I read an article in the November 8th edition of the News Gleaner, that I must say did not surprise me. It talks about a church that has been operating out of an old movie theater. But the location of the church is not my point for writing this. The theme of this church seems to be the norm of our culture today according to the pastor of this church " Churchgoers have been turned off by religion because the religious community has not adapted to the changing mediums."
Well I have never seen in all of the bible anyone who has ever had an encounter with the Holy God, our Lord and savior Jesus Christ ever TURNED OFF BY IT OR BORED BY IT. THE LAST TIME I LOOKED, THE BIBLE WAS THE EVERLASTING WORD OF GOD THAT CHANGES NOT ,HE IS STILL THE SAME YESTERDAY TODAY AND FOREVER..
The pastor also goes on to say that "we don't do church better just differently". Well again we must understand that it is not us that determines what church is, God does that for us in His Word. He tells us that we are to Worship Him in Truth and that Truth is based on nothing but His Holy and unchanging Word, not on how people feel or simply by entertaining them and calling it Worship. We have all heard the saying you can park a bike in a garage but that does not make it a car. The same principle applies to us, you can put a lot of people in a old movie theater but that does not make it a church.One of the most heart breaking things I see today are biblically illiterate people who are not being fed the Word of God.
As pastors we are to feed His sheep not entertain them
Hear my Heart when I say let's apply from scripture what it means to Praise the Lord
AND SAVE THE popcorn for the movies.
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Well Now!! WHO ARE YOU??? Didn't even Jesus use the meidan of the time? I believe I would call this the Parables. Jesus used Stories to help people understand. Jesus used Metaphores and even shock to get his point across in the Parables. He used his parables to make his hearers think. He challenged them to a new vision of God's rule that always radically turned up-side down the common views -- whether religious, cultural, ethnic, and/or social views. Jesus' parables encouraged his hearers not simply to think outside of the box. They declared that there is no box -- only God's unconditionally compassionate, all-powerful, just, and wisely governed reign over all. So Dude perhaps you need to stop telling all the churches they are bad, and try to see that God created all things and every Pastors vision for the church is done in away that is different becuase isnt it even God who gave Man the talents and capabilities to use todays technology and methods to reach the lost? WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE????????? FIND ME IN THE SCRIPTURE WHERE IT TELLS ME YOUR ATTITUDE IS BIBLICAL
What we must understand in context first of all, is that Jesus taught the Word of God. Today we can sometimes misunderstand the use of parables in the way we try to communicate to others.In response to Vision to Pastors, again what we must grasp as the basic call put upon our lives is that Jesus Himself tells us to feed His sheep and we are to feed them the Word of God in its context. The worst thing we can do is to feed a person scripture out of context. Paul warns Timothy that there will come a day that people will be drawn to speakers that tell them what they want to hear,but as pastors we are called to feed them what they need. The only way the lost will ever be reached is through the preaching of God's Word, and in turn the only way God's people will grow is through the preaching of God's Word. Church is not for the unbeliever it is for the believer to be fed, however during that feeding time God may compell an unbeliever to come to His Son Jesus Christ. My response to judging is simple, our Lord Himself tells us to judge their rightousness, judge their fruit both in action and in teachings. When we make going to church to Worship a Holy God who even the angels in heaven cover their face when in His presence, sound no different then going to the movies, then I believe the Word of God backs itself up and would agree to let Scripture alone dictate how we worship and that we should save the POPCORN FOR THE MOVIES.
Well now arent you just way off base. Let me ask you something, do you think unsaved people look at your rantings and are inspired to get saved? what I see is a man who obviously has some problems with identity and in that must attack other churches. I know... I know... your gonna tell me even Jesus had to clean out the money changers and all that. But let me ask you something. In your blog, do you represnet Jesus? Because I ask is if I was unsaved and read your information would I want to get saved, I doubt it becuase you know the world already fights against each other and picks at each other. And the building and concept your attacking is not the church I am the church... me.. not the building...me. so how about I give you some advice and don't spend too much time analyzing it because it is quit simple.
1. Work together churches and encourgae believers to find a home they are comfortable in.
2. How do we get people in the door? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to get the lost into a place where theyt are open to hearing the word of God? I don't just mean climbing up on your soap box and preachin at them.
3. If a non christian looked into your life what about your life exemplifies God. And again forget about the Pastor thing. you as a human being Do they see Jesus foot prints or your own? Forget what you know look at all areas.
Well I can say I doubt you will do any of these based on your attitide and warped sense of what ever you know. Have fun!!
I must say again I stand on the fact that it is not our job to bring people into the church God Himself said He would add to the numbers.
to the point of making people want to be saved again I stand on what the Word tells us and that is He chose us before the foundation of the World we did not and do not chose Him Ephesians 1.
as far as what a non Christian see when they look at a persons life again going to our source the Bible tells us that untill God Himself opens up thier eyes they can not see the things of God nor do the things wich please Him.
I do however feel that we must be an example to the world and show them the greatest form of love.
But if we truly love the World then we must let them hear the Word of God Preached in its fullest text and lived out in our own lives.
