The tragedy is not that the world rejects the truth; it always has. The tragedy is that the Church, more often than not, no longer has the courage to proclaim it as written.

The real issue before us today is not differences in style or methods, but whether the Church still fears God enough to proclaim his truth without compromise.

In Orange, the Easter “Family” Festival organisers used banners promoting the event with the word “Easter” barely visible. On Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week, the festival that should have been a clear, unapologetic proclamation of the crucified and risen Christ, the redeemer of sinful humanity, was diluted, softened, reshaped—and made “safe.”

On Resurrection Sunday, the very foundation of our faith, the event without which there is no Christianity, the highlight at one local church was a helicopter dropping 7,000 Easter eggs on the church lawn for the excited crowd.

The concern isn’t about the eggs—it’s about what is central. What will the children remember? Christ crucified and risen? Or the excitement of getting lots of chocolate Easter eggs?

Charles Spurgeon was right: “The Church exists for the glory of God, not for the entertainment of men.”

When did the Church forget that? Surely, we knew it once. Easter is not ambiguous. It is not cultural. It is not a generic “family-friendly” moment designed to entertain. It is the central declaration of the Christian faith: Christ died for sin and every person is commanded to repent.

“He was pierced for our transgressions…”
— Isaiah 53:5
“God commands all people everywhere to repent.”
— Acts 17:30

Losing the Fear of God to the Fear of Man

Somewhere along the way, the Church has lost the weight of what it has been entrusted with. The day that proclaims Christ crucified and risen —the day that declares victory over sin and death —has been reshaped to make it acceptable to a world that does not know him.

The gospel is offensive. Yes. But it is the gospel that Jesus himself preached.

Read More