Dressing Up In Our Culture To Go To Church

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." - 1 John 2:15

 "Worship is no longer worship when it reflects the culture around us more than the Christ within us." -  A.W. Tosier

I have been around the block a time or two in this life. As I am making my laps, I have watched the evolution of worship. I recently heard someone speak of a church service as boring. That was to say, as I understood it, that the purpose of going to church was to entertain them and not for them to focus on the corporate worship of God. The gathering together in corporate worship is to focus on God and to hear from God as the body of Christ and not be entertained. It is the old nature that yearns for entertainment. 

We should be careful about bringing in our culture or generational preferences to worship on Sunday mornings. There is not one way for older people to worship and another for the younger. If being older meant that you are out of touch spiritually then we might need a new Bible - we might need a new Saviour - we might even need a new God. Does that bother you that I would suggest that? My point is that the Gospel has not changed - sin has not changed - our need for the Spirit of God to teach us and lead us and convict us has not changed. Certainly, technology has. What people look like on the outside has. But their condition on the inside has not. The musical notes on the scale have not changed. 4/4 time is still 4/4 time.  The separation of worshippers by age and music preference, the way we "do" church, today is a reflection of the American Christian culture. But the depravity of man and the need to be born again does not.

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." - Isaiah 40:8

The tendency to draw our culture and its values into our worship has not changed. It has been happening since mankind made the first footprints in the Garden of Eden.  Christians still don't check their sin at the door of the church. If they harbored prejudice in their hearts when they got up that morning - they brought it to the pew and embraced it all the while shouting amen and hallelujah as the preacher shared the Good News that Jesus Saves! Listen, you can shout as loud as you want - God will not hear you so long as He regards sin in your heart. Oh, people will and think you are spiritual when you are merely religious.

"O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." - Psalm 51:15-17

Words are not enough!

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone