Can Church be Relevant and Survive?
A Call For Revival and Reformation.....
Part 2 of 4
by Jay Gallimore
Still, many believe that we can copy these kinds of churches and be safe. Not long ago I was in a meeting, where a pastor of a "fast growing" Adventist Church spoke. Because of some very poor pastoral leadership, this particular church had dwindled from nearly a thousand to less than a hundred. This pastor was brought in to rescue this church located in an area of a lot of Adventists. She was very sincere. According to her, one of the goals was to show that a Willow Creek model could be a success in the Adventist church.
She believes the churches, which left us, have given Willow Creek a bad name. When she met with the board, she said she would come on one condition. They must dissolve the board and give her absolute power. They did. This was necessary, she reasoned, because they were in an emergency situation and needed critical care. To her credit the attendance has risen to between five and six hundred in two years. According to her, one of the first things she did was to back off the organ and substitute "contemporary" music.
She fills the baptistry each Sabbath and invites people to give their hearts to the Lord. If you respond, you are invited to be baptized right then. However, baptism does not make you a Church member. To join you must attend classes and consent to five common points of belief with the Adventist Church. One of the points you agree too, is not to gossip.
In order to be relevant this church is now holding it's service at five o'clock Saturday. Interestingly this is a popular alternative worship hour even for Sunday keeping churches.
After hearing her speak, several serious questions confronted me. For example what happens if the person who was baptized that day is just adding Jesus to his other spiritual heros? Or do we just assume the secular world really knows the difference between Jesus and Ghandi? Doesn't the Great Commission put making disciples before baptizing? Doesn't making disciples mean teaching born again Christians how to follow Jesus? Isn't baptism the door into Christ and His Church? Can we reconcile a theology that separates baptism from the body of Christ?
In the winter most of the Sabbath has passed by five o'clock. One cannot help but wonder if the Sabbath is not being marginalized in the name of relevancy. Is Sabbath to become just another day off?
Then we must ask ourselves if we really want church growth so badly that we are ready to give the pastor absolute power? Oh sure it works if you have a smart talented minister. She is. But is it Biblical? Is it wise? Does such an approach make disciples of Jesus or disciples of the minister? Gossip is always wrong. But I wondered in this setting if it could be translated "don't disagree with the pastor ." Cults are built around strong personalities that see any disagreement as a challenge to their authority. It is not unusual for Mega churches to have very autocratic ministers. Sometimes it seems like we Adventists committee too much. But I prefer that imperfection to the principles of popery.
Unbiblical "relevant" methods are sometimes given opportunity because some churches fall into cold formalism. Singing is done with little or no enthusiasm. Scripture reading is mumbled through by a youth who has been given no coaching or practice. Praise and thanksgiving seem more scarce than "hen's teeth." The sound of fervent prayer has been replaced with the "same old prayer." Spirit filled biblical preaching has been changed for story time. Evangelistic passions are reserved for nominating committees, conference constituencies, or when there is a pastoral change. Sentimental indulgence has replaced principled love. Reverence is lost because faith in an awesome God has been lost.
People just go through the motions hoping that the sun will go down quickly so they can pop in the latest video and get on with their lives. There is no burden for worship to be carried out with excellence before a glorious God. In such a setting the impact on the lives of the members is little and none. Our simple worship should be fervent and earnest. The praying, praising, preaching, speaking, singing and giving should be our very best. We must visualize that we are in the court yard of the Heavenly Temple with its tens of thousands of holy intelligent beings. Our worship services should be power packed because the saints come with the latest acts of God on their lips.
True faith always creates a burden for souls that will always translate into soul winning. All week we should be the light of God to a dying world. Worship then becomes the affirming act that Christ lives in us corporately because He lives in us personally. We need more than a revival, more than an emotional rush. We need a reformation.
The three angels' messages are just as powerful today. The truth has lost none of its energy. Yet, when we love the world with most of our hearts. When too many of our theologians and preachers mock the past and ignore the present successes in order to make a name for themselves. When we as church leaders turn God's church into a social club or our little political play ground. When we play fast and loose with the Scripture. When our own opinion is more important that what the Bible says. We will turn the worship of God into something He will not and cannot accept.
A popular speaker at our GC session, who I am sure meant well, said that, "there is no 'right' way to worship God. And the only wrong way to worship is any way that bores or shows little forethought or preparation." Let's think about that a moment. God doesn't care about the way we worship? He just cares about preparation? Surely preparation is important but to suggest that the way we worship is inert, ignores sacred history? Someone should check with Cain and Abel. Ask Nadab and Abihu. Ask Aaron about the golden calf. What did Jesus teach the Devil about worship in the wilderness temptation? To say that the "only wrong way is any way that bores..." begs these questions. If reading the Word is boring, do I replace it with a novel? If praying is boring, do I bring in incense and incantations? If hymns are boring do I bring in a rock concert? If my church is small and plain, do I abandon it for a cathedral no matter what is taught there? How far do we take this boring business? Israel got bored while waiting on Moses. The golden calf was quite entertaining, at least for a while.
Who is the object and center of worship? God or us? Adventists know that worship will be the end time issue. As Adventists we have something to say about the day. Don't we have something to say about the way? Both are forever linked. The Sabbath demands that our Creator Redeemer God be the center of all true worship. We worship to please Him not us. Relevancy as a priority can take churches into strange places.
