Standing Forever
“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)
The Bible.
Either it’s true or it’s not.
Either it’s riddled with lies, tainted by men’s meddling fingers, tinged with heresy, and a false account of history…
OR
…it’s the truth of God, inerrant, infallible, and must be obeyed.
Think about that for a second.
If the Bible is false then it is not the Word of God. And if we don’t have the Word of God we must then give up our faith and walk away. We should close our churches, ditch our 6-day creation beliefs, forget the 10 Commandments, and move on to something else.
Why? Because the Bible is to the Christian what space is to the universe. You can’t have a Christian faith without the Bible. It is the foundation upon which our faith stands.
No Bible = No Christianity = No salvation = No heaven = No hell = No Accountability = No submission to Christ as Lord.
Which explains why there are many people who try to discredit the Good Book. If you can undermine the truthfulness of Scripture then you can pretty much destroy the Christian system. And if you can destroy the system, there’s no need for church, for following Christ’s audacious demands, for bowing the knee to the Creator God.
I can see how a “holey” Bible is appealing to atheists and non-Christians. It frees them from the “oppression” of God, the threat of eternal punishment in fire, the need to give up vice and worldly pleasure. It allows them to pursue their own agenda in this world minus a seared conscience.
It allows people to “move on” from so-called backwater ideas of deity and into 21st century, naturalistic enlightenment.
So the attacks happen and they are constant. They are fierce and unrelenting. And they are designed to dismantle Christianity and do away with God forever.
But…
…what if the Bible is true?
What if God really does exist and has revealed Himself through a first century Jew called Jesus?
What if Christ really did die on the cross and rose from the dead that we might be delivered from sin and punishment to eternal life in heaven?
If the Bible is true, then we need to be paying a whole lot of attention to what it’s saying.
There’s just too much at stake.
Your soul, my soul.
Eternity.
But is there even a way to know if the bible is true? A way to verify its claims or at the very least, look into it from a historical point of view and see if it holds up under scrutiny?
Surely if one can prove it to be a historically sound and bibliographically reliable document, one can – and must – look into its claims as divine revelation?
There are, of course, myriad questions surrounding the Bible. Its origins, reliability, and truth are all subject to regular debate. And for a book that claims to be divine revelation – God’s truth no less – it deserves to be put under the microscope.
What most people don’t realize is that for each provocative question about the Scriptures there are equally provocative answers.
It’s all about examining every angle. From the Bible’s reliability as a historical document to its proclamations, prophecies, and its fiercely moral teachings; from its claims about Jesus’ life and works to His death and resurrection; from its power through the testimony of the early church fathers who died for it to the genuinely changed lives of the countless who believe it – the Bible must be examined, dissected, and pored over to see why these things are so.
There’s nothing to be afraid of. Jesus Himself assured us of two things:
“I am the way and the TRUTH and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, emphasis added)
“Then you will KNOW the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32, emphasis added)
The following links should be a good start.
http://www.allaboutthejourney.org/bible-manuscripts.htm
http://www.citw.org.uk/claims.htm
True Worship
Last Wednesday I had an interesting conversation with one of our worship leaders, the multi-talented Magoo del Mundo. We were initially discussing traditional hymns and praise and worship, contrasting the styles, messages, and experience. I’m a big hymns fan and love it when the church band incorporates old hymns into the worship set. Magoo has an equal love for the timelessness and theology of many traditional hymns.
But it wasn’t his comments on the modern rendition of classic music that drove me into a fit of deep thought – it was his thoughts on what true worship is and his leftfield idea on how we might challenge traditional corporate worship.
“The Jews worshipped differently,” Magoo informed me. “They sang in response to what they heard about God.” In other words, we’ve got it wrong. We go to church on Sunday and do the bulk of our praise and worship before hearing the Word, not the other way around.
So the question is, why are we singing? Is it because Sunday morning worship is a centuries-old established pattern? Do we assume our seats and “warm up” for the sermon by singing or are we praising because we’re responding to something we learned about God’s awesomeness and Biblical truth?
