We’ve all heard about seeker-friendly churches.
The idea is to get people in the door by any ‘attractive’ means possible, in the hope they might learn something about scripture while there. It also involves a simple, watered down message to prevent scaring people away. On the surface, the idea sort of makes sense. But is it scriptural? And does it result in good fruit?
Moving away from the mainstream church and into Torah observance, should the seeker-friendly concept be welcomed in Torah fellowship?
This is a big deal.
What I’m going to write is probably not going to be well received by most, even within the Torah community.
I propose that the idea of being seeker friendly actually equates to being tolerant of those in rebellion to the word of Yehovah.
The “Torah-portion” format tends to guarantee the content of any given teaching, so the issue is not about a watered down message.
In my experience, the seeker-friendly Torah fellowship is one that allows members to be in open rebellion to the Word.
They come.
They hear.
They eat pie.
And then they don’t do the things of Torah.
Should we allow anyone and everyone to be in fellowship?
Even if they don’t adopt the words and the ways of Yehovah?
We are not called to be a tolerant people.
We are called to be a set-apart people.
We are called to obey the instructions of our Creator.
ALL of His commands, not just the ones we like.
For example:
Deuteronomy 12:28
Take care and listen to all these words that I am commanding you, so that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the eyes of Yehovah your God.
Deuteronomy 6:25
It will be righteousness to us, if we take care to do all this commandment before Yehovah our God, just as He has commanded us.’
Deuteronomy 11:22
“For if you will diligently keep all this mitzvah [commandment] that I am commanding you to do—to love Yehovah your God, to walk in all His ways and to cling to Him…
Deuteronomy 5:29-30
“So you must take care to do as Yehovah your God
has commanded you—do not turn aside to the right or to the left. 30 You are to walk in all the way that Yehovah your God has commanded you, so that you may live and it may be well with you and you may prolong your days in the land that you will possess.
This is the simple truth of scripture, that we are to obey ALL that He commanded.
Are we instructed to water down the message so that those in open rebellion to Yehovah might be attracted?
Nope.
People who rebel against Yehovah have a very difficult time in scripture. We see it over and over again, if we are willing to study it.
Do we see these “Old Testament” stories as irrelevant and not applicable today?
Or do we see these stories as a warning to us, so we might avoid the pitfalls of their disobedience?
Does Yehovah take these things seriously?
What happened with Aharon’s sons when they brought strange fire before Yehovah at the Tabernacle?
They were consumed by fire.
What happened when the people made a golden calf?
The Levites were sent among the camp, to randomly slay anyone and everyone in their path with the sword.
What happened when Korah led a rebellion against Mosheh and Aharon?
He and his people were sucked into the earth. The people, having learned nothing, continued their rebellion the next day and Yehovah sent a plague among them. 14,700 people died in just moments…
What happened when a man knowingly and defiantly violated the Sabbath, intending to spite Yehovah?
He was stoned to death outside the camp.
What happened when the people were impatient and complained about manna?
Yehovah sent fiery serpents to bite and kill them.
I could go on and on and on.
There are many examples.
But here is the gist of it:
We are to hear His voice and follow Him.
We are to value His instructions for living.
We are to trust Him.
We are to follow Him wholly and completely.
Of the two or three million people in the Exodus from Egypt, only two male adults were allowed to see the promise.
Joshua representing the Hebrews, and Caleb representing the mixed multitude among them.
Why were they allowed into the promise land?
Because they followed Yehovah wholly and completely.
Numbers 32:11-12
11 ‘The men who came out of Egypt, from 20 years old and upward, will not see the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, for they have not followed after Me with a whole heart— 12 except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they were wholehearted after Yehovah.’
I study these stories and warnings in scripture.
I take them to heart.
Jeremiah 16:14-15 tell us there will be a second exodus.
