What passes for preaching these days can be easily confused with modern motivational speakers. I watched for a minute or two this morning before heading off to church. What I saw was a highlight reel of well-known preachers camping on the theme of self-empowerment. Every sound bite was uttered to bolster my self-worth. There was never even an attempt to reference scripture. The highlight reel was designed to stir my emotions as various preachers delivered messages with sensational gravity and profound pauses. One of the pastors informed me and many others that the devil is scared out of his wits because of my power. The problem is, there was no theology and little truth in anything I heard. This humanistic distortion has permeated much of the preaching people are exposed to on television. A tiny shred of truth is a whole lie.
The primary danger the modern church faces is one of the most ancient: the departure from preaching God's Word. When the foundation is no longer Jesus Christ and Him crucified; if sin, law, grace, love, future judgment, and the blood of Jesus are strangely absent from sermon after sermon, then it would be better not to preach at all. Though we live in a day when many people daily have an abundance of food on their tables, the words of Amos 8:11 have been fulfilled before our eyes: "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord GOD, "that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD." Turn on the television any Sunday morning and preaching likely will be found. Drive down main roads in many cities and it is not hard to find a church. But will you be treated to the pure meat and milk of the Word - or humanism distilled with Christian jargon and maybe a token paraphrased verse from the Bible?
I appreciate the different styles of preaching even as hungry people enjoy different styles of cooking. But we're all after the same thing no matter the presentation: fresh ingredients, delicious fruit and vegetables, quality cuts of meat, savory, sweet, or spicy sauces, tender pasta, decadent desserts. If you were to substitute sawdust for the meat, people would instantly know something was dreadfully wrong. But spiritually speaking, pressed sawdust with the sauce of positive thinking passes for meat all the time. People don't know the difference because they've never had the real thing. They have never been taught to read and study their Bibles outside of a Sunday morning. Showy emotionalism has become a substitute for spiritual vitality, and church is an opportunity to rev up to get through another week. This kind of church is no better than a drug that pumps you up until you hit the wall. It leaves you empty and craving a fix - a fix that more and more isn't getting the job done.
Back to that preacher's claim: is the devil really scared of me? Not at all. He could pop me in his mouth like chewing gum and blow a bubble. But the devil understands the authority of Jesus Christ as the Messiah, God made flesh. And when Jesus Christ saves a man through His shed blood by grace through faith, the Holy Spirit regenerates and resides inside that man. Jesus therefore gives authority to born again Christians over all the powers of darkness. But the preacher on TV said that I frighten the devil! I wonder where that is written in the Bible. James 4:6-7 reads, "But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." The Bible tells me Satan is as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8-9). There is no being more proud than Satan, though man tries very hard. All are exhorted to submit to God in humility. Only those who are in Christ can resist the devil by God's grace, and then the devil will flee. Satan likes nothing more than fools strutting around full of themselves rather than being filled with the Holy Spirit. Last time I checked, lions aren't afraid of sheep. But they are afraid of the Good Shepherd. When He throws a blow, He doesn't miss.
Never stray from expository Bible preaching. Even more important, never be fooled into thinking that preaching is a substitute for your own study of the Bible. When we open God's Word in faith, seeking His face in humility, that is the primary way God will speak to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Hosea 10:12 is a fitting exhortation for us all: "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you." God's Word is like good seed. If we will repent and prepare our hearts to seek the LORD, His good Word will take root in our hearts and produce much fruit. Plant all the pressed sawdust you want, but it will never grow. It's hardly fit for the fire. Let's choose to eat quality meat instead!
13 November 2011
08 November 2011
The Stubborn Domino
I have always had a deep interest and appreciation for science. Scientific discovery has led to improvements in nearly every facet of daily life. Technology, medicine, media, agriculture, manufacturing, and recreation have all benefited greatly from scientific study. But science, even in its modern glory, is not able to adequately answer all the questions we pose as curious human beings. Science often proves up to the task of answering "how," but rarely answers "why?" Science is unable to answer definitively the question of how the world came into being. No one today can make that claim scientifically. It is not able to answer the deeper questions either, like "Why did the world come into being?"
