Worldy Woes

I've been doing some thinking lately (novel idea, eh?) due to some some disturbing things that I've read that all but call for Christians to be carnal. It seems that some in the church today think that it's alright to flirt with the world, either in their personal lives or in ministry. This is heretical thinking that sadly seems so pervasive in our entertainment-oriented culture.

The Church is called to be light and salt. We are to glorify God, and our hearts are to be purposed to worship Him in Sprit and truth. We are to be disciples, and be discipled. We are to break bread, and be in prayer for each other. We are to feed sheep, not entertain goats.

To quote John MacArthur,

...in virtually every era of church history there have been people in the church who are convinced that the best way to win the world is by catering to worldly tastes. Such an approach has always been to the detriment of the gospel message. The only times the church has made any significant impact on the world are when the people of God have stood firm, refused to compromise, and boldly proclaimed the truth despite the world’s hostility. When Christians have shrunk away from the task of confronting popular worldly delusions with unpopular biblical truths, the church has invariably lost influence and impotently blended into the world. Both Scripture and history attest to that fact.

In looking at truth, Biblical truth is absolute and constant. It is not subject to change or adaptation. Worldly opinion, on the other hand, is in constant flux taking in the various fads and philosophies that dominate the world. It seems that the only thing that remains constant is the world’s hatred of Christ and His gospel.

Some churches and Christians today are trying to look and act as much as possible like the world.

For example:

Dress like the world - This is mostly seen in youth. Look around your youth ministry; are the kids dressed scantily? in gothic clothes?

Talk like the world - Are sermons riddled with pop-references and slang that you need a teenager to help you decipher? In following after the world, some are "courting" demographics and woe be to the person who is over 35.

Entertained by the world - Does the worship service look more like a rock concert with "stars" performing or like a genuine atmosphere of adoration to our King? I'm not saying that we should not have contemporary music, instruments, etc. I for one, love a contemporary service, but look at where the focus is. That is the main issue. Is the focus on God or man?

It is not ok for Christians to look, think and act like the World. As Christians, we are called to Holiness.

Don't get me wrong, the Church should reach out to the world and have compassion for them, but we are called to be in the world, not of the world. Romans 12:1-2 says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God."

The consciousness of the world seems to have snuck into the pulpits of the church. Have we become too lukewarm? Have we conformed to the ideology of the world?

In 3rd John 3, the apostle John comments on how important it is that we "live the truth." He says, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." We as the body of Christ need to stand up for truth and not water down the message.

The church and the world have irreconcilable differences regarding ideologies and should be divorced from one another for the betterment of both.

Jesus told His disciples, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18-19).

The good news is that Christ loves us and died for us. Yes, He meets us where we are, but He is too loving to leave us there.

Because Truth matters,
George