My bet is that of say 100 people singing in church on a Sunday morning, only a tiny fraction are worshipping as a direct response to God and His Word. The rest of us just go through the motions because hey, that’s the pattern. We’re used to it.
What my friend postulates is this: Sunday morning praise and worship is nullified when all we do is sing because we’re used to it. True worship happens when we respond to the preaching – the Truth of God’s Word – by singing praise and adoration.
So if he had his way, and this is the cool part, the bulk of corporate praise and worship would be at the END of the service, not the beginning.
I love it when traditional paradigms get flipped on their head.
I think Magoo is right. The Bible says that true worshippers worship in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:23). A lot of us worship in Spirit, coming before the Lord on Sunday singing because it feels good and is a great way to “get started”. We may try to dig down and ask the Holy Spirit to fill our minds and buoy us as we sing, (perhaps hoping, erroneously, that a little mysticism will go a long way too).
But we don’t worship in Truth – we’re not responding to the preached Word that morning; we’re not singing because we’re absorbed in the Bible. We might simply be singing a shallow modern worship song that’s more vague that it is theologically uplifting.
There needs to be a balance; we must worship in Spirit and in Truth if it is to be acceptable and pleasing to the Father as well as meaningful for us.
I wonder if we can accomplish that by shaking things up and literally restructuring the Sunday service. What if we all arrived at church, sat down, and after a moment of prayer and perhaps one song (as a concession), the pastor plunged right into preaching? Then, after hearing the Word we give our offering and start the praise and worship in earnest?
The worship leaders would be free to choose songs that are tied into the sermon message and urge the congregation to really think about what they just heard. Like if the pastor preached on the Holiness of God we might just sing Holy, Holy, Holy with a lot more conviction and understanding. If the message was about God’s superabundant grace, Amazing Grace might turn into something more than just a timeless classic.
I’m all for experimentation within the church, especially if it means trying to Biblical over traditional.
What do you think?
Baby Food for Thought
I like a great analogy.
Not all of them work but when they’re spot on, like this one about parenting and archery, they can really shake the roof.
The other day when feeding my baby I noticed something that lent itself as an analogy for Christian consumption of the Word.
You see, a distinct pattern has evolved when it comes to feeding my baby girl. We start out normal – she’s sitting in her high chair, I’m feeding her out of a bowl. I make airplane noises and do nose-dives with the spoon; she opens her mouth to accept my culinary cargo.
Then after about 10 spoonfuls, she gets tired of sitting down and decides to stand up, hold the back of the chair and turn away from me. She’s still interested in eating, made evident as I maneuver her spoon and make some dynamic passes at her eagerly awaiting mouth. It’s just that she wants to move around a bit, distracted by the dining room at large.
After about another 10 spoonfuls she’s tired of the lame Spitfire engine sounds and constant pleading I’m subjecting her to. She tries to dismount her chair (dangerous) so I lift her out and relocate her to my left knee (safe). From here we resume the cargo delivery process, except this time my pleading has taken on a musical quality, the kind of sing-song tone that daddies assume makes their baby become more interested in finishing a meal (?!).
And the grand point of all this?
No matter what happens, Christian leaders must always preach the Word (2 Timothy 4:2).
Baby Christians will always be distracted by the world. The Devil continuously tries to lure God’s children away from truth with the pride of life. And at times it can get mighty frustrating for spiritual leaders trying to aid Christians in their daily sanctification and growth.
But rather than cater people’s every whim, rather than give in to their wants and tailor our message to fit their distracted natures, we should continue to feed them the pure, unadulterated Word.
They may test the sturdiness of their high chairs; they may be mesmerized by other objects in the room. But if our mission is to feed them, then feed them we must.
Can you imagine what’d happen to my baby if I gave up feeding every time she didn’t sit still and conform to my standards of eating a meal? Imagine how long she’d last if I exchanged baby food with lollypops just because they’re more colorful and tantalizing.
Yet all too often that’s what happens in some churches to the detriment of many spiritual lives.
We ought to take care that our flock is fed the Word, no matter what fickle diversions come their way.
Oh and I hope the analogy works :D
The God Delusion
Is Christianity at odds with science? Is it nothing more than a laughable idea, a crutch that weak people need to lean on in order to get through life? Is faith in God a blind faith, a kind of intellectual suicide?
