September 2, 2021January 5, 2024

Knock-Off

by in From The Desk of Pastor Gene
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Knock-Off
 
In case you were somehow unaware, there is a major market for knock-off merchandise. According to a recent report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the trade of fake merchandise has slowly risen over the last few years and now accounts for 3.3% of global trade. You may be thinking 3.3% doesn’t sound like much but several sources report the global trade value of exported goods is $16 to $19 trillion per year. This means that the knock-off segment of the market is $500 billion. Why is there so much demand for knock-offs? On the one hand, people want to wear the popular name brands without paying the brand name prices. On the other hand, many are paying the brand name prices for knock-offs and are unaware.
 
But that’s not all. As Sanjeev Sularia wrote in a March 2020 Forbes Magazine article, “. . . while this might not seem like a serious threat (and for those who knowingly buy knock-offs for superficial reasons, it’s not), the truth is that poor quality items can have real, dire consequences. Consider knock-off makeup and skincare products. The package and product might look identical to the authentic brand, but when applied, they can cause skin infections and rashes. Another alarming example of these consequences is in the electronics industry. Counterfeit automotive parts, smartphone/tablets and even vapes can cause serious personal injury and even death. Inevitably, these consequences have a severe negative impact on a brand’s reputation and, in turn, consumer trust.”
 
Who knows how many times we’ve unknowingly purchased knock-off merchandise on Amazon for instance? With that said, my father was impacted by the knock-off market a number of years ago. My father worked as a machinist in a factory for over 45 years. After retirement, he took a part-time job fixing machines and equipment for a guy who owned a local uniform and rag supply company. But, only after a few years, dad retired completely. Upon retirement, dad received a gift from the owner of this small company. In fact, it was a real nice gift, so it appeared. It was a ROLEX watch. I had my suspicions, but I didn’t want to spoil my dad’s gratitude and enjoyment. However, a few years later dad wore it when he visited us. My son Joe, who collects watches, noticed the watch. He also became suspicious because he knew what a watch like it would cost if it was truly authentic. 
 
Over the course of the visit, Joe began asking grandpa questions and took a good look at the watch. He didn’t say anything to grandpa at first but whispered to me that he was fairly certain that it was a knock-off. Eventually, Joe took it to a ROLEX store in Omaha and sure enough it was a fake. It looked like a ROLEX and it was labeled ROLEX but the jeweler said, even though it was a high quality knock-off, what gave it a way was the weight of the watch, minor details on the labeling on the back of the watch and a slight deviation on the face of the watch. You may be thinking we should have let dad just believe it was a real watch. I know we considered that as well. But we were concerned that he knew the truth about the watch in case he ever thought of selling it.
 
Merchandise is not the only fake stuff we deal with. Elizabeth Holmes is currently on trial for multiple charges of fraud. She was the President and founder of Theranos and claimed her company had developed a robotic lab that could run hundreds of diagnostic tests from just a small drop of patients’ blood that could be used in drugstores and doctors’ offices. The problem was that she defrauded investors who believed the technology actually worked but it didn’t. According to the Wall Street Journal, this company was once worth $9 billion and had 800 employees. Wow. Now that is what we call “smoke and mirrors.”
 
Elizabeth Holmes will certainly go down in history along with executives at ENRON and Lehman Brothers and let’s not forget Bernie Madoff. It doesn’t end there. It touches every fabric of our society to include law enforcement and government in general. In fact, there are fraudsters in the church world as well. You might remember Jim Bakker and Sun Myung Moon. They were both convicted of fraud. There are a few today, even though it may be legal, amassing fortunes on the backs of the poor and vulnerable. They are living in multi-million dollar estates and own private jets as they make false promises and their teachings are biblically heretical.
 
As I’ve pointed out, there are the obvious and not so obvious knock-offs in our world. There are some products that we know are knock-offs and we buy them because it’s a bargain. There are others that are more subtle, and we are unaware of their lack of authenticity. With that said, let me take us back to the Christian church world. As I’ve pointed out there are fakes in our midst that should be obvious if we are hearing God’s word and putting it into practice like James warns in James 1:22. But for those who don’t put the word into practice, they are deceived. You might even say, easily deceived. They just go along consuming the lies and false promises like a proverbial cow to slaughter.
 
