The Church of Christ right from the start has always swum against the prevailing cultural tides. Her Foundation (Christ) was crucified by the powers that were, for contravening their sinful social-economic and political substructures. He too swam against the tide, as the Prophet like Moses and the end to which all authentic prophets pointed.

Those who announced the coming of Christ were a persecuted people as well. Jeremiah was in and out of prison, and so was Daniel. Tradition has it that Isaiah was sawn asunder, and Zechariah son of Berechiah was murdered on the altar for delivering scorching warnings to the impenitent (Matt 23:35).

The Apostles were all killed except for John who was exiled, for what the ancient Roman historian Tacitus called ‘their hatred of mankind.’ Christians, it is said, hated mankind. The reason was that they did not share in the prevailing pagan values and way of life. They were different, their life testified to their unique call as authentic prophets, a call to live as aliens in this fallen world.

You will see this antagonism in Peter’s first letter, in which Christians are reminded that they live in a hostile world.

The Church has always been called to be a prophetic voice to a profoundly degenerate generation, a beacon of hope announcing the impending doom. Her mission is to cry out “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues” (Rev 18:4).

But the voice of the modern church hardly cries. It is true that the hatred of the world towards the authentic church has not changed. Except that many, who hold the banner of the church cannot be considered enemies of the secular world any longer, but friends.

The world that crucified Christ can hardly find many of His followers guilty of anything. We no longer stand in contradistinction to the culture of the day. We merely assimilate to the spirit of the age.

The postmodern seeker-sensitive church is insensitive to the authentic call, to be a voice that cries in the wilderness calling unbelievers to repentance, to abandon their anti-God ways, to lay down their arms in surrender.

As I spend more time in the Western world, I see this disturbing reality. Whether it is the feministic egalitarian agenda, or the LGBTQ movement’s infiltration of the church, or silence on such things as racism and abortion; the fear of swimming against the cultural tide has kept the Church from exercising her prophetic call and consequently obeying Christ.

We fear losing members and friends, or television and publishing rights. We have placed our focus more on filling the pews than preaching the Gospel of Christ that embraces all men but insists on their genuine conversion.

We even fear having a conversation about things that scripture is so clear about, carefully crafting hermeneutical excuses as to why a plain text of scripture cannot possibly mean what it inevitably says. We do not only say ‘come as you are’ but we rather add ‘there is nothing wrong with you at all.’ Quite soon, the world will be told ‘stay where you are, there is no need to come.’

We are cowards, and we have shamed the Master who called us to confess Him before the public boldly.

We are cowards in need of repentance. We are cowards for calling evil good or good evil. For not speaking up against injustice in the name of ‘peace’ or ‘unity.’ We are cowards for fearing those who can only kill the body but cannot harm both body and soul in everlasting torment. We are cowards for dreading to confess Christ and His full message.

We are cowards for seeking comfort rather than the truth, for pretending to love God’s people more than God. We are wrong to divorce Love from Truth or supposing they do not belong together. We have sinned, we have denied our Master, and repentance must begin with us, as judgment will undoubtedly do. I still hear Isaiah crying to his own;

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight! (Isaiah 5:20-21)

Isaiah shows us that authentic prophets call the world to repentance at the risk of having empty pews. They do so at the cost of their life, their reputation, and their carrier. Authentic prophets preach the pain of the cross as much as its power. They swim against the cultural tide rather than assimilate to it. Not that they seek antagonism, but that by nature the message of the cross is foolishness to the perishing and the world. Christ’s idea is that if the world loves you, it is an indicator that you do not belong to Him.

Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. (John 15:20)

Prophetic preaching is that which calls the world to repentance, to change direction, philosophy, and teaching. Prophetic preaching is by definition, not seeker sensitive, but Christ-exalting. And it is costly, very costly.