When I went to university, I remember a lecture given by my geology professor that went something like this: "Just imagine: billions of years ago, there was an incredible amount of energy and matter. At some point the 'big bang' occurred and the stars and planets were formed. Through evolutionary process over billions of years, chemicals and amino acids developed into the first living cell. Over many more years, through random natural process, cells evolved through natural selection to produce the rich varieties of life forms we see today." I thought the first words of the lecture were the most compelling: "Just imagine." It was evident my professor truly believed what she taught based upon the evidence presented to her. Because she relied upon diagrams, textbooks, and papers written by others, realizing her own research had a potential degree for error, was not alive billions of years ago, nor can perfectly prove scientifically the exact conditions which existed at that time, there is a degree of faith in her depiction. This is true for everyone, me included.
From our modern vantage point, looking back as we follow the evolutionary model presented by the majority of scientists today, the steps to our evolution could be compared to a line of dominoes which diverged from a single row into many rows. Single cells became more complex and adapted different abilities which gave rise to new kinds of plants, animals, and people. Science seeks to describe through evidence how the dominoes fell, how one species produced another. But let us stand all the dominoes up again and go back to the very beginning of the imaginative, elegant tale. Where did the energy, matter, and information come from represented in that first domino? How did the first domino fall? Why would it fall? The Law of the Conservation of Energy tells us that energy is neither created or destroyed but can be converted from one form to another. The Law of the Conservation of Momentum reminds us that unlike the dominoes which only fall in a single predictable direction, mass and energy can go in any direction! If that is the case, it is difficult for me to imagine that a domino able to go in any direction in a three-dimensional environment could possibly hit the next one to continue the process.
But back to that stubborn first domino! Without describing what substances of which it was comprised, without trying to imagine where the mass, energy, and information originated from, without discussing why it appeared at all, let us consider how it first moved. Dominoes stand until they are pushed. If the table on which they are set it kicked or accidentally bumped by a knee, random dominoes out of sequence fall and the process must be restarted. But to follow the evolutionary model, a domino cannot fall until necessary conditions have been met. So how did the first domino fall? No one knows, and no one will ever know exactly - by the scientific method, that is.
The reason why I find the biblical account of creation by God so compelling is not because it tells us how God made things. Who but God can know the science behind what it takes to speak things into existence from nothing! Nor does the Bible specifically say when the galaxies, stars, and planets were created. But the Bible tells us about Who created things, the intelligence behind the order we see in the world. And the Bible even explains why God created all living things and man in His image: Colossians 1:16-17 reads, "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." God created all things because it pleased Him to do so. Revelation 4:11 contains the proper response of man for all God has done: "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created."
I am filled with wonder when I consider the works of God's hands both in heaven and on earth. I am amazed both by astronomy and the complexity of cells. I am struck by the beauty and vibrancy in nature: the plumage of a bird, the symmetry of a flower, the clear blue of the sea, the white puffy clouds morphing in the sky. I don't presume to know how God imagines or works His wonders, but I rejoice in the revelation of God through nature and scripture. Psalm 19:1-3 reads, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard." Knowing God makes me want to dig deeper into science so I might marvel more intelligently concerning His wisdom and wonders!
When I went to university, I remember a lecture given by my geology professor that went something like this: "Just imagine: billions of years ago, there was an incredible amount of energy and matter. At some point the 'big bang' occurred and the stars and planets were formed. Through evolutionary process over billions of years, chemicals and amino acids developed into the first living cell. Over many more years, through random natural process, cells evolved through natural selection to produce the rich varieties of life forms we see today." I thought the first words of the lecture were the most compelling: "Just imagine." It was evident my professor truly believed what she taught based upon the evidence presented to her. Because she relied upon diagrams, textbooks, and papers written by others, realizing her own research had a potential degree for error, was not alive billions of years ago, nor can perfectly prove scientifically the exact conditions which existed at that time, there is a degree of faith in her depiction. This is true for everyone, me included.
