An Open Letter to the Church: Return to His Word

To the pastors, elders, teachers, and believers who profess the name of Jesus Christ

We are living in a time when many churches have become comfortable with the very things God has called sin. What previous generations of Christians recognized as rebellion against God’s design is now often celebrated, affirmed, and defended from the pulpit. Entire denominations have abandoned clear biblical teaching in favor of cultural acceptance. Men and women are assured that they can continue in lifestyles that Scripture explicitly condemns while remaining in fellowship with God without repentance. Yet the Word of God has not changed. The Lord still calls sinners to repentance. Jesus did not come to affirm us in our sin; He came to save us from it. The gospel message has always been, “Repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

The issue is not whether God loves sinners. Scripture is clear that God demonstrated His love toward us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8). The issue is whether the Church has the authority to redefine what God has already spoken. We do not. The Church is not called to edit Scripture, soften Scripture, or apologize for Scripture. We are called to proclaim it faithfully. When a brother sins, the biblical response is neither hatred nor celebration. It is loving correction. Jesus outlined church discipline in Matthew 18. Paul instructed churches to confront open sin. The purpose was never destruction but restoration. Yet many churches today refuse to confront sin at all. In doing so, they have traded biblical love for cultural approval. For example:

“What we believe” from the Westminster Presbyterian Church, Wilmington, DE

The warning to leaders couldn’t be more serious. Scripture repeatedly warns that teachers will receive stricter judgment. God holds shepherds accountable for what they teach His people. The prophet Ezekiel condemned shepherds who fed themselves rather than the flock. Paul warned the Ephesian elders that wolves would enter among them. Jude warned of false teachers creeping into the church unnoticed. Yet today, countless pastors stand behind pulpits offering motivational speeches, life coaching, and positive thinking while rarely opening the Scriptures. Congregations leave feeling encouraged but remain biblically illiterate. Many sermons contain more stories, jokes, and personal opinions than the Word of God itself. The pulpit was never intended to be a stage for self-help lectures. It was given for the proclamation of God’s truth.

The prosperity teachers who dominate television and social media have only accelerated this problem. They promise health, wealth, success, and earthly fulfillment while minimizing repentance, holiness, and the cost of discipleship. They speak often of blessing but little of obedience. They speak often of dreams but little of sin. They speak often of self but little of Christ. The result is a generation that views Christianity as a means of personal advancement rather than surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The apostles preached a gospel that called people to take up their cross. Much of modern Christianity offers a gospel that asks people to pursue their best life now.

At the same time, large portions of the Church have embraced theological systems that place enormous emphasis on modern political Israel while often neglecting the clear teaching of the New Testament concerning the people of God. Scripture teaches that salvation has always been through faith and that all who belong to Christ are heirs according to the promise given to Abraham (Galatians 3:29). The New Testament repeatedly directs believers’ attention to Christ, His kingdom, and His Church. Yet many congregations devote more time to current events in the Middle East than to the Great Commission. Entire prophetic systems have been built around newspaper headlines while discipleship, holiness, and evangelism are neglected. The Church must be careful not to become so consumed with speculative prophecy that it forgets the mission Christ has already given.

The abandonment of biblical authority can also be seen in the growing rejection of God’s design for church leadership. Scripture plainly establishes qualifications for pastors and elders. These qualifications are not cultural suggestions but divine commands. Paul wrote, “I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man” (1 Timothy 2:12). The qualifications for overseers repeatedly describe the office in masculine terms and assign the governing and teaching authority of the church to qualified men. This does not diminish the value, intelligence, gifting, or ministry of women. Scripture honors faithful women throughout its pages. Women teach, disciple, evangelize, serve, encourage, and strengthen the Church in countless ways. Yet God has established specific roles within the church, and obedience requires submission to His design rather than our preferences.

Perhaps most troubling is the widespread absence of discipleship. For many churches, attendance has become the goal. Success is measured by parking lots, budgets, and social media engagement. Yet Jesus never commanded His followers to build crowds. He commanded them to make disciples. A disciple is not merely someone who attends a service once a week. A disciple studies the Word of God, grows in holiness, serves others, shares the gospel, and learns to obey everything Christ commanded. Church attendance is not the finish line. It is the starting line. The Great Commission does not end with conversion. It continues through a lifetime of growth, learning, and obedience.

Many believers today know more about politics, entertainment, sports, and current events than they know about Scripture. They can quote television personalities but struggle to quote the Words of Christ. They follow influencers more closely than apostles. This is not entirely the fault of the congregation. For decades, churches have often substituted programs for discipleship and entertainment for doctrine. As biblical literacy declines, deception increases. This is precisely why the Bereans were commended in Acts 17. They did not blindly accept what they were told. They searched the Scriptures daily to see whether those things were true. Every believer must do the same.

This letter is not written in anger but in concern. The Church does not need better marketing, trendier music, larger stages, or more sophisticated programs. It needs a return to the Word of God. It needs pastors who fear God more than public opinion. It needs elders who guard sound doctrine. It needs believers who hunger for truth. It needs repentance where there has been compromise and courage where there has been silence.

The solution to the problems facing the Church has never changed. “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2). The answer is not found in culture, politics, or personalities. It’s found in the unchanging truth of God’s Word.

The Church belongs to Jesus Christ. He purchased it with His own blood. He alone determines its doctrine, mission, and message. Therefore, let us return to His Word, let us preach what He preached, let us believe what He revealed, and let us obey what He commanded. And let us contend earnestly for the faith once delivered unto the saints until He comes.

Sola Scriptura. Sola Fide. Christus Solus.

Amen.

George R. Hobbs Jr.

Founding Pastor

New Disciple Fellowship

Kent County, Delaware