Watchman on the Wall

Southwest Radio Ministries: Welcome to Watchman on the Wall, a daily outreach of Southwest Radio Ministries and swrc.com. God is still on the throne, and prayer changes things.

Today, Greg Patton turns the millennial microscope on churches, and Larry Stam will help us share our faith with friends and family. It is so important that we hear from you this week. Watchman on the Wall and Southwest Radio Ministries are 100% funded by you. All of our programs, our publications, and resources are able to reach people around the world because of your prayers and financial gifts.

Will you please make a gift this week to help us stay financially strong? Please give today by calling 1-800-652-1144 or by visiting swrc.com. Your gift today will ensure that the daily, powerful message that God is still on the throne and prayer changes things will continue. Greg Patton's brand new book, Oh Say Can You See, is now available for pre-order. Greg is here ready to turn the millennial microscope on churches, the way it used to be, and addiction to the entertainment value of church services versus true worship.

Guest (Female): Greetings, dear friends. It's a great day to be talking about things from the Bible, about God's word, and about insights into our world today. We are back today with Dr. Greg Patton, the syndicated radio host, author, and great friend of Southwest Radio Ministries. Welcome back, Dr. Patton.

Greg Patton: Thank you, Elise. It is such an honor and a blessing to be with you for the third day. Thank you.

Guest (Female): Oh, I'm blessed. I'm blessed three times as much. We are focusing mostly on your newest book, which is Oh Say Can You See: Spiritual Blindness and the Rising Tide of Evil. We've talked about many cultural topics: AI, DEI, the deterioration of the family, political issues, and the sexual revolution so far this week.

I'd like to circle back—we've touched on it, you've touched on it numerous times, and you certainly focus on it some in the book—I'm concerned about what Revelation calls, or John in Revelation calls, the lukewarm church. What in the world is going on there? What are your insights into what we can do or should be doing?

Greg Patton: I don't think there's been a better question that you have asked over these three days than that one, because the majority of our audience is Christian and the majority probably go to church someplace. The question would be, "What's going on in your church, and are you comfortable there biblically?" The lukewarm church is a reality without question.

I think it describes most churches in this country today, and you alluded to Revelation 3:16: "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." I think if you're real in your faith, you know that so many churches today have absolutely compromised with the world and with Satan. I think it's happened in three major areas.

For whatever reason, I believe that we have softened the message of sin. I recall reading Jonathan Edwards, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, how people felt they were falling into hell. He was a very monotone speaker, almost like he was just reading his notes, but God used him in that one message in particular. People were holding onto the stanchions of the church feeling they were falling into hell. That message was that strong.

We don't have the Moodys today and all those that preached across America in the past. Where are those people? We have softened that message of sin and repentance, suggesting that somehow you can still do your thing, stay in your sin, and still be good with God and have a good position in the church. That's one problem.

I believe that we have replaced real biblical preaching—and I could give you many examples, but we don't have time—with a motivational talk, either a prosperity talk or a positive talk of some sort. The message is, "You're something special." Well, you are; you're made in the image of almighty God, but I think there needs to be a correctness applied to all of that terminology.

It's sad what's happened today. When I hear a good Bible message, oftentimes I'm not laughing or smiling as I leave the auditorium. I am under conviction, and I believe that's the way it's supposed to be. How do you get a changed life if I'm telling you you're wonderful all the time? You're lying to me. I'm not wonderful all the time. I have problems. All of us do. The words of a friend that can be tough sometimes are excellent. So we softened the message of sin and replaced the biblical preaching with a talk.

We focus an awful lot in the church on growth. That's important. How many are you running? Somehow growth has now outdistanced godliness. I think that's a major problem. This type of program, if it continues—and I believe that it will—is going to continue to weaken the church's influence and allow darkness to advance unchecked.

How the church was meant to be salt and light is all watered down today. Matthew chapter 5, verses 13 and 14: "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid."

Our Christianity today, as opposed to then, back in my day when I was growing up—and I talked about this in the first program—influenced people and their public life. Whether they were Christians or not, faith was respected, even among non-believers. That was back then. Today, faith is pushed off to the side or marginal at best.

Biblical convictions are labeled dangerous or hateful or racist or all those terms that come up. People are having trouble dealing with that, especially those that are older. They ask the questions that you and I have asked. "What's going on? This is not the way it was. How did we get out of that good valley?" The answer is again man turning away from God, listening to men rather than listening to God. I think we're seeing that in our country today.

So that's the short of it. I think those three points are all valid. If we're going to get back there, we've got to make some changes and we've got to give God His rightful position in the church, in the home, and in the country. That takes a lot. I get excited reading about those old politicians in America, those that started things. Everything was about God in some place. It's an amazing thing, and people don't realize that.

