The "Popular" Church

I think it is healthy for us to question not only our motives, but our methods in the church. What are we saying through our words and actions when we gather together to worship? Are we representing God's heart for His glory and His desire for people to be saved and satisfied by Himself? Or are we trying to dress up the gospel so people will listen? What is our part in being a witness of Christ and His work on earth? Are we portraying who Jesus really is, or are we just trying to fit in? Are we driven by a concern for our reputation within our denomination or among other local churches? Are we willing to love sinners like He did, even as we revel in His holiness and power? Who are we gathering for when we worship, people or God? Is the gospel enough to save, or should we attempt to prop it up with something cool? Don't get me wrong, I believe that there should be creativity in ministry and I don't want to sound like we are not called to reach out to those who are not yet born again. I am simply saying that we should question our assumptions to make sure they are God's assumptions, too. I came across this from Joe Stowell and John MacArthur commenting on the popularization of the church. It hits at the core of our purpose as Christ's church.

"We must resist the temptation to popularize the gospel and thereby trivialize the depth and power of the gospel. Gospel presentations that speak merely of finding peace in Jesus, that claim that the gospel is about thinking positively, or that we're really here to help people recover and feel good about themselves leave the essence and issue of the gospel in jeopardy. Attempts to entertain people into the kingdom and to put only the foot forward that is going to be accepted and applauded by the culture without also putting the essence of the gospel forward creates an environment in which we discount the very heart of Christianity.

John MacArthur has a wonderful way of keeping us in the tension of truth. He writes:

'The overriding goal is becoming church attendance and worldly acceptability rather than a transformed life. Preaching the Word and boldly confronting sin are seen as archaic ineffectual means of winning the world. After all, those things actually drive most people away. Why not entice people into the fold by offering what they want, creating a friendly, comfortable environment, and catering to the very desires that constitute their strongest urges? As if we might get them to accept Jesus by somehow making Him more likable or making His message less offensive...That kind of thinking badly skews the mission of the church...It is the Word of God, not an earthly enticement, that plants the seed for a new birth (1 Peter 1:23). We gain nothing but God's displeasure if we seek to remove the offense of the Cross (see further Galatians 5:11).'" [John MacArthur, Ashamed of The Gospel, pg 18 as quoted by Joseph M. Stowell in Shepherding The Church, pg 60]

Lord, give us the right questions to ask so we can discern how to be Your people on the earth in these days. ~Jon