What about Atheism? Is it the best and only alternative to Christianity? Does Darwinism and naturalism hold up as better and truer explanations for life and the universe? Can a person really be moral if evolution doesn’t allow for moral absolutes?
I’m a Reformed Christian. And while I believe in God, the Bible, a 6-day creation, and Jesus Christ, along with His divinity and resurrection from the dead, I also believe that the Christian faith has intellectually satisfying foundations and is not, as some like to postulate, blind trust in an unknowable deity.
This is not a popular position, of course. I’m aware that I and thousands of others like me are laughed at, derided for our faith, and scorned as the dumb of the earth. But that’s ok. In fact, that’s Biblical. The world thinks the gospel is foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18). If the Bible teaches I’m gonna be ridiculed for my faith, I believe and accept it.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t confront atheism. I do so willingly, as a soldier who’s been tasked with defending the front lines. In this regard I’m a lieutenant, skilled in the Word to some degree but still rough around the edges, still making my way up the ranks, if you will. I may not have all the answers and the war on Truth may sometimes be overwhelming. But I’m hanging in here, doing my bit, battling the oppression of atheism, post-modernism, and the ugly denial of a sovereign God.
Which is why I’m grateful for people like the esteemed John Lennox, a commander in the faith who blazes the way in confronting error and defending the truth.
Lennox is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford and Fellow in Mathematics and Philosophy of Science, as well as Pastoral Advisor at Green Templeton College. I recently watched his 2007 debate with evolutionary biologist and fellow Oxford professor Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion which was the subject of the debate.
Lennox is a brilliant mind, clear and eloquent, a man who argues his position with passion and scientific integrity. Dawkins is no pushover either; he’s keen, sharp, and argues with equal passion (it’s a shame he doesn’t come to the same conclusions as Lennox though).
Watching these men exchange ideas and grapple with deep and profound questions about God and the cosmos is an intensely gripping experience. Especially for someone who likes to know that what he believes in can be defended with the mind and not just the heart.
I believe that as a Christian I have a duty to not only tell others about my faith and be ready with answers to their questions (1 Peter 3:15), but I have a personal duty to know God (Psalm 46:10). The Lennox-Dawkins debate helps me on all these fronts. I hear the atheist/theist arguments and I walk away with answers as well as a deeper sense and appreciation of knowing the Lord God of the universe.
The hardened atheist will come to a different conclusion no doubt. But at least questions are raised. And that’s the whole point of the debate; not to convert one of the two arguing on stage but to help listeners like you and me confront our beliefs, Christian and pagan, and weigh them in the light of science, Scripture, and a few good words from a raging battlefront.
A Most Convincing Truth
When I first watched Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” I was overwhelmed by a sense of urgency to save planet Earth.
I felt I had a duty as a citizen, as well as a Christian, to get with the program and go green. To “do my bit.” To conserve energy and walk roads instead of ride public transport. To save water, turn off my lights, and perhaps extend the world a much needed lifeline.
Then I heard John MacArthur preach on creation and the end of the universe.
It blew me away. Suddenly, I had a different and much more authoritative perspective than the VP’s documentary to wrestle with on this matter – I had the sure Word of God. And because it was so radical a change in perspective (and because of my commitment to Biblical truth) I became very interested in what the Bible has to say about the Earth, our role as Christians in relation to it, and what the future holds for us all.
I also became highly interested in what non-Christian scientists who were anti-global warming have to say about the issue. Surely they didn’t come to their position lightly, especially in the face of an almost unanimous worldwide proclamation that global warming is a serious and deadly threat. With that much scientific “cred” and united humanitarianism going against them, they must have some pretty strong convictions (and data) to take the minority stand.
So I did some research. Nothing drastically extensive but enough to momentarily drown out the deafening voices of documentaries like An Inconvenient Truth, Hollywood celebrities urging their fans to go green and save the planet, and scientific bodies issuing powerful, pro-global warming statements by consensus.
Enough to make me think that it’s quite possible there’s nothing to worry about.