Today you don't hear it hardly at all, and if someone does, boy, you perk up your ears. What is his problem? What's her problem? It is not a problem. Being saved, knowing that heaven is your home, and serving your God faithfully, whether you get applause or tomatoes thrown at you, it's the right thing to do and to be today. So that's a brief answer to your question.

Guest (Female): And to continue thinking about our churches—and I don't mean to be casting aspersions upon churches because there are so many of them that are really following God's word and God's will—but there is such an emphasis on the entertainment factor once you walk into the church building, the sanctuary, or the auditorium. Where is that leading us at these mega-churches where it's supposed to entertain and tickle our ears?

Greg Patton: And that's it. The Bible talks about that term, tickling the ears. That's what we have today. Everybody likes music, some sort of music. There's just no question about it. And we are in so many ways feeding the flesh and somehow trying to give God the credit for that. You don't see much change in a person's life in that. Why do so many people race to get to these churches? I shared about one the other day that's come out of nowhere and is running thousands in just 24 months, and people drive up to 15 hours to get to that church.

I look it up on the internet, and sure enough, they are having some kind of a party at this place. Where is it going? I think it's going to lead us all back into a venue of worldliness, not toward God but away from Him. I'm sure Satan and his demons are just rejoicing with what they're witnessing today.

I know there are different thoughts on music. I remember listening to James Dobson one day and they brought up the topic of Christian rock music. Dobson was walking a fine line and he said, "I'm glad my dad isn't here today because he would set us straight on what real music is." He said of all the topics he had ever talked about on that radio program, the one that continually brings controversy and debate is music in the church. That has not changed.

When that worldly feeling comes into you and people say, "Oh, I'm excited, I want to raise my hands, I want to run around the auditorium," is that of God the Holy Spirit, or is that your flesh coming through, and do you know the difference? I think that's a big key. So much of what you see today you can see in the world.

I started out in evangelism going to the church and talking about radio and TV, and I carried that for almost 10 years as my sole topic. We had ratings that went on for weeks just on that alone. God is so very good. But there was a gal named Kelly Everts out in California who allegedly was saved. She was a former stripper, and she had the idea that she could do her striptease act on the street to attract men and then she'd present the gospel.

Oh heavens, people used to let their mouths fly open. I'm not even sure that would affect too many people anymore. But that was her whole thing, that she was going to use her body to attract the men and then share the gospel. My goodness, there's a right way and a wrong way to do everything. In sharing Christ, not everything goes, but many believe that it is. Whatever it takes to attract people, that's what we're going to do.

I think there's a proper biblical program to follow. We can still talk about and argue about whether we can have a guitar or a drum set on the stage. Every church is different. But we have brought so much of the world in: fireworks and clown acts and those of the LGBT doing a Sunday morning program. Where did all of this stuff come from? It was never in America in our past.

We have turned away from the word of God and its proper teaching to the ways of the world. What is the percentage of world versus the Bible in your church? God is good. You do the right thing, and God will absolutely bless and He will grow accordingly. But one of the sad things is that so many smaller churches every month by the hundreds are failing and closing their doors.

People are moving on to bigger and better works in their own eyes. Is it really a bigger and better work that is important? Can that church over there of 20 people be doing the job? Absolutely they can and should be, and for the most part they should not quit. Reassign yourself, reenlist to God's work. We need more men and women like that today.

Many of the old-timers have compromised. They say, "I'm tired of fighting it. Whatever's happened, I'm just going to go along with it. I'm not going to be around that long anyway." As long as you draw breath and know what is right, then you do it and get out there. That's my opinion. I'm sure there are those listening to the broadcast today who would have some other thoughts, but there's got to be a reason why these things are happening in America as they are. We need true Bible teaching and preaching to change if there's going to be any comeback in America today.

Guest (Female): Why do you think that God has allowed this deepening spiritual blindness not only in non-believers, but in believers and the confusion about what worship is and what our behaviors in life should be? Why has God allowed this?

Greg Patton: I think that's a good question that many Christians and certainly pastors have asked. There's the admonition of the word of God that we are to be perfect. I think God wants that. I think there's a teaching lesson. I tell people that I have learned personally more in the valleys of life than I ever have on the mountaintop. I'm a happy guy, a fun guy, and I've never really liked trouble.

I'm writing a book now on suffering and the number of things that I have been through personally, from financial issues to death to general trouble, can easily fill a 200-page book. I think a lot of people listening to your broadcast today on Watchman on the Wall are in the same position, really hurting, maybe really suffering with some loss. Somehow God uses that to make you more and more a man or a woman of God than you will ever be.

