December 6, 2016 
The nickels and noses racket!
(Milburn Cockrell, 1941-2002)
The average pastor is no longer a powerful, plain preacher–but a polite, polished politician!
We live in a time of big meetings, big churches, big church buildings, big preachers, and big church budgets. The failure or success of a church and its pastor–is judged by the number of nickels and noses that they have. In all too many cases, there is seen in this more Satanic pride, than spiritual piety.
In the craze for nickels and noses churches have replaced preachers and pastors, with puppeteers and pranksters. The gospel of Christ has been superseded by gimmicks, gadgets, and games. Psychology has taken the place of Holy Spirit conviction. The faith has been displaced for finance, fun, and foolishness. Church discipline has been relegated to the background, in order to swell the size of the church with religious hypocrites who might give a little money to the church now and then.
The nickels and noses racket has filled our churches with unconverted persons. We have far more churchianity than Christianity. Many church members are white-washed–but they are not blood-washed. Their names are upon the church roll–but they are not found in the Lamb’s book of life. Many have been reformed–but they have not been re-born. Many have been confirmed–but they have not been converted to Christ. There are so many lost people in our churches, that you cannot tell the difference between a church member and the unconverted. The reason is, because there is no difference. Both are headed to Hell as fast as time can carry them!
It has produced icy services–and cold, callous, complacent church members. Look at the average church! They have their robed choir, their cut and dried program, and their intellectual preaching. They have a beautiful edifice. They have all the organization and rituals one could ask for–but in most cases it is Spiritless! We have form without reality; we have organization without power; we have profession without possession. We have a form of godliness–without the power of it. We have religion without life.
It has caused pastors to spend more time worrying with goats, than feeding the sheep. The pastor nowadays must provide a spiritual diet for people who have no spiritual appetite. Like Ezekiel of old (Ezekiel 37:1-10), he must preach to dead, dry bones–but without the blessings which Ezekiel experienced. These dry, dead bones can’t hear–yet the pastor must keep preaching and pretend that someone is listening. These dry, dead bones do not grow in grace–for the dead do not grow. These baptized bones are in no way sensitive to the appeals made to them from the Scriptures by the pastor. They watch the clock on Sunday morning, hoping the pastor will preach a short sermon so they can soon go home and do what they really enjoy.
This idea has given us the gimmick gospel. Most church members want to be entertained–instead of instructed in the Word of God. They have far more delight in the gospel of amusement–than the gospel of the atonement. Gospel celebrities must be brought in to entertain these worldly church members. These members love to hear these clerical comedians who mix a few verses of Scripture with a large amount of humor. Special singing groups must be brought in too. These have the same dress, music, hair style, and manners of any rock and roll group. Our church services nowadays have become a carefully produced theatrical production for the delight of carnal Christians and religious rascals. The only difference between this entertainment and that in the local nightclub, is that it has a religious flavor! But they say it must be done to get nickels and noses!
While there are some exceptions, most big churches are worldly churches. They have high carnality–and low spirituality. Truth is very scarce in such fashionable churches, because the Word of God has been compromised to keep nickels and noses.
iChristian 
Just one example: I’ve seen that over time sexual immorality has increased among those in congregations. Does the pastor know about this? (I’m just posing the questions for reflection.) Do the congregation members know about this? Do those who are disobedient hide their sexual immorality, mainly to be able to continue in their sin and also not be confronted, if that were possible. So, with your answers, are any of those answers that are from your observation, the way that this sin/disobedience is supposed to be handled, according to the Bible? That’s just one example.
“Just one example: I’ve seen that over time sexual immorality has increased among those in congregations. Does the pastor know about this?”
Hi Debbie! Wow, now this is a huge problem. I’ve been born again for 12 years now and i didn’t know anything about this when i first stepped into a church building as i’d never been to church for my first 29 years. And now i’m simply stunned how church goers are completely blind to this…
I’ve lost count of how many people i talk to who are living with sexual immorality, fornication and every other licentious lust ensnared by the wyles of the devil. And i can say i’ve never heard a sermon in church about this, which breaks my heart.
