertainment. These will not keep their interest. These things offer to fill them with what cannot really satisfy. Hot dog suppers, concerts, carnivals and clowns will never compete with the world’s entertainment. Quit worrying about making sure the pews are more pleasant and the temperature is just right. Real worshippers could praise God in a barn as long as they seek His presence there. Real seekers will come in repentance when they realize He offers relief and healing for their misery.
More church related activities won’t keep them in the doors either. Please do not mistake motion for movement in the right direction. You can burn out and grow cool in your love for Christ while heavily engaged in ministry efforts and church activities. I know. I’ve been there. How can we unmask the illusion and stop the slide?
Backsliding stops when I repent and turn to Him. I must repent completely as my circumstances demand. God must change my heart so that I want more of what He wants for me. More devotion to Him. More worship of Christ. More prayer to the Father. More hunger and feeding on the word of God. More filling with the Holy Spirit. Do you really want more or less? You never stay at the same position. Whether you realize it or not, you are moving forward or backwards. It depends on what you exalt.
When the church cries and agonizes for the glory and presence of God, He will be exalted. When our highest desire is for Him to save and convert souls, no matter through whom He works, He will be exalted. When we cast the net for Him instead of for ourselves, He is exalted. When we labor for His kingdom, instead of our own, He is exalted. Learn to serve instead of seeking places of honor or dignity. Continue to elevate His will as the priority in our lives. Jesus lived and died for His Father’s will. By His grace, God will make us more like Jesus.
Revival will come when He alone is exalted.
To God be the Glory,
David J. Fisher
