Christian Imperative

Imperative.

Noun:

-	a command.

-	something that demands attention or action; an unavoidable obligation or requirement; necessity

The Church in the West needs to rediscover the word "imperative".

When we represent the Gospel, we need to be careful not to reduce our must to a mere should.
To moral relativists in our age, we need to speak plainly about what God Commands.

We cannot be shy in proclaiming His message. Simply put, because it is not ours to modify. Where God says Must, we cannot say 'should' without changing the message, and being unfaithful ambassadors of Christ.

Christ has been given all authority.
He has given the same authority to us. Why?
So that when we speak, we have the confidence that we (insofar as we are aligned with his revealed will in his Word) speak with the same imperial confidence.

Policemen do not urge people to reconsider the robbing of a bank. They command the criminal to stop. Why? Because they have been invested with the authority to do so. Furthermore, they have the means to do so.

Ambassadors have a more urgent task. We are to "go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in..." That's no passive invitation. We are to speak from a position of authority, as Jesus, Peter, Paul did.

You Must be born again.

You Must take up your cross daily.

There is no other name under heaven by which men Must be saved.

Whoever is great Must be a servant.

You Must be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

You Must forgive ...

Scripture Must be fulfilled.

We Must obey God rather than men.

We Must not put Christ to the test.

You also Must help us by prayer.

We Must ALL appear before the Judgment seat of Christ...

One who is taught the word Must share all good things with one who teaches...

The list goes on and on and on.

We deny God as King if we cringe from stating plainly what the Author of Creation's imperatives are. We also cheat our hearers.

This is where the congregation needs to have two responses:
1) Recognize our need to pray for our leaders.

We hardly think of Paul as a coward, someone easily intimidated, or someone in need of any encouragement. In fact we tend to think of him as almost superhuman. But remember this: Paul solicited the prayers of the Church. Why? Here's the quote, Eph 6:18-20

To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Did you catch that? Paul was concerned he might not be as bold as he ought. If he needed these prayers, so do those Preaching and Teaching the Word of God in a corporate service. Pray for them.

2) We need to look inward, and prayerfully check our hearts, priorities and motives.

Are we so jealous of our glory that we are prepared to deny God his? That's called idolatry.

So many people stand ready to apologize (!) for believing some allegedly quirky archaic statements that are "obviously" not "really true" to an enlightened thinker. [How many 'sophisticated' Christians blush when an agnostic asks probing questions about New Testament references to the virgin birth, casting out demons, or walking on water?]

It is evidence of our own unbelief, and a hesitation to put our full confidence on the truth of His word. It illuminates lingering doubts that the detractors might be right. We are unwilling to seem like a knuckle-dragging idiot, and suspicious that we just might be one for believing it.

Jesus spoke about such things.

This is unbelief.
"An evil heart of unbelief," as Jesus termed it.

You need to repent of it. You Must.

And so must I.