Now let’s take a moment to think about that. Could it really be possible that 90% of the world’s scientists have got this thing wrong? That the minority position on global warming being no cause for alarm could actually be true?
How can this be so?
Well, I’m not a scientist. But I have unearthed some very interesting arguments, both Christian and non-Christian, anti- and pro-global warming.
And you know what? I no longer think global warming is that big a deal.
Seriously.
I actually think it’s an out of control idea that’s influenced by politics, money, class division, greed, and hypocrisy, to name a few.
It’s a pretty strong 180 degree turn on my part. But that’s what the Bible can do to you. I may not be able to debate global warming on a scientific level; but I do have the Word of God.
And I trust it completely.
Because I no longer believe global warming is a massive crisis that deserves our unbridled attention does it mean I no longer care about the Earth? Do I think we should all just devastate our planet until there are no more pandas, water pollution kills as many people as it does fish, and third world citizens have more flashfloods than they do hot dinners?
Of course not.
But I do advocate a balanced, Biblical response to environmental concerns.
And this is what I know, from the Bible, about our earth as elucidated by Dr. Macarthur in “Creation, Theology & The End of the Universe”.
1. It is temporary.
God has no intention of preserving the earth for millions of years. That’s an atheistic view of the world, steeped in the notion that everything has been evolving for eons and we have a moral duty to keep that process up for the sake of future generations. The fact of the matter is the world is young and will be superseded by a “new Earth” (2 Peter 3:13) after our current planet is done away with. All our efforts at saving the world do little to keep it from God’s impending and severe judgment. It’s healthy to remember that.
2. It is cursed by God.
Genesis 3 shows us the real reason the environment is in such chaos – God! He cursed the Earth because of the fall of man. That’s why the Earth isn’t perfect and is becoming increasingly volatile – because of sin.
We should not be surprised that sometimes the world seems so out of control. Natural calamities and the wrath of nature have much to do with God’s curse on the planet in response to Adam’s rebellion in the Garden.
3. We are to subdue it or be subdued.
God’s will is that we dominate the Earth, mine her natural resources, and enjoy the benefits of our efforts. It’s hard work, for sure. But if we rise to the occasion our quality of life will improve greatly. This has been true of all civilizations that have subdued the Earth; they have advanced and enjoyed a better quality of life. All civilizations that have not subdued the Earth, whether though lack of technology or indifference, have lived in her wrath.
4. We are to be good stewards of creation.
Good stewardship has always been of major importance to God (Matthew 25:14-30). So it goes without saying that we are to take care of the Earth. I mean, God is not against mowing the lawn and having a manicured garden; I think He takes great pleasure in that. I also think we honor Him when we avoid polluting rivers, cutting down too many trees, and treating our environment with disdain.
But to jump on the global warming bandwagon without actually knowing all the facts, to jettison traditional forms of energy in favor of alternative energies is to deny ourselves – and the rest of the world – of God’s perfectly useful resources. They’re God’s gifts for us to use. And they might not be as deadly to the environment as we are told.
To give up on oil might not be such a wise idea after all.
5. It will never again be destroyed by a flood.
A lot of people, when they hear the words “global warming”, usually imagine the polar caps melting, icebergs thinning into the sea, and a catastrophic worldwide flood that’ll make Roland Emmerich proud.
Except it ain’t gonna happen. Genesis 9:12-16 details God’s promise to avoid wiping out the world with a global flood.
6. It will be consumed by fire.
So yeah, God won’t destroy the world with another flood but He will end things with fire. And we’re not talking about some pesky international wildfire – God will scorch and totally consume the planet, destroying everything with an unrelenting cosmic conflagration until “the earth and everything in it will be laid bare” (2 Peter 3:7;10).
7. In the meantime God will take care of the earth – and us.
Global warming advocates are constantly sounding the alarm saying that if we don’t act now and save our planet it may be too late; subsequent generations may be doomed to a world akin to The Postman, if not far worse.
But you know what? God has promised to take care of us and the world we live in. He’s built the natural environment to function in a robust manner, to exist to provide for our needs and physical protection. All we need is to toil, be good stewards, and properly enjoy nature and its resources.