I wish I was done and could just end this devotion, but I can’t in good conscience. This is what I must say. The modern church, even though it may be subtle in some cases, by in large has become a knock-off. I realize that at this point if you’re not angry and dismissive, you’re at least curious. So don’t just take my word for it. Instead, take a look at four passages of scripture. Read Matthew 22:36-40; 28:18-20, Acts 1:8 and Acts 2:42-47. Following that with asking yourself the following questions: Am I trending (a work in progress) toward loving God with my entire being? Can others recall examples where I routinely love my neighbor as myself? Am I a disciple who is making disciples as commissioned by Jesus? Am I a member of a church who is making disciples as commissioned by Jesus? Am I am among a fellowship of believers who are devoted to biblical teaching, worship, interdependent relationships with other believers who love and serve one another and are known for immersing everything in prayer?
 
It may be the case that you’re new and you’re just trying to figure things out but otherwise your heart is genuine. Please rely on God and learn to love and obey Him. It may be that you’re a work in progress. There are things you need to work on but you are otherwise sincere so please continue toward maturity. Yes there are genuine Christians at various levels of maturity and then there are knock-offs. It may be that you’re going through the motions trying to look and act the part but inside you are miserable and even rebellious. Your social media pictures may look terrific but it’s likely just lipstick on the proverbial pig. If this is the case, it’s time to repent and place your faith in Jesus. There is also a type of knock-off that hangs around the church but is not of the church. They watch but don’t participate. They listen but they don’t connect. They critique but don’t serve. It is my prayer that they finally hear and respond to the gospel. There are also those who are fakes that the Bible calls “wolves in sheep clothing.” They claim to be a Christian and try to speak the part but have evil motives and actions (e.g. gossipers, lovers of money, dissenters, complainers, bullies, liars, drunks, adulterers, etc.) In their case, I’m praying that God fully exposes them and spares others from their wiles.
 
Now moving from the individual to the church, there are pastors and church members who make up a local church that mean well but don’t realize they are a high-quality knock-off. Well, maybe not even high quality. These churches often have nice buildings, typically well kept, and they have the activities of a typical 21st century church. There is motion, commotion and busyness; however, the marks of a New Testament church are missing or dimly lit at best. It says “CHURCH” on the sign and there is activity that has some value but genuine fellowship, worship, gospel preaching, evangelism, discipleship and prayer are superficial. Beyond that, a desire to pray and be filled with the Holy Spirt of God and display the fruit of the Spirit are rarely a thought. Maybe it’s time for all of us to read about the seven churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3.
 
In case you were somehow unaware, there is a major market for knock-off Christians and churches. There is popularity and big money but take a close look. What will you see if they are knock-offs? Worship of the almighty God has been replaced with a show for the seeker in numerous churches. Worship music exalting the most High God has morphed into positive, encouraging praise of self on the radio, website, YouTube, concerts and church. Preaching of the breathed-out word of God has shifted to something similar to self-help TED talks throughout the wide spectrum of platforms for preaching and teaching. There is seemingly a hunger and thirst for comfort and good feeling instead of a hunger and thirst for righteousness adrift across the nation. All of this may be summarized by saying, we have been indoctrinated into knock-off church cult that has created a market for profit appearing to be Christian, and we buy it anyway because it’s popular and trending. All in all, it’s sad, even disgusting, and it has little or nothing to do with the call to follow Jesus.
 
But that’s not all. Just like there are dangers with knock-off electronics and cosmetics, there are dangers in knock-off Christianity and church. The knock-off Christian and church is selfishly focused inward instead of outward. The god of this knock-off version is self. The end result is that there are countless people lost without Christ who are condemned because they have not believed and are desperate to hear and see authentic Christians practicing an authentic faith and preaching an authentic gospel. So who will tell them about the love of Jesus? Who will explain the cross? Who will worship Jesus in spirit and in truth? Who will serve the needs in our community as the hands and feet of Jesus? If you are the real Christian, please stand up!

A Work in Progress,

Pastor Gene