From our modern vantage point, looking back as we follow the evolutionary model presented by the majority of scientists today, the steps to our evolution could be compared to a line of dominoes which diverged from a single row into many rows. Single cells became more complex and adapted different abilities which gave rise to new kinds of plants, animals, and people. Science seeks to describe through evidence how the dominoes fell, how one species produced another. But let us stand all the dominoes up again and go back to the very beginning of the imaginative, elegant tale. Where did the energy, matter, and information come from represented in that first domino? How did the first domino fall? Why would it fall? The Law of the Conservation of Energy tells us that energy is neither created or destroyed but can be converted from one form to another. The Law of the Conservation of Momentum reminds us that unlike the dominoes which only fall in a single predictable direction, mass and energy can go in any direction! If that is the case, it is difficult for me to imagine that a domino able to go in any direction in a three-dimensional environment could possibly hit the next one to continue the process.
But back to that stubborn first domino! Without describing what substances of which it was comprised, without trying to imagine where the mass, energy, and information originated from, without discussing why it appeared at all, let us consider how it first moved. Dominoes stand until they are pushed. If the table on which they are set it kicked or accidentally bumped by a knee, random dominoes out of sequence fall and the process must be restarted. But to follow the evolutionary model, a domino cannot fall until necessary conditions have been met. So how did the first domino fall? No one knows, and no one will ever know exactly - by the scientific method, that is.
The reason why I find the biblical account of creation by God so compelling is not because it tells us how God made things. Who but God can know the science behind what it takes to speak things into existence from nothing! Nor does the Bible specifically say when the galaxies, stars, and planets were created. But the Bible tells us about Who created things, the intelligence behind the order we see in the world. And the Bible even explains why God created all living things and man in His image: Colossians 1:16-17 reads, "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." God created all things because it pleased Him to do so. Revelation 4:11 contains the proper response of man for all God has done: "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created."
I am filled with wonder when I consider the works of God's hands both in heaven and on earth. I am amazed both by astronomy and the complexity of cells. I am struck by the beauty and vibrancy in nature: the plumage of a bird, the symmetry of a flower, the clear blue of the sea, the white puffy clouds morphing in the sky. I don't presume to know how God imagines or works His wonders, but I rejoice in the revelation of God through nature and scripture. Psalm 19:1-3 reads, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard." Knowing God makes me want to dig deeper into science so I might marvel more intelligently concerning His wisdom and wonders!
07 November 2011
The Problem of Sin Solved
The Bible starts with the sentence, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." As amazing as that is, I am still amazed that three pages later sin entered into the world through Adam's rebellion, and death through sin. One only needs to turn to page 6 in my Bible before we read this horrible indictment against man: Genesis 6:5, 11-12 reads, "Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually...11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth." The corruption of mankind through sin is a self-imposed tragedy.
More than anything, man desires to be in control. He naturally clutches for power, authority, money, privilege, and seniority. Right from the start, Eve was tempted to be like God by eating the fruit God deemed forbidden. Even before her fall, Satan was lifted up with pride saying, "I will be like the Most High" (Is. 14:14). There is one True God and all others are nothing. Only God is truly in control. Give a man authority over a nation, but he remains without power to make the sun shine or rain fall. Even if he could control aspects of weather, he cannot prevent death from seizing him like any other man. All the propaganda, statues, songs, and slogans will not make people trust him. When we look around the world today, we see men out of control. Who is in control? The book of Job chapters 38-40 should make the answer abundantly clear: God!
