Holy WarsThe SophisticatesA Chord in Tune-Why or What?Tags: Church Growth, Church Growth Movement, Frank Pooler, existentialism, hedonism, John Calvin, Martin Luther, Saint Augustine, entertainment, worship
The Church Growth crowd will tell you that
it is all about special effects when in reality it is about how God will affect people
when His servants place their full reliance on Him. It is not about pump. It is about
power. It’s not about stuff. It’s about doing the stuff. It’s about getting down to the
nitty-gritty with people where they live and applying the Gospel to it. It’s about
ministering with sincerity and a true heart. It’s about connecting with souls while
revealing the truth of Scripture. It’s about caring for needs and lifting each other
up in prayer and supplication. It’s about building and maintaining the traditions
that glue people together and remind them of their Great God. It is about bringing in new
and fresh things that breathe life into the soul. It’s about body life. That is what
a chord in tune is. And it’s not about snake oil, I can
assure you. “For men will be lovers of
themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal,
despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of
God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn
away!’ (II Tim 3:2-5 MKJV) The world today is run by very pragmatic
ends justifies means philosophies. The goal of self is the all-important god. The
philosophies of existentialism (experience orientation) and hedonism (pleasure seeking)
have created an environment where the goal is to experience that which feels good above
all other things. Whatever leads to that goal, no matter what it costs, is the ticket.
Even things that are supposedly done for others habitually have self in mind. The why
lying behind the things that are done has no value other than what is good for
“me.” What can get “me” to the point of fulfilling “me” is
the focus of all non-Christian behavior today. This self-centered philosophy that drives
the world is the force behind the things that unbelievers do and the way they act.
Therefore, the inevitable assimilation of the self-love outlook of modern society is the
inherent danger that awaits the church that embraces the ways of the world in order to
relate to the world. And the fact that the church has already melded with the “I
gotta be me” culture that surrounds it is a primary reason why we see so much living
for self rather than God amongst Christians today. But Christians are called to a different
purpose with a distinct why underpinning their entire behavior. Therefore Jesus
proclaimed, “’. . . seek ye first the This God preeminent why we do things must
always provide the basis for what we do. The crux of biblical Christianity is that the why
Christians do things is not self-centered but God centered. And this concept of God first
is an important factor that distinguishes Christian righteousness from the
self-righteousness of an unbelieving world. The world loves for what it can get out of
it. Christians love for an entirely different reason. And why do we, as Christians love?
Is it for our self-serving interests? Is it to get something from somebody else or even
from God? Absolutely not! This is because the why that we do things is all about
God’s supremacy in our lives. We love because God first loved us. (I Jn 4:19)
As demonstrated in Augustine’s
confession above, responding to God’s love is the order of the day for Christians.
And it is the why for everything we do. Hence, all of our whys are simply our responses to
God for what He has done for us. Though we are all called to good works, we do so because
we are saved and not to get saved. Hence we give because God has given to us. We serve
because God first served us. In contrast to society, true Christianity is all about
putting others before oneself because God put us before Himself by sacrificing His Son for
us. This life response of thanksgiving to God for who He is and what He has done is the
foundation of our praise and worship. “Among the gods there is none like
unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. All nations whom thou
hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name. For thou
art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.” (PS 86:8-10 KJV) True
worshippers worship with an attitude of gratitude to put God first in everything. Entertainment aims for the senses and thus
focuses on self-pleasure. Worship honors God and thus focuses on the spirit. And so,
regardless of the media context or aesthetic style utilized, though two artistic endeavors
may look the same on the outside, the why things are done makes all the difference in the
world. If the work is done for entertainment reasons the result will be anemic,
unpersuasive and shallow. Though amusing, its surface level clamor will fall short of
meeting people at the point of their spiritual needs. Furthermore, it will inevitably be
accompanied by an egocentric self-serving attitude that will ultimately diminish the
ministry significance of the artistic work. On the other hand, if the expression of
artistry is presented unto the Lord from the hearts of servants as they declare their
thankfulness to Him, then the power of God will manifest itself and use this offering of
praise to unalterably change lives. Therefore, above all set your goal to
minister to people for the sake of others rather than impressing them to satisfy yourself.
Set your heart on worship. Set your mind on God. “If then you have been raised up with
Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” (
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