On first reading the Bible i never knew the Truth at all It was like the boy in the film “Neverending Story” where he open the book and is covered by a bright light from the pages! Seriously, it is still like that. I had never knew that marriage was anything special, i just knew that if you got bored then get another woman, there are plenty more fish in the sea…so i was told. And that was if you’d got bored with one night stands etc would you even consider marriage. So when i read all of the Glorious passages about Holiness, Purity & God’s Love i fell on my face and was completely undone.
I never knew there was a different way to live, the way God commands us to live, and to love, and to be responsible for a precious bride(a daughter of God) like my lovely Wife Sarah. I had never even seen them as women, but objects. Now the Almighty God in trusting me with one of His precious daughters….I needed help, and He never leaves us alone but “it is written”.:D
Sorry for my random ramblings, i’m tying to touch on too many facets at once. lol. I suppose what i’m trying to say is…i didn’t expect to find the same amount of this particular sin in the church. And if we live by, and are Sanctified by His Truth then why do other not even see it as a sin?
I know i’m repeating myself but i think we need Preachers of the Word(the solid Truth in Love) again. This modern, worldly, ungodly, sinful way of preaching is just trying to make them feel better as they travel the highway to Hell. It really is deeply upsetting me.
Debbie, thanks as always for your wisdom filled comments they really bless me and challenge me too. 😀
I agree, I too was clueless, before knowing Christ-we all are. We wouldn’t need Him otherwise 🙂 But I was getting at those that are ‘saved’ -I think they think they are but may not be which is not my judgement-my point was that they attend worship service side-by-side with God’s people, and continue with their sin, knowingly. The problem after that point, is, 1. does the pastor know-No, but he is supposed to (so he can confront it/remove it from his congregation, as it’s shepherd), 2. do others know? Yes, but they do not confront it and instead say, for example, ‘that’s between him/her and God’-which is a worldly response, not a response of Christ’s followers. 3. Does the sinner hide it? Yes, when they should be confessing and repenting. So all three categories are responsible for keeping sin in the congregation. This is a general example, but if it’s a reality in a congregation, 1. aren’t we supposed to be confronting sin? All of us? Instead of letting it continue? 2. How would we expect our congregations to be pure in front of God when we worship Him together if we are not confronting sin in our congregations, but by looking away, allowing it to exist in our congregations?
Hey Debbie! Sorry i think i missed your point totally. lol. I will have to slow down my screenreader on these deeper comments! 😀
I can’t remember a time when our Ministers did a sermon on Holiness, Sanctification and especially sexual immorality. Wow that’s terrible. Church discipline and repentance are fundamental to living by the Spirit and not by the flesh. Unfortunately it is being neglected by our shepherds, leaders & the congregation so we have sheep not getting fed, but getting tired so the devil can just pick them off. And also we have the goats that are not interested in any of this.
Debbie your comment hits me hard and i think i can be doing much more in this area. I pray for Truth in Love and not one without the other. Once again Acts 7 and Stevens stoning comes to mind whenever i talk about this subject in church. 😀
Purity and the refining fire are also not talked about as they only want to know what makes them happy. God forbid.
No, I just didn’t want to be confusing, and a lot of my comments tend to be on a deeper level than just ordinary interactions typically are-and that’s not always welcome-but I understand. But in regard to our discussion, I thought about something today, that if we simply read over the messages to the churches in Revelation, we can see where we are wrong, in any congregation, by placing their example side-by-side with our congregations. That would give us clarity. Does that make sense? Thanks for the comments and discussion Steve, and as always your amazing blog!
Hey Debbie! I love the deep comments, I also prefer to be on a deeper level than just ordinary interactions.! 😀
I totally agree on placing the examples of Revelation churches alongside our churches. It is so rich in Truth and instruction. I was searching my blog for Revelation as i was sure i’d done a similar post on what you are talking about. I found this that you may find interesting:
https://steverebus.com/2013/12/04/god-means-what-he-says/
I love our discussions, they really help lots.I love the way God is using this blog to not only bless others…but i think He mainly uses it to nail myself! 😀 As i go back and read older posts, i know they are meant for me. I know i only post things that hit me, so i post them hoping they’ll help someone else too! 😀
Yours in Christ, Steve.
Your blog is a great blessing to me, and the discussion surely is! Thanks for the link. God bless you brother.