Am I yielding to the voice of the Holy Spirit or to the voices of people or the voice of the zeitgeist?
I must remember that the voices of mankind can sometimes sound like the voice of the Holy Spirit. Just because I go to church on Sunday doesn’t mean its God guiding me to go. Someone might say that the flesh doesn’t want to go to church. The devil doesn’t want you to go to church so it must be the voice of the Holy Spirit that is instructing and I am obeying. This can to true if and only if your main reason for going is Jesus and not the things He offers.
There are many people in local churches and denominations that go to church for the primary reason of wanting to belong to a group of people. That’s fine in the beginning of ones journey to Jesus. For example if your primary thought as you prepare to go to church is "I cant wait to see so-and-so" or a myriad of other reasons someone might want to go to a gathering of people. Then you are beginning or you’ve never left the beginning stage of your journey in Jesus.
If it’s not, "I can’t wait to meet Jesus" in the place where two or more are gathered and if the “so called” leaders aren’t being a constant reminder of this truth, then you are probably going to church by yielding to the voice of people or personal desires.
I’ve done this. I would go to church and read my bible and then witness the leaders being disobedient to the word of God. I voted on boards to allow the pastor to get away with not telling the truth on their taxes. There’s this housing allowance benefit that clergy get. Your monthly housing cost can be exempted from taxes. Things like rent or mortgage or household maintenance. These would average between $1500 and $2000 a month, however, they would claim up to $4000. By doing this they would shift some of there salary into this housing allowance benefit in order to keep them from a higher tax bracket. Though legal it was still dishonest. A lie. And I would go along in order to get along and the world looks on and says welcome.
Romans 2:23-24 (NIV)
[23] You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? [24] As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
Even though I recognized it at the time, I “went along to get along” in order to be a part of this group of people. At that time in my life it wasn’t about Jesus that I went to church. I literally ignored the voice of the Holy Spirit in order to listen to the voice of my flesh. I wanted peoples approval more then wanting to hear Jesus say “well done good and faithful servant.” This is where the enemy loves to have people who look like they’re yielding to the voice of the Holy Spirit but are not. This is idolatry within the church.
[16] Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
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