Spoiled Brat Christians?

Spoiled Brat Christians?

I admit from the outset that this is about one of my pet problems with those who would call themselves “fundamentalist evangelical Christians” in North America. Sometimes I think they are spoiled brats.
I see and hear them all the time wanting revival. They want revival to come to the church. At the same time they are complaining that the government and other groups are trying to restrict what they can do in public.
Perhaps the solution to both problems the need for revival and the need to have people stop picking on them is one in the same.
Those calling themselves evangelicals and indeed the Christian Church as a whole need to return to “The Church” of the Bible. We need to be following the example of the founding fathers.
Remember when the church was founded it first of all was not part of the officially recognized religions of Rome and therefore susceptible to persecution and members could be arrest and put to death. The church underwent a lot of persecution in the first three centuries in particular.
Christians suffered a lot under Roman rule from time to time. Yet as we know the church not only survived but grew. It survived and grew for one very important reason. IT STAYED TRUE TO IT’S PURPOSE!
Jesus said,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” 
                                                                        Matthew 28:18-20.
Jesus did not say criticize other faiths. Jesus did not say demonstrate against anything you disagree with (anything that is not Christian is origin). He did not say speak out against those who have a different lifestyle.
He never told us to speak out against the government. He never told us to take sides in political events.
Jesus said,
“...go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you...”
He said,
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
            Matthew 10:16.
The apostle Peter said,
“Dear friends,
I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
                                                                                     1 Peter 2:11,12.
The Apostle Paul said,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  
Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.  
On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” 
                                                                               Romans 12:18-21
The apostle Paul made things clear,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  
God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 
                                                                                      1 Corinthians 5:12,13.
James the brother of Christ said,
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,  
because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” 
                          James 2:12,13.
We must remember the words of the Apostle Paul to the Romans who said,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 
Romans 5:8
We must remember that we were indeed sinners far from God at one time.
We must remember the message of the Church is summed up in the gospel of John when John quotes Jesus as saying,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. 
                                                                                                            John 3:16-18.
We cannot get this message out if we are protesting. If we are criticizing others. If we are judging those outside the church.
We are blessed here in North America with freedoms other nations long for. We cannot afford to misuse those freedoms. We must use them to reach out in love with the purest form of the gospel we know. Reach out those around us and let God do the rest.
We must return to the example the first century Church set out for us.
Please Christians think carefully about it.