Ecclesiastical Cannibalism

Does the title of this post surprise you? Are you shocked by it? The reality is that this is going on in today's pluralist churches - those churches that no longer know what they believe. Given that very many congregations and not a few elderships are unconverted, evangelical minsters are being 'called' to minister in what are essentially missionary situations. The church authorities mistakenly assume that these 'mission stations' are true churches of Christ, but the man who ministers there knows better.
They know, for example, that not all those who profess faith in Christ have much interest in Him. Not all those who are accepted as Christians, are genuine believers. But because the eldership has already accepted them as Christians, they are just that! When the faithful minister preaches the true Gospel of Christ, it is these very people who object most vociferously.
At times their opposition to Christ and the Gospel is naked and bare-faced - they simply hate it! While at others, it is more subtle and subdued; but it is nonetheless real. These people dream up other distractions in a bid to divert the true minister from his high calling - to be a preacher of the Gospel. Sometimes, objection is made to the length of the sermons, but this is merely a tactic that spells heart-hatred for the truth. Others claim that church tradition is against the Gospel emphasis, and ought not be continued.
Then there are the wreckers who decide to 'vote with their feet' or by withholding their offerings. Their hatred of the gospel is such that they will not even support the work of liberal and ecumenical churches where there are Gospel preachers.
What makes the situation worse is that the church authorities and courts usually weigh in behind the trouble-makers, and refuse to support the minister of Christ. God's servants are left with little or no help - from a human perspective - a devastating experience indeed.
Yet these valiant men seek only the glory of Christ by the conversion of souls; they just want to see people coming to know and love Christ; they want to bring as many people to heaven with them as they possibly can. They do not want to see sinners dying without Christ and going to a lost sinners hell for all eternity. Yet they are blamed for that very thing!
And the church authorities? Well, they want to see only the money coming in to church funds, regardless of how many church members die without Christ. Ministers are being sacrificed on the alters of expediency and pragmatism, and there are few who care.
And if that is not a tragedy, I don't know what is!