Early this week, I was perusing Facebook. Perhaps wasting time would be a better description of it. I usually do a quick scroll through the latest updates until I see something that catches my eye which may be a video or something happening in the life of a friend or a quote. That was what I noticed the other day, a quote by pastor and author David Platt.
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?
David Platt
As I read those words, my mind turned to Matt Redman’s song The Heart of Worship. The song was born out of a period of apathy that his home church was experiencing in the last 1990s. Redman recalls that they had “lost [their] way in worship.” The pastor of the church decided to put all the normal elements of their praise time away for a season so they could refocus as a church.
As I was thinking through Platt’s quote the past couple of days and humming Redman’s song in my head, I was remembering a passage of Scripture from the book of Acts. In chapter two after Peter has preached the magnificent sermon and the people respond in faith, the church begins to grow, in fact, three thousand in a day. Talk about church growth! Just after these words, we read this:
They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching…
Acts 2:42a NET
So, with all those things in mind, I ask this: Why do you come to church on Sunday morning or gather with believer other times during the week? That’s the question that has been consuming my mind these last few days. In an era when it appears that churches almost compete to be the biggest and have the latest tech and highest caliber of singers and preachers (being run more like a business than a church), it seems that we have lost our way in at least two manners.
First, the emphasis in people’s lives today is on non-life-maturing matters when it comes to “church”. I couldn’t tell you how many people have left churches all over America because of something they didn’t like. The message was solid, the gospel preached, but the music didn’t fit their taste, the facilities weren’t modern enough, the church was too small, or some other matter of personal preference wasn’t met (I didn’t like______). Now, I’m not saying that music isn’t important or that personal tastes and preferences aren’t valid. But when we stack the evaluation scales, which side tips on our personal scales of importance? Why do we gather with other believers? For the music? For the good coffee? Is it only a sense of duty? What’s your reason?
What about the Word of God? Well-constructed music may satisfy our emotional cravings. Good coffee may quench our physical thirst and give us an extra pep in our step and perkier smile (after all it is the Christian drug of choice—caffeine!). Personal preferences may be met. But the sustaining factor of those and other things is short-lived. If your favorite comforts are removed from the Sunday morning setting, would you gather with other believers yet to simply hear the Word of God preached and taught?
The second issue the church in America faces is that we’ve bought into the pleasures of the world and the importance of “me.” We’ve worked hard all week. The weekend is ours to spend as we want. And in a state like Wisconsin, there is always something you can occupy your weekend with. Within American Christianity, the pleasure of the world often quickly bumps anything related to church as people have allowed God to become a matter of convenience rather than a priority in our lives. I wonder if the disease in American Christianity is that people no longer love God but are more in love with themselves.
The Apostle Paul warned Timothy that some would no longer be satisfied with God’s Word and would instead chase after things that they consider to be more spectacular and find people who tell them what they want to hear (2 Tim 4:3-4). I love a mega-stuffed Oreo, but it is inadequate to satisfying my hunger and giving me proper balanced nutrition.
Believers in parts of Africa gather under a centrally located tree to hear the Word preached and taught. Believers in parts of Russia cram into tiny apartments with almost standing room only to hear the Word preached and taught. I heard a story recently of a small group in Tajikistan that meets every day for prayer and time in the Word. In Psalm 19:10, we read that David valued it more than gold and the sweetest honey. Psalm 119:72 & 119:127 echo these sentiments. Another psalmist considered it as a lamp, a light to guide to his footsteps in life (Ps 119:105).
People question why we face so many problems with relationships and difficulties in life. The major issue? We’ve devalued the Word of God! If the church turned back to the truth of God’s Word and obey it, we’d find many of the issues we face suddenly resolved. God’s way is the best prescription for life.
Is God’s Word enough? Yes, yes, it is. But that’s my answer. What’s yours? If your church building burnt down today, if intense persecution of believers in the USA started tomorrow as severely as we see in other countries, would you still gather with other believers to hear the Word of God?