While I like the mountaintop—it's a nice place to be—there is not much happening spiritually up there. I think it's exposing man's making of church and religion today. Exactly why? What is the motive? We've had these things happen before all throughout scripture where God's people did their own thing. "Let's make this golden calf here." It doesn't take man very long to fall.

We think we're pretty strong and we're out there yelling the amens and shouting hallelujah. But all we need is a few things to go wrong or some better idea to come along, and we switch gears. It's an amazing thing. When I say that, I look at Greg Patton in the mirror. What are you thinking, Greg? How did you ever get on this course? That's been man's history from the beginning, from the garden right on to today.

We're taking a new direction away from God. He's allowing it. You think you have a better program there? You want a king? Okay, we'll give you King Church here and you run with it. See what happens. We know where this is going to go. I don't know if we'll witness the end of that in this lifetime, whether there will be a turnaround. Everybody has their own ideas on that, and I do as well.

It comes down to this: I can get discouraged. You can get discouraged. Working even at Southwest or Watchman on the Wall, any of us can. There's no perfect program out there. I can get discouraged with what I see, and God and I have to have a talk frequently. That's why I shared yesterday one of my favorites because it brings conviction to my heart.

Psalm 139:23 and 24: "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Do it, God. I'm not asking Greg Patton to search himself. I cheat when I do that. I'm asking God to search. Holy Spirit, tell me what I am doing wrong. We do indeed make mistakes. We pastors make mistakes, and we need to be willing to confess that and let people know that we are only human and that we want to be an instrument of God. We want to serve Him, whether in the pew or the pulpit, but we don't always do that. Man does some strange things now and then. God is God. He's going to do what He is going to do. I need to just be obedient and follow Him no matter what. That is so critical today.

Guest (Female): And we can't lose heart. I think that's the bottom line, and you've mentioned that before in our conversations the last couple days, that we just have to keep looking to Him for that blessed hope. We simply cannot lose heart and we can't stop trying.

Greg Patton: Absolutely, I agree with you 100%. If you and I are walking together and you lose it, I'll take the stuff, okay? You look to Him, the author and the finisher of your faith. Don't lose that. He started you out right, no question about it. You got saved. I think about when I first got saved. Our story's been told on Unshackled. It was such a revelation.

I cut off all my hair, stopped my favorite job being a rock disc jockey, stopped smoking, stopped drinking, and stopped swearing. I stayed home with my wife, and now I've had 52 years of staying home with my wife where I belong. Some do it that way, others are a little bit slower in certain ways. I've wanted to serve God and it's gotten sweeter every day.

There have been some really horrible days. I cried until I couldn't cry anymore, but I knew all along this was something God allowed and something He was right there by my side through. He'd never leave me nor forsake me. I know it may take a while, God, but we'll get over this. I'll get back on the horse and we'll start riding onto victory. It happens to all of us. Everybody listening knows exactly what I'm talking about right now. If you've been saved very long at all, you've been there and you've done that.

There are people out there who need your message. We all have one. Make sure you're getting your testimony out there and other things that will help that person grow in their faith in Jesus Christ. We can all do that. God said we can. Let's do it.

Guest (Female): Amen. Thank you for that inspiration. Thank you for a dose of reality. Through your book, you've given us many, many realistic views of what's going on in our world. I love your message that we have to hold up our end of the bargain as long as we have breath. We hope and we hope in Him.

Thank you so much, Dr. Patton, for all that you bring to our lives, those of us who listen to you and get to read your books and look at your DVDs. Thank you for the time that you've spent sharing with us about your new book, Oh Say Can You See, and we look forward to sharing that with others as we launch that book. Thank you, Dr. Patton. You inspire me and I know you inspire all those who listen and get to see you as pastor and hear you on the radio every day. God bless you, sir.

Greg Patton: Fantastic. Thank you so much. I want to say again, as far as Southwest Radio Ministries, I've never been associated with a greater group of people. The men and the women down there are so dedicated and I love them all. I can't wait to get together with them. Thank you for the privilege of being on Watchman on the Wall. It has been an honor. Thank you for giving us these three days together. It's been special. Elise, you know we love you, and God bless you, sis.

Guest (Female): Love you too, brother, and we will see you here in Bluff City very soon. We're thankful for that. God bless you.

Southwest Radio Ministries: Today, we're excited to announce the launch of Greg Patton's brand new book, Oh Say Can You See. This thought-provoking work will help you find guidance, godly wisdom, and hope for tomorrow. Syndicated radio host and pastor Dr. Greg Patton takes his "living in today's world" insights a step further in the book Oh Say Can You See.