“Therefore, the days are quickly coming,” declares Yehovah, “when it will no longer be said. ‘As Yehovah lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.’ 15 Rather, ‘As Yehovah lives, who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had banished them.’ So I will bring them back into their land that I gave to their fathers.
Are people talking about this second exodus, and not speaking of the exodus from Egypt?
Nope.
That means it has not yet happened, but it is going to happen.
For those involved in this second exodus, it is extremely important for them to know and understand what happened to the people of the first exodus.
If this second exodus happens during our lifetime…
You do not want to be the guy complaining about manna.
You do not want to be the guy growing impatient and longing for your previous life in Babylon.
You do not want to be the guy rebelling against Yehovah and his spokesman/leaders.
We have these stories for a reason. They are not just for our entertainment or casual reading. They are not for bible trivia contests. We need to know and understand them and this is why:
Ecclesiastes 1:9-11
What has been is what will be,
and what has been done will be done again.
There is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything about which is said,
“Look! This is new!”?
It was already here long ago,
in the ages long before us.
11 There is no remembrance for former things,
and things yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow.
With this in mind, how does all of this relate to today’s Torah fellowships?
I have been involved in several Torah fellowships here locally.
Tracy and I left them because of an overwhelming presence of seeker-friendly-lukewarm behavior and attitudes.
The fellowships are full of really nice people. But the majority are in open rebellion against Yehovah in numerous ways.
Not honoring and observing Shabbat. Some due to having work schedules that include the Shabbat. Others who honor the Shabbat, unless they get tickets to the football game. Or if a new movie is released they have been waiting months to see. Or if a friend wants to go out to eat together.
The majority do not wear tzitzits, even though they have studied about them. Some just don’t feel like it. Some feel like they are too mature in Torah to need them. Others (including leaders) openly admitted they were angry with Yehovah and refuse to wear tzitzits in intentional rebellion. Some said God told them not to wear tzitzits. Even worse are the ones who wear tzitzits on Shabbat when they will be seen by men, but do not wear them during the week if you happen to run into them.
We experienced the seeker-friendly ideas in Torah fellowships. People who have no love for the ways of Yehovah are allowed to be a part of the fellowship. I am not speaking of new people who are just learning Torah. I am speaking of people who have been in Torah fellowships for years…
They are happy to join in the feast day celebrations and fun.
They are happy to join in the Shabbat fellowship and potluck dinner.
They are happy to listen to the studies, but choose not to do the things spoken of in Torah.
The majority of people we’ve met in Torah fellowships pick and choose what they are willing to do. They are not willing to follow wholly and completely, like Joshua and Caleb.
Is it enough to attend fellowship, but not do the things they learn?
James 1:22-25
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror— 24 for once he looks at himself and goes away, he immediately forgets what sort of person he was. 25 But the one who looks intently into the perfect Torah, the Torah that gives freedom, and continues in it, not becoming a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts—he shall be blessed in what he does.
If we love our brother as ourselves, we should encourage them to be doers of the word, not just the hearing of it.
I’ve been accused of being unloving because I encourage others to do all of the things of Torah, just as Yehovah told us over and over again in Deuteronomy.
Do ALL that I have commanded you this day…
It is important to Yehovah, so it should be important to people who claim to follow Him.
But we often see this is not the case.
Do we adopt ‘seeker friendly’ behavior and pretend everyone is OK?
Do we pretend people are not in rebellion to the word?
Do we include them, hoping they will one day fully follow Yehovah?
What does scripture say about it?
That is where we should get our answer.
Numbers 15 tells us the recourse for those who commit sin by accident, without knowing.
But here is what happens to those who sin willingly:
Numbers 15:30-31
30 “But the person who sins defiantly, whether native or outsider, reviles Yehovah and that person is to be cut off from his people. 31 Because he has despised the word of Yehovah and has broken His commandment, that person will certainly be cut off—his guilt will remain on him.”
Do you understand?
If we learn about honoring Shabbat, or if we learn about making and wearing tzitzits, what happens if we rebel against these commands and others by not doing them?
