Running wild as a laughingstock

Remember what happened to those who bowed to the Golden Calf? It says in Exodus 32: 25 Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. 26 So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him. 27 Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’” 28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. 29 Then Moses said, “You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.”

There were some very real and serious consequences for the Israelites when they failed to worship God and God alone! Yes, they turned their eyes away from God and lusted after something which was dead and without power. And so the warning of 1 John 2 rings true: 15 Do not love the world [of sin that opposes God and His precepts], nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust and sensual craving of the flesh and the lust and longing of the eyes and the boastful pride of life [pretentious confidence in one’s resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father, but are from the world.

Yes, today people in the church are still “running wild” – reminding of a chicken without a head- for they have been allowed to get out of control and so have become a laughingstock to their enemies. After all, we have to realise the world laughs at the church because the church has become so polluted with dubious behaviour, motives and actions. The church these days looks like the world, and resembles more a social club or a business than a priesthood called to save the lost from darkness and damnation. Out of control implies a lack of leadership, direction, true guidance, mentoring and discipleship.

It says in “Proverbs 25:28: Like a city that is broken down and without walls [leaving it unprotected] is a man who has no self-control over his spirit [and sets himself up for trouble].” And also “2 Peter 1: 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.” Yes, we must seek self-control, and the virtues of godliness and knowledge in order to be fruitful in the Kingdom of God (read John 15)! If we pursue not such virtues, we, like the Israelites who danced around the Golden Calf, become short-sighted to the reality of God.

And who is to blame for such an out of control and running wild church? It says in “Ephesians 4: 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the [e]edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”

These are perilous times, reminiscent of “2 Timothy 3: 1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” Yes, the Israelites danced around the calf, celebrating its “form” of godliness, but there was no power, yet in the meantime denies the power of God! 2 Timothy 3 speaks of perilous, thus dangerous times for the church and those who remain out of control. Today in churches there is real lack of accountability. A lack of responsibility of the Word taught and preached. The Church is out of control with deceptive and dangerous doctrines as taught by demons. The Church is out of control because some have made unholy alliances, treaties and covenant, yes, even with seducing spirits. The Church is out of control because of idolatry, rebellion and so struggles in the storms of apostasy. The Church is out of control, running wild, in immorality and disorder.

As in the days of the Golden Calf, very little has changed. People still seek hope and faith in the world, in fool’s gold, in the tangible, and in yes, even in other so-called gods (demons) of power. While God met with Moses on the mountain, so many chose to dance around the dead idol. Still God is calling for His people to come to Him, to worship and to obey, yet we would rather flirt with this world of yes, even demonic forces, for our deliverance and to satisfy our greed and needs.

It is no wonder the church has become the laughingstock of the world. Because we are indeed running around – confused, dazed and disorientated. We do not know the truth from the lie, or what is right or wrong. Deception is upon us, and we remain blind to the reality of our sins and iniquities. Indeed, it says in 2 Timothy 1:7 that the Spirit God gives us power, love and self-discipline. Why? So that we do not fall prey to a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear in perilous times. And the power is not found in unholy alliances with demonic forces or the world, but in God and in His redemptive love and grace.

How the church needs to adopt self-control again – only possible by the Holy Spirit who leads us in all truth – lest we fall victim to all kinds of excesses, debauchery, carnality and deceptions. How we need a church that walks in credibility again, who has dealt with her idolatry and immorality, and who seeks above all to honour the Covenant with a living and real God- He who is all consuming fire. For then the Church shall arise, obedient and faithful, instead of running wild and not submitted in control to the glorious indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

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