Non-rock-a-boatis

Famous cult expert Walter Martin once noted a serious problem within the Christian church. He identified it by its Latin name, “non-rock-a-boatis.”

In other words, “Whatever you do, don’t rock the boat. Don’t say anything that will upset anybody.”

Unfortunately, too many churches suffer from this affliction. They are so worried about what people will think, that they soft-soap the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Word of God.

I remember one time, my pastor talked about sexual purity and how God’s plan for us is to save sex for one person that we are totally committed to for life. He also talked against living with your partner before you get married.

The next week, attendance dropped, and it took several weeks for it to get back to normal. It seems that his message struck a very uncomfortable chord among those who heard. But it was a message that people needed to hear.

Micah certainly had no problems rocking the boat. He tore into the leaders of the country who were acting unjustly towards the people. He then tore into the “prophets” who only said what people wanted to hear, saying,

This is what the Lord says: “As for the prophets who lead my people astray, if one feeds them, they proclaim ‘peace’; if he does not, they prepare to wage war against him.

Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination.

The sun will set for the prophets, and the day will go dark for them. The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced. They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God.” (Micah 3:5–7)

Micah then said,

But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin. (Micah 3:8)

That’s the type of people we need to be. When people are in sin, we need to tell it to them straight. And if it offends them, so be it.

I’m not saying that we should be screaming at them, “You are going to hell!”

As I’ve mentioned before, there are far too many people who seem to take a perverse pleasure in that message. It almost seems like they take pleasure in imagining people burning in hell.

But God doesn’t take pleasure in people going to hell. He weeps over it. And so should we.

But it’s not enough to weep. We need to warn people. And sometimes that means rocking the boat and telling them what they don’t want to hear.

Micah did so, and we find in Jeremiah 26:17–19 that this message he gave in chapter 3 caused King Hezekiah to repent.

Isaiah was another prophet that didn’t hesitate to tell the truth. And between Micah, Isaiah, and the other prophets, they were able to make a difference.

How about you? Are you afraid to rock the boat? Are you so afraid of how others will react, that you fail to give people the whole counsel of God?

The whole counsel of God is this: that there is forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ. But for those who reject that gift, there remains only judgment.

Let us not fear to rock the boat in the name of Jesus.

On the other hand, let us not just rock the boat just for the sake of upsetting people. But let us rock the boat in the love of Jesus, that people might repent and be saved.