Ichabod...The name your church doesn't want

I Samuel 4:21-22--Then she named the child Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel!" because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband.  And she said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured."

     Ichabod, what an inglorious name.  Sadly, it is a name that could be written over many church doors today.  The glory, or presence, of the Lord has departed from their midst.  They have chosen to ignore the pleas of the Spirit and to turn their ears away from His rebuke.  So, in turn, He has departed.  What do you call a Christian without Christ?  A church without God?  A fellowship without the Spirit?   Dead!  That is the state of modern Christianity...Dead!  John Piper once said, "If you erect enough regulations and build a big enough endowment, an institution can endure for decades after the spiritual dynamic that brought it into existence is gone."  Need an example?  Look to Yale and Harvard University.  Both started by Christian men, desiring to further Christian teaching.  Would you say they have the same desire today?  Far from it.  How can this mess be fixed?  How can a church that desires to have the Presence of Almighty God be sure He is present?  Let me provide one suggestion from Scripture.

     The Sure Foundation.  Matthew 16:18 says, "An I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."  What is the "rock" that Christ will build His church upon?  Verse 16 tells us that it was the confession that Peter made saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Every true church must be built upon this very confession, that Jesus is the Christ(Anointed One), the Son of God.  How could one tell if this is the foundation their church is built upon?  What is their view of Scripture and how often is it used in the service?  Many groups today view the Bible as outdated, unreliable, and corrupted by man.  Some view it as a book of good moral stories, lacking authority or power to change man.  It is these groups that should be very concerned about the presence of the Lord.  Where would your church rank?  Do you fellowship with those that view His Word as living and powerful or dead and worthless?  Are your "brothers" in Christ more concerned about the predicament of the society or the predicament of their soul?  Examine to see if the name Ichabod would fit in your fellowship.

     May the Lord dwell richly in those that call upon the name of the Lord with a pure heart.