Man wants to say he is in control. Years ago I had a friend who admitted he was casually using street drugs. "But I'm not hooked," he told me. "I can stop any time I want to." Apparently he didn't want to stop for many years, lost everything, and even spent time in jail. I'm sure that was all part of the plan, right? Wink, wink. He bought into the lying illusion that he was in control when actually the drugs were calling the shots. But drugs are just a symptom of the problem. Countless memorial services have played the Frank Sinatra song, "I Did it My Way." If we could interview each one, their story might mirror the story Jesus told of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man lived for himself and ended up in torment. Proverbs 16:25 reveals the truth from God's perspective: "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Why do people die? Because sin entered the world and death came through sin.
For years people have made a living from performing with exotic, powerful animals like elephants, tigers, lions, and bears. But even after a relationship has been formed with an animal, disaster can strike when an animal lashes out. The performer who at one time seemed in control suddenly is revealed as vulnerable when the teeth sink in. Some people have trained powerful animals for years without severe or moderate injury. But this cannot be said concerning sin. Sin is a beast which destroys the bodies and souls of all who toy with it. God graciously has given us the Law so we might discern sin from God's righteous standard. God's Law is like a schoolmaster who leads us by the hand to the truth of the Gospel. Ezekiel 18:4 reads, "Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die." God reveals something that mere science cannot. Man is a living soul housed in a body of flesh. Jesus says in Mark 8:36, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" Because the souls of men are eternal, the value of the body is peanuts in comparison.
I am a sinner. I have sinned against God in ignorance, against my conscience, even maliciously; I have committed both sins of commission and omission. But praise be to God that He has provided a Saviour in Jesus Christ! God loves people and desires that none should perish but that all would repent and trust in Him. Jesus speaks of Himself in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." We have assurance of forgiveness if we will repent and trust in Christ, seeking salvation through Him alone. 1 John 1:9 affirms, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." As a sinner, I deserve death. Yet God has offered to all people eternal life through Jesus.
Maybe you recognize the sin which easily besets you, or perhaps you disagree with the premise that even sin exists! It is appointed for all men to die because of their sin, and then be judged before God by His righteous standard. This is a daunting and terrifying scenario. I am thankful that God is in control, and that is no illusion! One of my favorite descriptions of Jesus Christ, the Alpha and the Omega, is found in Revelation 1:12-18: "Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."
Every man has a choice to either believe that he or God is ultimately in control. O foolish man who cannot even keep himself alive, can you ascend to heaven through your own strength? Rise from the dead and live again, if you are able! Are you capable of breaking the teeth of Satan who is as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour? Can you by your strength cast aside the bonds of depression, despair, fear, and confusion which weigh down your soul? Your manifestos and worldly philosophies will perish with you. How long will you hope for annihilation, reincarnation, or desire to simply cease to exist because your sin gnaws as a parasite upon your soul? Trust in Jesus Christ while you still can. Not one who comes to Him will He cast out. He is the only One who provides the solution for your sin!
More than anything, man desires to be in control. He naturally clutches for power, authority, money, privilege, and seniority. Right from the start, Eve was tempted to be like God by eating the fruit God deemed forbidden. Even before her fall, Satan was lifted up with pride saying, "I will be like the Most High" (Is. 14:14). There is one True God and all others are nothing. Only God is truly in control. Give a man authority over a nation, but he remains without power to make the sun shine or rain fall. Even if he could control aspects of weather, he cannot prevent death from seizing him like any other man. All the propaganda, statues, songs, and slogans will not make people trust him. When we look around the world today, we see men out of control. Who is in control? The book of Job chapters 38-40 should make the answer abundantly clear: God!
Man wants to say he is in control. Years ago I had a friend who admitted he was casually using street drugs. "But I'm not hooked," he told me. "I can stop any time I want to." Apparently he didn't want to stop for many years, lost everything, and even spent time in jail. I'm sure that was all part of the plan, right? Wink, wink. He bought into the lying illusion that he was in control when actually the drugs were calling the shots. But drugs are just a symptom of the problem. Countless memorial services have played the Frank Sinatra song, "I Did it My Way." If we could interview each one, their story might mirror the story Jesus told of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man lived for himself and ended up in torment. Proverbs 16:25 reveals the truth from God's perspective: "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Why do people die? Because sin entered the world and death came through sin.