— That person reviles Yehovah
— That person is cut off from the people
— That person despises the word of Yehovah
— Again, cut off and his guilt remains upon him.
If we have people in Torah fellowships who don’t feel like doing the things of Torah, how should we respond?
Should we be seeker-friendly, keeping them in the fellowship because they are nice and we like them?
Not according to Numbers 15.
If they learn the ways of Torah, and are defiant, they are cut off.
This is not my opinion, but simply what Yehovah has commanded.
What happens if they do the stuff they like, but reject the things they dislike in Torah? Or only do the things they like when it is convenient for them?
It’s ok to follow Yehovah partially, right?
I refer you back to the Exodus story again. Yehovah was not pleased with His chosen people because they did not follow him wholeheartedly, and they suffered for it.
Is there anything in the New Testament that mirrors this concept?
Surely, this has changed.
Surely, we can follow Yehovah as we please, right?
John 3:36
He who trusts in the Son has eternal life. He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
Umm, that’s not good…
Hebrews 10:26-31
26 For if we keep on sinning willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but only a terrifying expectation of judgment and a fury of fire about to devour the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the Torah of Moses dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severe do you think the punishment will be for the one who has trampled Yeshuah Messiah underfoot, and has regarded as unholy the blood of the covenant by which he was made holy, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know the One who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “Yehovah will judge His people.” 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
uh-oh… Even worse!!
Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, and drive out demons in Your name, and perform many miracles in Your name?’ 23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’”
The words of Messiah.
The scariest four words in all of scripture: “I never knew you.”
Neither the New Testament nor the Old Testament supports a seeker-friendly approach to fellowship and congregation.
Being seeker friendly is a man-made concept.
Yehovah is not seeker friendly.
His inspired Word is not seeker-friendly.
People have two choices:
They can turn their hearts to Yehovah and submit to Him.
Or they can choose not to.
If they do, then their veil is removed and they are allowed to understand the truth of scripture:
2Corinthians 3:14-16
14 But their minds were hardened. For up to this very day the same veil remains unlifted at the reading of the ancient covenant, since in Messiah it is passing away. 15 But to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart. 16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
Messiah says that knowledge of the truth is withheld from some people intentionally. Why??? Does that make sense?
Matthew 13:11-17
He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise, they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
Some people profess a love for Yehovah and Yeshua Messiah, but their actions show us they are not submitted to Him.
Their disobedience shows us they do not value His Word.
Messiah told us this, three times:
John 14:15
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
John 14:21
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.
John 15:10
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
What if someone claims to love and follow Messiah, but does not do the things He says? Should we keep them in our fellowship?
Our culture says yes.
Our culture says to welcome them, love them, and maybe eventually they will finally commit to Yehovah.
This is a harsh truth, but it is the truth:
1John 2:3-6
3 Now we know that we have come to know Him by this—if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God is truly made perfect. We know that we are in Him by this— 6 whoever claims to abide in Him must walk just as He walked.
Claiming to know and love Messiah does nothing for us.
Doing the things He asks of us is how He knows we love Him.
We can say whatever we want to say, but if we do not keep His commands, then the truth is not in us.
Luke 6:46-49
Why do you call Me ‘Master, Master’ and do not do what I say? 47 Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and does them, I will show you what he is like. 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock. And when a flood came, the torrent burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built.
49 “But the one who hears yet does not do is like a man who built a house upon land without a foundation. When the torrent burst against it, immediately it collapsed—and the destruction of that house was great!”
Doing what Messiah says is our firm foundation.
Not doing as He says will result in our destruction.
Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’
The things I’m showing here, using scripture as my source, are very hard things to absorb.
We’ve been taught something different our whole lives.
Even those who have left the mainstream churches and entered into “Torah-Observant” fellowship have a hard time wrapping their heads around this idea.
Those who know the word, but choose not to do it are to be cut off from the people.
