Ichabod: The Glory is Departed

(I Samuel 4:15-22) Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.  And the man said unto Eli, I am he that cme out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army.  and he said, What is there done, my son?  And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a gret slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.  And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy.  and he had judged Israel forty years.  And his daughter in law, Phinehas wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.  And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son.  But she answered not, neither did she regard it.  And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.  and she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken."

I'm not going to devote the time to explain the background behind the passages.  I'm not going to conduct an exposition of these passages.  Instead, I want to expound upon a topical thought entitled, Ichabod: The Glory is Departed.  America was built on old-time preaching.  America was founded by the Pilgrims and Puritans.  They came to North America for the purpose of freedom of worship.  Over the years this country has experienced waves of revivals.  There was the First and Second Great Awakenings in the eighteenth century.  Around 1802 there was the Cane Ridge Revival in Kentucky.  There were revivals where Charles Finney preached in New York.  There have been great preachers over the course of American history.  There have been preachers such as Jonathon Edwards, George Whitefield, John Wesley, Peter Cartwright, D.L. Moody, Billy Sunday, and Sam Jones, to name a few.  During the 20th century, there was a great preacher by the name of Dr. Percy Ray who founded Camp Zion in 1949 in Myrtle, Mississippi.  He would preach with unction and fervor from the Lord.  The Lord moved and performed a great work among God's people at Camp Zion.  Scores of people would be saved, scores would be called to preach, and many received much needed spiritual help.  Today, Dr. Percy Ray is deceased and Camp Zion no longer resembles the days of glory a few decades ago.  America has seen the glory of God roll through this country.  There have been generations of Christians who knew how to worship the Lord.  There was a time whenever church was taking place, all the other events in town were shut down for the evening.  Church was considered more important.  Today whenever church services are taking place, businesses are still operating as usual.  People no longer regard the House of God as important like they once did. 

What has happened over the years?  Why has the glory of God departed from our churches, including our fundamental Baptist churches?  Sin has taken over and destroyed many of our churches today.  Most of our fundamental churches no longer have any real spiritual life to them anymore.  The Holy Spirit has been grieved.  There's a generation of church leaders that believe they don't need the old-time way in their churches anymore.  Today instead of heading to the altar where sinners can come to become converted and saints can come to receive help, it has been replaced by "Christian" psychology.  We've substituted psychology for theology in our churches today.  Churches today have become nothing but entertainment centers.  We allow the world to come in and entertain church members.  You wonder why there are so many church members that don't have any interest in the things of God.  You can't expect church members to have an interest in spiritual things if there's never been a true conversion.  Also, conversion doesn't come through worldly entertainment such as contemporary Christian music, puppet shows, "Christian movies", choreographical dancing, and the list continues.  Today we have mega churches such as Willow Creek in Chicago and Saddleback Community Church in California that are utilizing "user-friendly" methods to reach the world.  They have changed their terminology.  They now refer to sinners as "seekers" and they strive to not be offensive in the worship services.  I'm not a believer in intentionally being offensive when there's no purpose for it, but the truth must be preached--offensive or not!  If the truth found in the Bible is offensive, then they will just have to endure it.  They will have to find a glad place.  The Word of God is spiritually discerned and it will be offensive by it's very message.  I agree Christians shouldn't be offensive by living a shoddy testimony.  Shame on us when we live shoddy lives.  The world has a right to be offended when we portray ourselves one way at church and live another lifestyle at home or at work. 

When the church mingles with the world and you can't hardly tell the difference between the church and the world, then God will write "Ichabod" over the door.  God's not pleased with churches that use worldly customs in its church services.  The Lord is grieved when we do that.  In Joshua 7 you read about the account of Achan where he sinned.  Joshua 7:21 states that he stole the Babylonish garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold fifty shekels weight.  He took them and he hid them in the earth in the midst of his tent.  As a result of his sin, he was stoned by the Israelites.  It was when he was stoned that the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger (Joshua 7:26).  God hates sin.  If the church doesn't repent when God reproves it, he will write Ichabod over the church.  When you read the letters to the seven churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, you see where Jesus points out the sins in that church.  He admonishes them to repent or he'll remove the candlestick.  God can't stand sin.  God won't bless a church that won't deal with sin.  Whenever a church member's in sin and they refuse to repent, the church is supposed to discipline him/her.  The purpose of church discipline is to shame those living in sin into recognizing that they've sinned and that they need to repent before fellowship can be restored. 

Many of the churches that once had the power of God are dead.  They've allowed sin and inquity to infiltrate the church.  I believe God will give a church a space for repentance.  If they refuse to repent, then He'll write Ichabod over the church.  The last church Jesus addressed in Revelation was Laodecia.  They were rich and increased with goods.  They felt they needed nothing.  Jesus warned them they were blind, miserable, wretched, poor, and naked.  Jesus beseeched them that if any man would hear his voice and open the door, He would come in to sup with him.  Jesus was knocking at the door inviting them to come in and fellowship with him.  Today there are churches that have allowed things to slip in their churches.  The Devil has planted people who have been a menace to the church.  The church has been torn asunder due to those Satan has planted in some of those churches.  Today there are churches that are in disarray and no longer display God's power and presence in their services.  It's tragic.  Jesus loves the church.  He gave himself for it.  If the church refuses to repent, then God will eventually write "Ichabod" over the door.  At what point God does that I don't know.  I know God's longsuffering and thank God for that.  However, there'll be a time that if churches that once displayed God's glory in them don't, repent, then Ichabod will be written over the door.  What a shame!