For years people have made a living from performing with exotic, powerful animals like elephants, tigers, lions, and bears. But even after a relationship has been formed with an animal, disaster can strike when an animal lashes out. The performer who at one time seemed in control suddenly is revealed as vulnerable when the teeth sink in. Some people have trained powerful animals for years without severe or moderate injury. But this cannot be said concerning sin. Sin is a beast which destroys the bodies and souls of all who toy with it. God graciously has given us the Law so we might discern sin from God's righteous standard. God's Law is like a schoolmaster who leads us by the hand to the truth of the Gospel. Ezekiel 18:4 reads, "Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die." God reveals something that mere science cannot. Man is a living soul housed in a body of flesh. Jesus says in Mark 8:36, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" Because the souls of men are eternal, the value of the body is peanuts in comparison.
I am a sinner. I have sinned against God in ignorance, against my conscience, even maliciously; I have committed both sins of commission and omission. But praise be to God that He has provided a Saviour in Jesus Christ! God loves people and desires that none should perish but that all would repent and trust in Him. Jesus speaks of Himself in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." We have assurance of forgiveness if we will repent and trust in Christ, seeking salvation through Him alone. 1 John 1:9 affirms, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." As a sinner, I deserve death. Yet God has offered to all people eternal life through Jesus.
Maybe you recognize the sin which easily besets you, or perhaps you disagree with the premise that even sin exists! It is appointed for all men to die because of their sin, and then be judged before God by His righteous standard. This is a daunting and terrifying scenario. I am thankful that God is in control, and that is no illusion! One of my favorite descriptions of Jesus Christ, the Alpha and the Omega, is found in Revelation 1:12-18: "Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."
Every man has a choice to either believe that he or God is ultimately in control. O foolish man who cannot even keep himself alive, can you ascend to heaven through your own strength? Rise from the dead and live again, if you are able! Are you capable of breaking the teeth of Satan who is as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour? Can you by your strength cast aside the bonds of depression, despair, fear, and confusion which weigh down your soul? Your manifestos and worldly philosophies will perish with you. How long will you hope for annihilation, reincarnation, or desire to simply cease to exist because your sin gnaws as a parasite upon your soul? Trust in Jesus Christ while you still can. Not one who comes to Him will He cast out. He is the only One who provides the solution for your sin!
04 November 2011
Why Go to Church?
Last night our family enjoyed the special treat of eating out at a local restaurant. Our server was polite and had an American accent, always a good conversation starter! It turns out he came over from the United States to go to Bible college at a local church. In the midst of the discussion he said something I found interesting. He invited us to visit his church and said, "Sunday nights are some of the best services. It is always very creative - if anything creative is going to happen, that's the service for it."
I realize I have led a sheltered life in many respects, having worshiped the LORD for a majority of my life at one Bible-teaching church. Never, in all that time, have I heard "creativity" as a draw card for someone to attend. There is nothing wrong with creativity. But I can't say that I would prefer one service over another because one seemed more "creative." It left me with the question which all Christians must answer: what is the primary reason that I attend a particular church over another? What reason would I give to a seeker to come to my church? Is it the creativity? The incredible music? The Bible teaching? The love of the people who attend the fellowship? Free doughnuts and air conditioning? I actually heard that one before. Years ago I had a conversation with a lady who said she comes to church because her house is so hot and the church has air conditioning. Shouldn't the worship of God be the reason?