Numbers 15 commands it. This is not my idea or my opinion.
Everyone is welcome in fellowship, right?
What does Messiah tell us about it?
Matthew 7:6-7
6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs; otherwise, they will trample them under their feet, then turn and rip you to shreds.
7 “Ask, and it shall be given to you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it shall be opened.
What good is it to tell someone about the gospel message if they hate it? Do not cast it before them, as we are told in verse 6.
Verse 7 explains a bit more…
If someone is asking, THEN it shall be given.
If someone is seeking, THEN they shall find.
If someone is knocking, THEN it will be opened.
What if someone is NOT asking, seeking, or knocking?
Do not cast your pearls before them…
They don’t want them, and we are told not to give them…
How can we tell if someone is seeking?
They will hear the word and love it.
They will hear the word and do it.
What does Messiah tell us to do with people who hear the truth, but won’t accept it?
Matthew 10:11-15
11 “Whatever town or village you shall enter, find out who in it is worthy and stay there until you leave. 12 As you come into the house, greet it. 13 If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it’s not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And whoever will not receive you or listen to your words, as you leave that house or that town, shake the dust off your feet. 15 Amen, I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the Day of Judgment than for that town.
This advice from Messiah does not say to seek out everyone in the town. He says to find out who is worthy.
Whoever will not listen, shake the dust off and move on.
What if someone listens, but won’t do what they have learned?
Then they have not accepted it.
They do not love the words and the ways of Yehovah.
While these ideas do not match what is taught in our churches, it is the truth, straight out of the mouth of our Savior.
So what happens if someone joins your fellowship, but rejects the things they learn?
We keep them involved, for months and months, or even years and years, hoping they will one day truly submit to Yehovah and commit to His word, right?
Nope.
Numbers 15
They are cut off from the people…
Matthew 10
Shake the dust off and move on…
This is a harsh reality.
It is difficult to practice.
Why?
Because we make friends with people.
We spend time with them and enjoy their company and participation.
But if they don’t adopt the truth, we are told in scripture what to do.
It is not easy.
It is extremely hard, and people will not understand you.
They will question your motivation.
They will question your character.
They will question whether or not you have any love for others.
But it is love to share the truth of scripture with people.
It is love to be honest with them, even when it is hard.
It takes some time to learn Torah.
If someone is new to Torah, we are given this instruction:
Acts 15:19-21
19 Therefore, I judge not to trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God— 20 but to write to them to abstain from the contamination of idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what is strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses from ancient generations has had in every city those who proclaim him, since he is read in all the synagogues every Shabbat.”
If someone is new, we are told to require four things of them.
The rest they will learn weekly by hearing the words of Moses.
We should welcome those who want to learn. We should teach them and help them and encourage them.
But if they learn the things of Yehovah and they choose not to do them, then what?
Numbers 15. Cut off.
Because he has despised the word of Yehovah and has broken His commandment, that person will certainly be cut off—his guilt will remain on him.
I do not share all of this to be harsh.
I do not share it to exclude people.
I share this because it is the truth of scripture.
We are to love our brother as ourself.
Do we accomplish this by pretending they are OK with Yehovah in their disobedience and rebellion?
I can promise you (from personal experience), most people will not like it if you encourage them to follow Yehovah wholly and completely.
Most people like to follow Him partially. Most people will do the things in scripture that are pleasing to them, but will not do the things they despise in the word.
What did the people of the Exodus want to do to Joshua and Caleb?
They wanted to kill them.
Numbers 14:10
But the whole assembly talked about violently stoning them.
That’s not good, is it?
But will you choose to please men, or will you please Yehovah?
I will fear and follow Yehovah.
I will love my brother by telling him the truth.
Seeker-friendly behavior will send people to their destruction, both in mainstream churches and in Torah fellowships.
Revelation 3:15-16
15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. Oh, that you were either cold or hot! 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spew you out of My mouth.
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