Today, the great Reformation Churches have made their peace with evolution and higher critical scholars. Philosophy and consensus have replaced the authority of the Word. Popular culture is the church culture. Their moral voice in the nation has been reduced to a prayerful yawn in moments of crisis. In the vacuum has appeared the excitement of the Charismatic movement. They talk about the Bible a lot. But success is usually fueled with Hollywood and Fifth Avenue tactics. Sensational miracles, entertainment, emotion, rock music and spiritual thrills are the name of the game. And they do get a crowd. They are having fun. Just don't ask how they justify all this with the New Testament. All kinds of strange worship is being experimented with. In some charismatic churches people jerk like chickens for hours and bark and howl like animals. They get "slain in the Spirit" by the thousands. They get so "drunk on the spirit" they have to have taxies take them home.
But it is not just the Charismatics that are offering strange fire on the alter of worship. Some of these "nondenominational" Mega churches have become renown for their quality drama. Many of them, by design, are housed in outstanding theatric preforming facilities. Yet, the apostles were not into drama. From some quarters I can hear the groans. That doesn't mean there is something wrong with an innocent skit occasionally. Weare not talking about the church school Christmas pageant here. But when drama becomes the main communicator of the gospel, it is alien.
The theater, while a very effective entertainment medium, doesn't switch over very well to serious logical thought. As a medium it tends to overwork the emotions and by pass the thinking process. Some argue quite earnestly that drama is more effective for the gospel than preaching and teaching. If that is true, why didn't Jesus use it? Please don't say it is a new modern method. Drama and theater are very ancient mediums. One only has to stand in the ruins of the magnificent theater at Caesarea to realize this was serious and popular stuff in the days of Jesus. Jesus was very familiar with the medium. He could have easily built a drama team of bright handsome young people. He could have packaged truth in that medium so powerfully that peoples emotions would have been like putty in His hands. But He didn't.
Somehow "repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" doesn't quite fit the theater circuit. He used very simple but clear communication methods. He depended on the Spirit of Truth to change and impress the hearts of His hearers. Interestingly, large numbers of those who followed him were young people. Those young people stayed and He used them to help launch His church. It is worthy to note that the Holy Spirit who gave gifts and talents to the Early Church didn't list acting.
What is driving all of this? Contrary to some popular opinion, theology does drives our methodology. Jesus is clear, we cannot serve the Him and the world. Is there a shift in our convictions? Shifts do not happen all at once. Usually they are subtle. Change is often well entrenched before someone notices that profession and practice are no longer synonymous. Can we use the manipulative methods of rock concerts, holly wood, circuses, magic, occultism, the sports world and fifth avenue and prepare a people for that Great Day?
We fervently sing "We Have This Hope". We Adventists confess a holy and awesome faith. That is why the Church must be into truth not entertainment. Into repentance not manipulation. Into building Christian character not emotionalism. We must not underestimate God's power to use simple means. The Apostle Paul said that "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God."
Have we redefined success by redefining worship? Are we moving from a God centered worship to a man centered worship? Among us, I have heard plenty of church growth talk but virtually nothing about New Testament holiness. Did not Jesus declare to the Devil that worship and obedience are inseparable? A God centered worship demands faithfulness in behavior. In our lust to draw great crowds have we forgotten all the New Testament counsel about character development? Being kind to my spouse and modesty in dress are all part of the same New Testament call to Christlikeness. The world is certainly sending its messages about what to wear, how to act, what to look at and listen too. Unfortunately, in my estimation, we have preached and published too many sermons, books and articles, endeavoring to make Christian lifestyle comfy with our carnal hearts. The real result is to disown them or at least make them insignificant.
The ususal thrust of these articles is to say: "Don't be a legalist. Don't be unkind. Don't be judgmental." Of course we should be none of the above. But neither should we abandon the New Testament calls to holiness for modern sentimentalism. We know we are saved by faith alone. But do we know we are not saved by faithlessness? Can we worship while being stubbornly unfaithful? Will God accept such strange fire?
Of course many come to our worship services who are unconverted. But can God respond to our prayers for their conversion if we are knowingly disobedient? Pentecost brought results for a reason. The Devil has never before launched such powerful forces against the Christian faith and character. In the mist of all this carnage we seem to making our appeasements. Yet, the Apostles greatest joy was not in learning the latest attendance figures. Their joy was in finding that their converts were faithful to their teachings.
We need a new militancy, not harsh, not mean, but certainly full of fervent love and support in helping each other become like Jesus. This darkened world is desperate to see the light of Jesus in us. Please understand there is much to be said for being creative and relevant. But unless they are mothered and shepherded by the Inspired Word, there can be no real progressive movement in the church. This movement to accommodate the world is an admission that the power of Biblical Christianity is scarce. In addition, any satisfaction with cold formalism is an admission that we are fast asleep with no oil in our extra flasks. The results of both are going to be disastrous.
When the Apostles preached, their gospel sword cut and saved across all cultures. True Christianity does not grow by kissing up to Constantines. It grows by solid Biblical preaching that calls people to repentance and change. It grows, in holy fellowship. It grows, when it gushes glorious worship to its Creator and Redeemer. It grows, when it uplifts a Christ that justifies and sanctifies. It grows, when it is fearless in the face of sin. It grows, when it pours unselfish love into a hurting world. It grows, when it embraces the pains and sorrows of the downtrodden of our society. It grows when spiritual values are more important than politics. It grows, when virtue in its members is more important than crowds in its pews. It grows, when it seeks first the kingdom of heaven. It grows, when it trusts the Lord no matter what. It grows, when it pours rivers of grace and energy into saving the lives of wretched sinners. It grows, when it moves more by faith than by money. Jesus opened and closed His ministry with "repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." That word, repent is at the heart of all true worship. It wasn't relevant but then again it was. Eternal life is very relevant. Between repentance and eternal life stands the Adventist call to worship? That call must go to all the world, pure, undiluted and without compromise. Like John the Baptist, we must spare nothing in getting the message out. Only then will the end come.
More Spotlight Articles......
A Bible Answer
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