Perhaps I'm crazy, but it's clear that people come to church for all sorts of reasons. Maybe they come to church to keep up the appearance of piety - though they would lose face to say so. Some come for the social aspects, and others religiously attend because they believe it is a good influence on their kids. But what reason does the Bible give for going to church to worship God corporately through church fellowship? Hebrews 10:23-25 reads, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." As long as Jesus Christ tarries before His certain return, we are exhorted not to forsake our assembling together. And what should our fellowship with one another entail? We should hold each other to Christ's standard of righteousness. We must submit to and consider one another above ourselves for the purpose of stirring up love and good works. Previous verses say that we should draw near to God with hearts full of assurance of faith in Him.
God has given every Christian spiritual gifts to edify the Body of Christ, lead non-believers to salvation through faith in Jesus, and the glory of God. Regular church fellowship - drawing near to Jesus through faith and to each other as members of His Body - fosters unity, support, and growth. If you attend a church because of what you hope to receive, there is a better and higher way modeled by Jesus: He came as the servant of all. There is no one more creative than God, for He is the Creator of all things. But creativity in itself is not a viable substitute for the presence of God and Spirit-led preaching from God's Word.
There's no shortage of churches in the world but there is only one universal Body of Christ. Make sure that where you attend Jesus Christ is being glorified and the Word of God is being taught faithfully. But let me say this: if you do not see the true purpose for gathering at your fellowship being lived out, it doesn't necessarily mean you should leave! By the grace of God, you should seek to meet that lack. You be the encourager. You be the servant. Allow Jesus Christ to live His life through you as you look for His return and be about your Heavenly Father's business. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can the work of the ministry be done. As the words of King David the psalmist say in Psalm 133:1: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!" When it is Christ who unites us, none can separate us!
I realize I have led a sheltered life in many respects, having worshiped the LORD for a majority of my life at one Bible-teaching church. Never, in all that time, have I heard "creativity" as a draw card for someone to attend. There is nothing wrong with creativity. But I can't say that I would prefer one service over another because one seemed more "creative." It left me with the question which all Christians must answer: what is the primary reason that I attend a particular church over another? What reason would I give to a seeker to come to my church? Is it the creativity? The incredible music? The Bible teaching? The love of the people who attend the fellowship? Free doughnuts and air conditioning? I actually heard that one before. Years ago I had a conversation with a lady who said she comes to church because her house is so hot and the church has air conditioning. Shouldn't the worship of God be the reason?
Perhaps I'm crazy, but it's clear that people come to church for all sorts of reasons. Maybe they come to church to keep up the appearance of piety - though they would lose face to say so. Some come for the social aspects, and others religiously attend because they believe it is a good influence on their kids. But what reason does the Bible give for going to church to worship God corporately through church fellowship? Hebrews 10:23-25 reads, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." As long as Jesus Christ tarries before His certain return, we are exhorted not to forsake our assembling together. And what should our fellowship with one another entail? We should hold each other to Christ's standard of righteousness. We must submit to and consider one another above ourselves for the purpose of stirring up love and good works. Previous verses say that we should draw near to God with hearts full of assurance of faith in Him.
God has given every Christian spiritual gifts to edify the Body of Christ, lead non-believers to salvation through faith in Jesus, and the glory of God. Regular church fellowship - drawing near to Jesus through faith and to each other as members of His Body - fosters unity, support, and growth. If you attend a church because of what you hope to receive, there is a better and higher way modeled by Jesus: He came as the servant of all. There is no one more creative than God, for He is the Creator of all things. But creativity in itself is not a viable substitute for the presence of God and Spirit-led preaching from God's Word.
There's no shortage of churches in the world but there is only one universal Body of Christ. Make sure that where you attend Jesus Christ is being glorified and the Word of God is being taught faithfully. But let me say this: if you do not see the true purpose for gathering at your fellowship being lived out, it doesn't necessarily mean you should leave! By the grace of God, you should seek to meet that lack. You be the encourager. You be the servant. Allow Jesus Christ to live His life through you as you look for His return and be about your Heavenly Father's business. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can the work of the ministry be done. As the words of King David the psalmist say in Psalm 133:1: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!" When it is Christ who unites us, none can separate us!
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