The Churches of Today Oppose the Gospel on Grounds of Who Has Authority

Luke 20:1-8

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.

• Leadership of the churches confront the Gospel of Christ.
• Leadership of the churches question the authority to share the Gospel.
• Leadership of the churches are silent on the authority of the Gospel.
• Jesus Christ is silent to those who reject His Gospel.

Leadership of the churches confront the Gospel of Christ. “Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him…” Luke 20:1 Very often in the New Testament, what Jesus had said to church congregations or crowds are not recorded. The important thing is how individuals or those in authority respond to what He says or does. The chief priests, scribes, and church elders were constantly confronting Him in a negative way. Today, it would be like the church leadership, on all levels, being negative towards a person who preached the Gospel of Christ in the churches. They are critical of those who talk about the need for the forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ.

Leadership of the churches question the authority to share the Gospel. “…and spoke to Him, saying, “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?” Luke 20:2 The authority we have to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ comes from God through the Holy Spirit. In today’s world, there is a thing that has made itself the authority over the temple of God, our body, “…it opposes and exalts itself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that it sits in the temple of God, showing itself that it is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:4 It uses its power to form thoughts, emotions, feelings, and behaviors to establish its authority, and by that it syncs people to live by the mark of the beast. They do not recognize the authority of the Holy Spirit, nor anyone’s authority who makes themselves the home of the Holy Spirit.

Leadership of the churches are silent on the authority of the Gospel. “But He answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me: The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?” Luke 20:3-4 Jesus asked them a very simple question, was John the Baptist speaking by the authority of this world or was he speaking on the authority of God. “And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’” Luke 20:5 The dilemma of the leadership of churches is seen here, if the Gospel of Christ is of God and is what the churches are founded on, then why is there opposition to the message of the Cross in the churches? “But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.” Luke 20:6 If the leadership of the churches say the Gospel of Christ is from the source that establishes the mark of the beast, then the people would stone them. “So they answered that they did not know where it was from.” Luke 20:7 The leadership of the churches of today are not going to validate the Gospel of Christ in any way, shape, or form.

Jesus Christ is silent to those who reject His Gospel. “And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” Luke 20:8 If the church leaders of today refuse to validate the Gospel of Christ in any form, then the Holy Spirit will not be speaking to them. The Holy Spirit lives in us for one purpose, to glorify the name of Jesus and to share His testimony. He comes to those whose heart is receptive to Him and is silent in the heart of those who reject the Gospel.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11