Perhaps this seems like a strong harsh title but it seems to sadly true in our day. Attending Church has become an extremely selfish thing by many who choose assemblies based on what they desire rather than on desiring to obey and worship the living God. Amusement, joking and other such things are used to entertain the saints lest they think God is serious about His kingdom and work.
When pastors make jokes from the pulpit and always ensure people leave on a positive happy state they are just falling into the trap of pleasing men and not God. The gathering of believers needs to be around Jesus Christ Himself and for His purposes. We do not come together as the people of God, the Church, to be entertained. We need to have the burden of the Lord to worship and praise the Lord for hours and spend time in prayer and the exhortation of the Word. Sadly most cannot bear one hour in a service, how will they do in heaven when we are spending countless centuries in the presence of God worshipping Him.
This article is what spurned on the title for this post and we believe is "of the Lord" and a right word for our day. May it stir us to genuine repentance, this is an excerpt of the larger article "The Devil's Mission of Amusement":
It is only during the past few years that "amusement" has become a recognized weapon of our warfare and developed into a mission. There has been a steady "down grade" in this respect. From "speaking out," as the Puritans did the Church has gradually toned down her testimony; then winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. Then she has tolerated them in her borders, and now she has adopted them and provided a home for them under the plea of "reaching the masses and getting the ear of the people." The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the Church of Christ that part of her mission is to provide entertainment for the people with a view to winning them into her ranks. The human nature that lies in every heart has risen to the bait. Here, now, is an opportunity of gratifying the flesh and yet retaining a comfortable conscience. We can now please ourselves in order to do good to others. The rough old cross can be exchanged for a "costume," and the exchange can be made with the benevolent purpose of elevating the people.
All this is terribly sad, and the more so because truly gracious souls are being led away by the specious pretext that it is a form of Christian work. They forget that a seemingly beautiful angel may be the devil himself, " . . . for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light" (2 Cor. 11:14).
Short and sharp is the utterance, "Let the dead bury their dead; but go thou and preach the kingdom of God." "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." "In the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." "I have given them Thy Word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world,even as I am not of the world." "My kingdom is not of this world."
These passages are hard to reconcile with the modern idea of the Church providing recreation for those who have no taste for more serious things - in other words, of conciliating the world.
It will be no wonder if the Holy Ghost, grieved and insulted, withdraws His presence; for "what concord hath Christ with Belial, and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?"
"Come out!" is the call for today. Sanctify yourselves. Put away the evil from among you. Cast down the world's altars and cut down her groves. Spurn her offered assistance. Decline her help, as your Master did the testimony of devils, for "He suffered them not to speak, because they knew Him." Renounce all the policy of the age. Trample upon Saul's armour. Grasp the Book of God. Trust the Spirit who wrote its pages. Fight with this weapon only and always. Cease to amuse and seek to arouse. Shun the clap of a delighted audience, and listen for the sobs of a convicted one. Give up trying to "please" men who have only the thickness of their ribs between their souls and hell; and warn, and plead, and intreat, as those who feel the waters of eternity creeping upon them.
Let the Church again confront the world; testify against it; meet it only behind the cross; and, like her Lord, she shall overcome, and with Him share the victory.
Be the first to react on this!
Gospel Fellowships ( - )
“Christianity was birthed in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and will only continue as we have this empowering from above. God is always looking for the willing vessels that will trust Him afresh for the impossible.” from: Principles for the gathering of Believers under the Headship of Jesus Christ.Since 2012, a growing group of believers in North America started to warn of coming persecution to western countries. This message was shared in a variety of ways. One of the responses to this was to compile a book taking principles from underground Churches around the world of how they thrived under pressure and persecution. The volume, Principles for the Gathering of Believers, had in a short time over 50,000 downloads in ebook format and much interest was shown. Some new house churches started through this and other existing groups were encouraged.