CHURCH:
SPIRITUAL CONDITION; CHURCH: APATHY; FELLOWSHIP: NOT THE ANSWER

Times are bad in the kingdom and getting worse. The tendency is to settle into a rut, and we must get out of it.…

When God sends some preacher to say this to a congregation and the congregation is even half ready to listen to him, they say to themselves, “I think the pastor is right about this. We are in a rut, aren’t we? No use fighting it. I think we ought to do something about this.” Then 99.99 percent of the time the remedy prescribed will be, “Let’s come together and eat something. I know we are in a rut. We don’t see each other often enough. We ought to get to know each other better, so let’s come together and eat something.” I have no objection to fellowship, but it is not the answer to what is wrong with us.…

I am quite sure that when the man of God thundered, “You have stayed long enough in this place. You are going around in circles. Get you out and take what is given to you by the hand of your God,” nobody got up and said, “Mr. Chairman, let’s eat something.” Eating probably would not have helped.

Deuteronomy 1:6–8; Deuteronomy 2:3

Rut, Rot or Revival: The Condition of the Church, 11, 12, 13.