Furthermore, God is IN CONTROL. He may have cursed the world but it’s certainly not slipping through His fingers. Any worries we have of a planet gone so bad it becomes uninhabitable should end with Genesis 8:22 where a wonderful promise is declared by God Himself:
“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” (emphasis added)
Cold and heat. The very issue of climate change. The world may scream the global warming battle cry but as far as the Lord is concerned, cold and heat, as sure as the seasons and days, will continue to bless this planet in divine harmony until the time for a new Earth.
I realize I have hijacked much of Dr. MacArthur’s sermon. But you have to hear it to really appreciate it. He covers much more in his preaching and even pooh-poohs the “consensus” that global warming is a result of carbon emissions. He mentions that hyperactive sun spots are quite likely responsible for the increase in global warming, a position embraced by several scientists and not just radical Bible teachers!
I urge you to feast on his full sermon available for free download at www.shepherdsfellowship.org (2009 Shepherd’s Conference).
I also encourage you to check out the Intelligence Squared U.S. debate titled “Global Warming Is Not a Crisis” over at NPR.org. The debate features three experts arguing in favor of the motion (including the late Michael Crichton) with three others against it. The sun spot theory is also put forward here, along with many other insightful ideas, pro- and anti- motion.
What’s interesting is that in a vote before the debate, “about 30 percent of the audience agreed with the motion, while 57 percent were against and 13 percent undecided. The debate seemed to affect a number of people: Afterward, about 46 percent agreed with the motion, roughly 42 percent were opposed and about 12 percent were undecided.” (from NPR.org)
It certainly says a lot when intelligent people are swayed by anti-global warming arguments by non-Christian scientists.
But it’s way cooler that we have God and the Bible to give us a truly sound perspective on the whole deal.
Gospel Knowledge
I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge… (2 Corinthians 11:6a)
I am not a gifted speaker.
As much as I wanna be like Charles Spurgeon or John MacArthur, I’m faaaar from that mold.
I can’t instantly think of 5 different ways to say something to drive home a prominent point. I don’t have a deep reservoir of profound words that I can dip into every few seconds as I deliver a speech.
I don’t have one of those Richard Burton, auditorium-shattering voices.
I can’t make a morning reading of the Psalms sound like a Shakespearean soliloquy.
I have a very basic voice, the kind you hate to listen to when captured on tape and played over and over by an annoying sibling with a voice recorder.
I really don’t have anything in the way of oratorical power.
What I do have though is gospel knowledge.
And that, according to Paul, is enough.
You see, when you have gospel knowledge, you are in a position to devastate sinful lives with your words.
Why?
Because the gospel needs no embellishment. Its effectiveness isn’t rooted in a preacher’s oratorical skill. Its power is not dependent on human ingenuity or a man’s linguistic flourish.
The gospel is in itself “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).
One need only deliver it and God the Holy Spirit will take care of the rest.
I don’t have a problem with this. Honestly, I love the fact that I don’t have to put on a show to get people to listen and respond to the gospel. Because if it were up to me, I’d do everything in my power to sound good, say all the right things, and be as attractive and personable as possible when preaching the Word.
Because as a human being, I tend to think I can influence a person’s response.
But the truth is I can’t make the gospel any truer than it already is. I can’t make the Bible any more powerful than it already is. The Word of God is active – it’s alive! (Hebrews 4:12 ) And when combined with the Holy Spirit’s regenerative work, it is the power of God for the redemption of all who hear and embrace Christ as Savior and Lord.
Consider Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5:
When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
Paul didn’t rely on human wisdom and articulacy to preach the Word. In fact, he showed up in Corinth with trepidation. He was wary of the environment (Corinth was known for being a hub of Greek culture, highfaluting philosophies, and intense paganism) and perhaps he didn’t want to get embroiled in a superficial speech war with the city’s intellectuals.
Yet whatever Paul may have felt at the time, he knew only one thing – that his message would be Christ crucified. That would be enough to compel his listeners to salvation.