I see as a final note that the first step in the working together for alot of churches will be in two areas
1- preaching all of Gods Word to all of Gods people
2- stop letting the world influence the church and start letting the church headed up by the Word influence the world.
I note that thier are many churches in this country and around the world that love the Word of God
and love to feed it to thier people verse by verse week by week
and to those men who stand in the gap week after week I say to you well done.
Well looking at these comments, let me ask. Why didn't you just write that instead of attacking another church you know nothing about. You see the reason I ask is you have done a complete 180 from what you blog says. So are you encouraging other pastors to work together? Or are you just attacking and then explaining. You see your statement is not clear. While I do not agree on your theology, which the key word to Theology is THEORY which is your concept of what the bible says, I have a different stand point but that is also my Theory which I never worry about. So what do you say we do this. You stop attacking a church that God is using to save people, and you focus on whatever God has for you. Because remember in the Bible, God used a Jackass to get a persons attention, and he has been doing it ever since. So if God wants to use a Jackass, then well we are not far from that either that includes you and me and every other person who stands and preaches or runs a ministry. Thats a humbling thought that if God wanted he could use Donkeys and cows and horses, & I bet you he would probobly get better results as I don't think animals have a Theory nor an agenda
I feel that from what I have been saying is clear, that the bible that is the Christians only source of ultimate TRUTH, has enough black and white contained within it that people do not need to have a masters degree in GRAY.
With that said yes I would love to see churches working together and in method of ministry we all could for the most part do that tommorow.
But in the very important area of Doctrine I feel that we must come back around the table to begin to close the divide.
With that said I would like to go back to the main point that was WORSHIP. In this area thier is also a Divide, but as I said before God has set forth areas in how we are to worship Him and He has done this for a reason.
when I enter into a Worship Service I want to know that Iam entering in from the common to the UNCOMMON,not from the world to the world
You see this is Almighty God we are Worshiping, it is not about us and what we want and how pleasing it is to us and how comfortable we are and how the messages stop short of making us examine ourselves.
We are the creation and He is the creator.
And to my heartbreak when I see how some Churches Present thier Worship to Almighty God it breaks my heart, and that is because it is centered more to the comfort of the creation then to the Worship of the Creator.
What I pray for is a Modern day Reformation of the church.
With our point to be to get back to the Bible in all areas
And to let the Word of God be our guide not the World
And to do what pleases The Lord not what pleases man.
When the World guides the Church the church has nothing to say it is the pupil and the world is its teacher.
As the church we are set apart to guide the World with the TRUTH that comes not from methods but from the WORD OF GOD.
So with all that said the church is not a place to come and be comfortable we are dealing with the Word of God that is a double edged sword. And in doing that we will confront sin and when sin is confronted it must be confronted with the Truth of what it is.
I belive if churches that put hype first seeker friendly comforts would take thier hand off the pulse of the sinner and put thier hand to the pulse of God
And then simply PREACH THE WORD all by itself because belive it or not it does not need any help.
The Word does not need lights, video, jokes, stories and most certainly it does not need to be acompanied by a box of popcorn.
To the suprise of many today I see that Gods people are crying out to be tought the Word of God, Belivers are not comming to see the latest light show.
Unfortunatle what alot of seeker friendly churches are realy saying is. BELIVERS NOT WELCOME. UNBELIVERS you are welcome and we will make you feel right at home.
Lets stop throwing drowning people a dry set of clothes, that may seem like the cool thing to do and in doing that I realy dont offend him. we all know dry clothes may be something he wants but it is not at all what he needs.
In closing it concerns me when I read articals like I read about the church in the movie theator.
Not because of where it was but because of thier unbiblical view of Worshiping a HOLY GOD.
May God revive His Church.
I have heard many people fuss and complain over the way other people worship God.
However, the funny (and tragic) thing is that people say the same thing about each other.
We have a tendency to look at our own form of worship as the only proper way of receiving God's favor.
Over the past month or so, we have looked at several instances in the life of King David; some of them were pleasing to God, and some were not.
This morning, beginning in 2 Samuel 6:12, we're going to take another look at an aspect of David's life.
As we look at this passage, determine in your own heart whether or not David's actions are pleasing to God.
12. Now it was told King David, saying, "The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, on account of the ark of God." And David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness.
Previously, David had tried to bring up the ark of God to Jerusalem, but because his method was displeasing to God, he ceased his attempt and placed the ark in the home of Obed-edom.
Obviously, Obed-edom had treated the ark of God with reverence; thus, the Lord blessed him.
What about this attempt by David to bring up the ark? Is it pleasing to God?
13. And so it was, that when the bearers of the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.
Do you think these actions were pleasing to the Lord?
Do you remember what Samuel told Saul about sacrifices in 1 Samuel 15:22-23?
22. And Samuel said,
"Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
As in obeying the voice of the Lord? .
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.
23. "For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
He has also rejected you from being king."
We need to remember that the whole sacrificial system was instituted because the people would not obey God.
