QT 19 May 2020, 1 Tim 5:14-16, Is the church failing?

1 Timothy 5:14–16 (ESV) — 14 So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. 15 For some have already strayed after Satan. 16 If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows.

NOTE: "… some had already strayed after Satan." What does this mean? James 4:4 says that friendship with the world is hatred toward God. And 1 John 2:15 says, "… if anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them."  Jesus, in the parable of the seeds, says that two-thirds of the seed that germinated did not produce because of suffering or because of the world's riches pushed out God. The reason young people leave the church is that the church is a terrible witness for Jesus Christ. Yes, the church is the bride, but I think the reason it is raptured at the beginning of the tribulation, is that it will take seven years to beautify. The church drives people away from Jesus because we do not change, we do not take God's word seriously. We substitute programs for application. We substitute knowledge for the wisdom of doing. We deceive ourselves. Satan uses the world to draw us away from a sincere faith. And, it breaks my heart to say it, we don't care. Oh, what wretched sinners we are. We could do so much good if we would only repent and do the things God commands.

PRAYER: Father, I too am guilty. Sometimes, I just don't care. I know the right thing, but I fail to do it. How I pray that your spirit would convict us of our sin in regards to being doers of the word. We are just hearers. We don't change. We don't want to memorize the word. We don't want to be inconvenienced by our faith. Oh, forgive us Lord.