That’s not to say we can be shabby and ill-prepared when sharing the gospel. We ought to be presentable when preaching and we should choose our words wisely. There’s nothing wrong with being affable, clear, and enlightening when we communicate the gospel to others. In fact, we must make sure our presentation is coherent in order for people to properly understand the message.
But changing people’s lives, getting them to repent of their sin and trust in Jesus for salvation – that’s God’s job.
Our job is to simply preach the Word, even the hard parts.
And you know what this really means right?
It means more than a big slap in the face for people who pride themselves on worldly technique.
It means more than a fine argument against the error of contextualization.
It means, more than anything, that we have no excuse.
We are commanded to preach the gospel (Matthew 28:19-20). And with God making it abundantly clear that the gospel is powerful enough in and of itself to bring men to salvation, we really have nowhere to hide on this.
We can’t invoke the Moses Defense (Exodus 4:10-14). We have an obligation to Christ to deliver His good news to all people of the Earth and there’s nothing we can do to wiggle out of it!
But why fight it? We must not be ashamed of the gospel. For while it may not appeal to many men’s ears, there are thousands in this world who are destined to be saved through the cross. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)
And so brothers and sisters, let’s us not retreat from our calling but let us celebrate the fact that God can use all of us, whether we can communicate well or have difficulty expressing ourselves.
Let us be thankful for the many Christian men and women who are gifted with impeccable speaking skills and can wield language with precision. These people have been given by God to the church to lead us, strengthen us, and help us on our pilgrimage. We should seek to emulate them as we continue on our Christian journey.
And while we may never become as powerful a preacher as Paul, Spurgeon, Edwards, or any of our Christian heavyweight heroes, we can rest assured that in preaching the gospel, our words can and will be used by God to accomplish His plan of redemption (Isaiah 55:11).
As long as we have gospel knowledge, we can turn the world upside down.
Josh McDowell Tells His Story
Josh McDowell, the celebrated Christian apologist and author of many landmark books on apologetics, is one of my biggest heroes. Not only is he intelligent and able to defend the faith so well but he is a genuinely warm and caring person. It’s hard not be infected by his passion for the Lord and for the Truth!
Back when I was handling youth groups at a local university, McDowell’s work would constantly challenge me as a Christian and invigorate my ministry and stand for the Truth. This was especially helpful in a largely humanistic environment where professors would routinely dismiss the Bible and confuse students – many of them struggling Christians – with their human wisdom.
McDowell’s work is fascinating, scholarly, but never cold. If you’re an atheist who is convinced that God doesn’t exist and the Bible is bogus, or a Christian who seeks to ground himself further in the faith, I urge you to get your hands on “New Evidence that Demands a Verdict”, McDowell’s astounding academic and historic appraisal of the Scriptures, Jesus Christ, the resurrection, and the Christian faith.
The following is Josh’s personal testimony – how, at a young age, he became angry with his father and with God and then how, after he entered college, he met some Christians who challenged his atheist worldview. Josh tells of how he set out to refute Christianity but instead encountered overwhelming evidence in favor of the Bible’s authenticity, Christ’s claim to deity, and the resurrection of Jesus – all of which led to his salvation and transformation.
It’s a wonderful story with a powerful conclusion. Enjoy.
Hip and Miss
There was a time when all I could do during a worship service was roll my eyes.
Pulsating music?
Check.
Strobing lights?
Check.
Vivid stage design?
Check.
Props, dance numbers, emotional videos?
Check, check, check.
And the preaching?
Well, I’d say it was all very hip and miss. While the pastors managed to touch on sin, hell, grace, and divine mercy, all too often they relied on props, videos, slideshow presentations, jokes, pop culture-referencing sermon titles, and pure emotionalism to get people moved.
That and anecdotes.
LOTS of anecdotes.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the members know more about the head pastor than they do about Christ.
Anyway, so it went. Every Sunday I’d sit in my seat, watch the pastor mount the stage, and wonder to myself, What’s it gonna be this time? What new gimmick is the pastor going to call on to make this sermon more interesting, engaging, and “relevant”?
Once, the pastor had some bread at the lectern (no pulpit in this church). I forgot what point he was trying to make (I think he was talking about Jesus feeding the 5000) but he punctuated that particular moment by making a sandwich and eating it onstage.
