Fall 2017 Sprint: Bishop Bart Pierce dropped some knowledge and got me fired up!

This weekend I went to Shiloh Church because I thought they were going to be talking to Business Owners.

I think I missed that part of the weekend but I ended up being tremendously blessed by a great leadership sermon from Bishop Bart Pierce of Rock City Church in Baltimore, Maryland.

Where to start.  

He offered one of the best critiques and charges to the church I have ever heard!

Shift 2018....

Bishop Pierce made this declaration that there will be a tremendous shift in the church and in our culture by May of 2018.  I believe this 100% because every time I have been around anyone who is conscious we've been talking about a shift. 

Our present state is unsustainable and unacceptable.

The church in particular has become unacceptable and almost to the point of being intolerable.  Worshipping nationalism, politicians, and teaching the fluff-o gospel has driven away the faithful and left the unconscious and lukewarm in many places.

Leaving Sundays

As you know on this blog, I have been very forthright about my need to take a break from church.  #EmptyThePews is not only a hashtag but a movement on Twitter.  People have had enough.

A brother on Facebook has been preaching on the church and why people are leaving.  On Sunday before I went over to Shiloh, he asked people why they left.  Many said the constant bickering, shallow teachings, and too many examples of what NOT to do were what drove them away.

I said that in many cases church is simply a waste of time.  

There's no Holy Spirit, no supernatural force, and God is not being glorified. 

 It's a bunch of unconscious, bitter, sad, and guilt ridden women trying to work their way to heaven and a few unconscious, misogynistic, beta,  closet cases, and guilt ridden men.  These two combined together lead to constant strife and senseless arguing.

No real transformation

One of the main reasons people leave churches is because of a lack of transformation.  Is that the church's fault?  Not entirely.  It's up to people to get honest with themselves and let God transform them.  

However many people in church are unaware that they even need to change in the first place.  Why would they?  They're not being taught anything.  In many places they think coming to church, Bible Study, and other activities are enough.  They don't need transformation or any of that and they stay the same.

There is no power in the church that would even facilitate change and transformation

This is due to a lack of prayer, good teaching, and a lack of the Holy Spirit.

As Bishop Pierce said,

Churches try to hide their lack of Prayer and Power by trying to change the way they dress!

BOOM!  That's exactly it.  Many churches are focused on worship style, hair gel, ripped jeans, and coffee lounges.  They refuse to see that their people don't pray, don't study their Bibles, and are not led by the Holy Spirit.

All of the focus on shallow and surface level items is what leads to shallow and surface level attendees!

Boy Leaders and the Lost Generation

Isaiah 3:4-6 

 I will make boys their leaders, and toddlers their rulers. People will oppress each other--man against man, neighbor against neighbor. Young people will insult their elders, and vulgar people will sneer at the honorable. 

This is the current state of our society but also the church.  How many churches are led by boy leaders?  How many are led by immature and silly people?

Boy Leaders have no concept of vision and are focused on silly and superficial items.  

These Boy Leaders have been empowered in the church and it's why things are totally off course.

The Fatherless Generation

Fathers are missing in our society.  Earthly fathers are missing and children have no identity.  They don't know who they are.  This is a big problem in our community and Bishop Pierce touched on that.  He's a White guy with a sordid past and his church is multi cultural.  He's tired of burying young Black men and he says, they don't know their fathers, they don't have an identity, and they want to commit suicide but end up killing each other.

In the church we have a generation of people without spiritual fathers.  Without spiritual fathers they have no concept of their identities and I think we've got a lot of illegitimate sons running around pastoring and planting churches.

Bishop Pierce also cited 1 Corinthians 4:15 where Paul says:  

For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you.

Think about it.  These days any and everybody can be a preacher.  Anybody can start a church.  No qualifications and no mentors.  Just get some people together and start a church.

Without any instruction or accountability, people can just get up and say anything.  With empty headed followers who don't pray, study, or have the Holy Spirit....disaster ensues which is why we see so much nonsense now.

The Lost Generation

I really hate what Youth Ministry has become.

Years ago I noticed they would get the dumbest people to teach the young people or they would get Sad people with no victory.  Why on EARTH would young people want to stay around if these were the choices?

Youth ministry  has turned into The Gospel of Fluff-o combined with Keeping up with the Kardashians for Jesus  because they think that's what will draw young people.  People may not be bored but they also aren't learning anything so they're out as soon as they realize there's alcohol and sex at worldly events.

Bishop Pierce said at his church they used to have the really cool Youth Ministry.  Lots of kids would come and have fun but he said SOMETHING was wrong.  He said the Lord said to him, "When are you going to STOP entertaining my kids and START empowering them."

Youth ministry has got to stop being about entertainment and start being about substance.  Entertainment and gimmicks will not last and will not instill the right values into kids SO THAT they stay on and pour into the next generation.

When you go to most churches,  ages 12-25 are thinning out.  These kids are lost.  Their role models are no talent hacks but they aren't being presented with any alternatives. 

Churches either make the mistake of trying to do cool ministry OR they get Sister Sad Sarah to teach the youth because nobody else wants to or they get Brother Silly Sam to teach them because none of the adults take him seriously.

Our Young people deserve much better than what they have been getting.

If we want a shift to occur, then we have to start pouring into our young people which was the main meat of his sermon.  My Generation has got to start stepping up and leading like they did in the Old Testament.

Leadership

I see myself as a leader in the shift that will be occurring.  With that being said, I was thankful for Bishop Pierce's message because it lit a fire under me.  It let me know that I'm not alone in my thoughts but I cannot do anything from the sidelines.  It's time to get FIRED UP AND READY TO GO.

Thank you Bishop Bart Pierce to provide the fire to light under my behind.