Worshiptainment

This article by Pastor Mike Livingstone is worth reading: The great heresy of the church today is that we think we’re in the entertainment business. A.W. Tozer believed this to be true back in the 1950s and 60s. Church members “want to be entertained while they are edified.” He said that in 1962. Tozer grieved, even then, that it was “scarcely possible in most places to get anyone to attend a meeting where the only attraction was God.” More recently, David Platt has asked: “What if we take away the cool music and the cushioned chairs? What if the screens are gone and the stage is no longer decorated? What if the air conditioning is off and the comforts are removed? Would His Word still be enough for his people to come together?” Would it be enough? Tozer got it right: “Heresy of method may be as deadly as heresy of message.” Like Tozer, we should be concerned that so many people in our churches want to be entertained while they worship. We should be concerned when we no longer recognize the difference between the two. And we should be concerned by the growing belief that adding more entertainment value to worship is necessary for the church to accomplish its mission. I may stand alone, but it grieves me when I see worship services characterized more by props, performances, and pep rally atmospheres than by any sense of divine sacredness; when I see hallowedness giving way to shallowness. The real issues, for me, are these: (1) Who or what is the spotlight really on? If the figurative spotlight in our church services is on anyone other than God, it is not worship. If the spotlight shines brighter on human performance than on the gospel of Christ, it is not worship. If anyone other than Jesus is receiving our adulation and applause, it is not God we worship. (2) What message are we communicating? The message of the church, the message the world needs to hear from us, is not, “Come and have a good time,” “Come and be entertained,” or “Come and find your best life now.” Tozer said: “Christ calls men to carry a cross; we call them to have fun in His name.” Lest we forget, Jesus’ cross was a source of entertainment only for those who mocked Him as He hung on it. (3) How are lives changed? “But our methods are attracting and winning people! Look at all the people who are coming to our church” some will say. Tozer addressed that sentiment: “Winning them to what? To true discipleship? To cross-carrying? To self-denial? To separation from the world? To crucifixion of the flesh? To holy living? To nobility of character? To a despising of the world’s treasures? To hard self-discipline? To love for God? To total committal to Christ?”  When Jesus and the true message of the gospel are the focus of worship, we will be blessed.

See you Sunday, Bro. Chris