He goes into the cultural shifts and the resulting vortex of evil that is engulfing contemporary American culture. Is the moral crisis in America a piece of the puzzle of the return of Christ? Find out in Oh Say Can You See. Pre-order your copy today when you call 1-800-652-1144. That's 1-800-652-1144. You can also order on our website, swrc.com. Dr. Patton takes on issues from addictions to AI, cancel culture to the attack on the family. Open your eyes, friends, look deeply into today's turmoil and its shifting sands. Then, look to your guidebook for direction. Oh Say Can You See by Greg Patton. Pre-order your copy today: 1-800-652-1144.

Jewish follower of Jesus, Larry Stam, comes now to share insight on how to reach others for Christ.

Larry Stam: Shalom, friends. Larry Stam here, so glad you are joining us as we continue in this teaching series, Serving in His Court: Biblical Principles for Personal Evangelism From the Heart of a Coach. In our last teaching, we introduced the idea of being able to deal with answering questions and objections to the Christian faith. This is very important for us to be able to have a handle on as a Christian witness to others.

In our last lesson—and I want to continue in this vein because it's very important—the first thing we do when someone poses a question or an objection to the Christian faith is find out if their inquiry or objection is sincere or insincere. We mentioned last time that sometimes people will raise a question or pose an objection just to jerk your chain. They're trying to brush you off and get you off their back. They're really not interested.

So it's appropriate to speak the truth in love and to be very direct and blunt and ask them, "Hey, do you want to know? Are you open to really finding out, or are you just asking a question or posing an objection because you don't want to talk about it? You want to avoid the issue?" That's the $64,000 question, if you will. Are they genuinely interested in getting an answer to their question, and if so, are they prepared to deal with the answer?

We must understand as witnesses for Jesus Christ that there is a consequence for anyone who engages honestly about Jesus and the Christian faith. The most profound consequence being, "Hey, what are you going to do if you find out that Jesus is exactly who He claimed to be?"

If God shows you the gospel is true, the Bible is His word, and Jesus is actually who He claimed to be—the Son of God, the Messiah, the one who died for your sins and rose from the dead—are you going to believe in Him? Are you going to put your trust in Jesus? It's very important that we put that out there because the consequence of believing in Jesus is important.

We've talked about it in the past. There are temporal consequences of believing in Jesus Christ that can be negative or painful. For example, as a Jewish believer in Jesus, I was disowned by my father in part because of my faith in Jesus Christ. As a missionary to my Jewish people, I've been called every name in the book and some names that are not in the book.

To the Jewish community at large, I'm persona non grata. As a follower of Jesus Christ, there can be some painful and negative temporal consequences. But the consequence of rejecting Jesus is eternal and ultimately much more painful. The positive consequence of trusting in Jesus Christ is the fact that I have abundant and eternal life. I'm reconciled to God. I have my sins forgiven. I have the promise of a place in God's heavenly abode, heaven, the New Jerusalem.

The consequence of believing in Jesus is a beautiful thing positively. But make no mistake, in the temporal realm, there can be real negative consequences of faith in Christ. Sometimes people don't want to know about Jesus because they don't want to surrender, they don't want to be accountable, or perhaps they're fearful of some of the negative consequences that can come about when someone trusts in the Lord.

Hebrews chapter 11, verse 1. And God has given us many reasons to believe. Dealing with this first objection I mentioned, I hope that's been helpful to you. In our next lesson, we are going to continue dealing with more objections and questions to the Christian faith, and until next time, friends, the Lord richly bless you and keep you. Shalom.

Southwest Radio Ministries: Has God removed His protection of America because of its corrupted culture? Find out in Dr. Greg Patton's brand new book, Oh Say Can You See. Pre-order your copy today by calling 1-800-652-1144. In Oh Say Can You See, Dr. Patton takes on issues from addictions to AI, cancel culture and attacks on the family, greed, pride, the new sexual revolution, and the responsibilities of the church in keeping their sheep on the right path.

Dr. Patton bases his answers on scripture, citing the actions and attitudes needed in citizens and the church to bring this country, which is rife with spiritual rebellion, moral confusion, and deception, back to the Shepherd. Pre-order your copy today when you call 1-800-652-1144. That's 1-800-652-1144. Oh Say Can You See by Dr. Greg Patton. Order today at swrc.com.

Tomorrow, Donald Perkins will be here with the next lesson in his Understanding Revelation series, so be sure to tune in. Watchman on the Wall is a production of Southwest Radio Ministries and is supported by faithful friends like you. Please visit our website, swrc.com.