If the people would have obeyed God, there would have been no need for a sacrifice, and the continuance of violence and killing.
Thus, animal sacrifices are not what God desires, they are a concession of God, because of the evil intent of the human heart, given in hopes of bringing the people whole-heartedly back to Him.
But what about David; is he doing what God desires, or not?
Let's go on.
14. And David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, and David was wearing a linen ephod.
The linen ephod was a garment of the priest.
Should David have been wearing it?
As we go on, let's see how God reacts.
15. So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouting and the sound of the trumpet.
16. Then it happened as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul [David's wife] looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.
Well, obviously Michal didn't agree with David's way of worshiping God.
Do you agree with what David is doing, or do you agree with Michal?
17. So they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.
In Exodus 26:33-34, we are told that the ark was to be placed in the holy of holies, the inner compartment of the tabernacle.
33. “And you shall hang up the veil under the clasps, and shall bring in the ark of the testimony there within the veil; and the veil shall serve for you as a partition between the holy place and the holy of holies.
34. “And you shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the holy of holies.
Here, David is not doing this.
18. And when David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offering, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.
19. Further, he distributed to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel, both to men and women, a cake of bread and one of dates and one of raisins to each one. Then all the people departed each to his house.
Well, what do you think?
Have David's actions been pleasing to the Lord?
Let's look further in this passage and see how the Lord reacts.
20. But when David returned to bless his household, Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, "How the king of Israel distinguished himself today! He uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants' maids as one of the foolish ones shamelessly uncovers himself!"
As we saw before, Michal obviously disapproves of her husband's actions.
But we also must ask ourselves, is she upset for God?
Or is she upset about David making a fool of himself before the people?
Or, perhaps, is she embarrassed for herself, for having a husband who behaved this way?
21. So David said to Michal, "It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel; therefore I will celebrate before the Lord.
22. "And I will be more lightly esteemed than this and will be humble in my own eyes, but with the maids of whom you have spoken, with them I will be distinguished."
23. And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.
In those days, children were considered a blessing from God, and a lack of children was considered a curse from God.
David may not have done everything the way the Lord would have desired, but he did it with reverence in his heart and with a true desire to serve God.
Thus the Lord accepted the worship of David and of the people.
Michal's problem was that she not only disagreed with what David was doing, but she also ridiculed the worship itself. Her use of ridicule displeased the Lord.
Many scholars believe that David wrote Psalm 24 for this specific occasion.
Let's listen to the words of the Psalm again, and see how it fits in with our message for this morning.
Psalm 24
(A Psalm of David.)
1. The earth is the Lord's, and all it contains,
The world, and those who dwell in it.
2. For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the rivers.
3. Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy place?
4. He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood,
And has not sworn deceitfully.
Here we get the answers to our previous questions about David's form of worship, and they begin with two new questions presented in verse 3:
Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy place?
The answers follow in verse 4:
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood,
And has not sworn deceitfully.
This definition has not changed, even to this present day. .
As we go on, we see what happens to such a person who comes forth in honesty.
5. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6. This is the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Thy face--even Jacob.
Selah.
In this verse there is a very interesting play on the meaning of the name of Israel.
Instead of calling the people the sons of Israel, who by the meaning of the name are the people who “wrestle with God in prayer,” David refers to them as Jacob, a name which means “deceiver.”
I truly believe David did this because he recognized the sin in his own life, as well as in the lives of his subjects.
David knew that the Lord accepted him when he came forth with a pure heart, and that the Lord will accept all sinners who come forth in such a humble manner.
Then David turns the emphasis of the Psalm from one directed to the individual, to one directed toward the entire community; that collectively they may be of one heart with the Lord and have Him enter all of their lives.
7. Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
8. Who is the King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
9. Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
10. Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory.
Selah.
If we want the Lord in our life, personally, all we have to do is seek Him with a pure heart, and He will be there.
But with a community it is harder, for not everyone has a pure heart, and thus the community lacks many of the blessings the Lord desires to bestow upon it.
But there is even another more tragic situation taking place within our communities.
And that is that many who believe are being deceived into finding fault with the other person's method of worship.
Look at what we have been able to accomplish in this church, and still it is not enough, or we would be filled.
We lovingly accept anyone who desires to come.
We worship together as Baptists, Methodists, and various others.
Sometimes, I have a different way of looking at things than you do.
And at times, you have differing ways of viewing each other's practices.
But together we have learned to function in love.
There are very valid reasons for each of us thinking and reacting the way we do; but if we have a pure heart in seeking God, then our worship is acceptable to Him, no matter the form in which it is presented.
We also need to go beyond our own church.
We need to seek harmony with others who truly seek the Lord, that within the community, our collective worship is acceptable, even if offered up in differing ways in different churches.
And we need to encourage them to do the same, and not argue with them over our differences.
And if some are hard of heart, that should be just that much more encouragement to us to bestow upon them even more of God's love.
God wants all of His created beings to come to Him.
We must be careful that we don't discourage them or, even worse, chase them away.
Love can overcome all kinds of differences, for in God's eyes there is only one Church, His church.
Amen.
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