Another time he unwrapped a bar of chocolate and started eating it while walking up and down the aisles, again to make some point I’ve long forgotten.
At yet another time he walked on stage wearing a mountaineer jacket, complete with climbing ropes on his shoulder, as if he were ready to scale some mountain. It had something to do with his sermon that morning but, you guessed it, I forgot what it was about.
Numerous other things have happened during the preaching, from one pastor using scissors to shred his shirt (to demonstrate how our good works are only worthless rags) to another using a mock crime scene, complete with police lights and the theme music to CSI playing in the background, as part of an elaborate illustration regarding the “clues” left behind by the Savior proving His resurrection.
I think.
But you get the picture.
So on to my question:
Why not just preach the Word of God?
Why try to spice up Sunday mornings with fleshly gimmicks and theatrical eye candy? Why attempt to buttress a worship service with dance numbers and emotional videos? Why the need for spiffy set design, props, disco lights, and choreographed music?
We, the church, the body of Christ, have no need for clever devices or secular technique in reaching the lost and edifying believers. All we ever need to fulfill these twin goals is the unadulterated Word of God.
Solid, complete, pure, and supremely powerful, the Word of God faithfully preached is like a spiritual cluster bomb, devastating to sin-infested souls, magnificent in its power to shake the heart and discern its thoughts (Hebrews 4:12).
It provides us with all we’ll ever need to teach others, correct error, rebuke wrongdoing, and live holy lives (2 Timothy 3:16).
It is relevant and stands the test of time (Isaiah 40:8; Mark 13:31).
There is no amount of slick production, creative support, or heart-wrenching appeals from the stage that can help or intensify the Truth. The Bible, no matter what we do, will accomplish its purpose (Isaiah 55:11).
Bottom line – we don’t need to get inventive with the Word of God. All we need to do is preach it (2 Timothy 4:2). We can eat all the sandwiches we want on stage but there’s nothing we can do to amplify Scripture. The Holy Spirit Himself will convict people of sin and supernaturally lead believers to an understanding of the Truth (John 14:16-17; 16:13).
I can’t tell you how much I loathe the idea that we need some sort of program or technique to grab people’s attention. That we have to be trendy and look cool so that people will think we’re relevant and lend us an ear.
That the only way to capture our culture is to ape the culture. That if we perhaps look and act like they do they’ll think, “Hey, Christianity doesn’t look that bad after all. It’s something I can follow.”
Dr. John MacArthur had this to say about using worldly technique in building the church:
Christian leaders seem obsessed with promoting church growth through human ingenuity. Often they are more versed in current management theory than in Biblical theology. Yet Scripture says it is the Lord who adds to the church (Acts 2:47), not men. Christ said He would build His church (Matt. 16:18). The means of legitimate church growth are all supernatural, because the church is supernatural. Why should we add human methodology to what our Lord is doing to build the church?
I am convinced that Christians who search beyond Scripture for ministry strategies inevitably end up opposing Christ’s work, albeit unwittingly.” (“Our Sufficiency in Christ” by John MacArthur).
He’s right. Aping the world is not what Jesus had in mind in building the church. Rather, we ought to follow Paul who, when preaching to the decadent Corinthians, “did not come proclaiming to (them) the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom” but “decided to know nothing among (them) except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:1-2, emphasis added).
The Apostle didn’t employ fleshly technique or impressive oratory to win over the crowd. He simply preached the gospel.
Any other attempt at reaching the lost or building up the church will fall flat on its face.
People may respond and “make a decision.” They may even profess to believe in Jesus.
But they won’t be saved.
Why we’d exchange the Bible for human technique in light of this I don’t know.
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PS – I’ve moved church and by all accounts I’m in a much healthier environment. As for my former church, I’m sad that it champions, perhaps unintentionally, a user-friendly philosophy. The leadership is dedicated and passionate; they love Jesus and are serving Him with gladness. It just hurts to see a lot of pragmatism when all that’s needed is the Word.
Me
Writer, designer, father of two, husband of one. Armchair theologian. Inconsistent blogger and photographer. Still, I try.Tweets
