Friday, October 19, 2007 at 12:12am
What is wrong with the church today?
Column: For His Glory
The new trend in churches today is that we have to keep the service moving and make it quick because people are in a rush to get to their "real" lives. Isn't that sad? Worship service, which should be defined by an awe of a God who died for us, is nothing more than something else to do over the weekend. And yet these same people who rush in and out of churches on the weekend gladly spend hours watching football games all day Saturday and Sunday. Jesus takes a backseat to the church of the NFL. And apparently the trend is growing faster than we think. What does this say about Christianity in America?
For one, it says that many churchgoers are not converted. They are more concerned with things of this world than being in the presence of God. Jesus did say that the "wheat and the tares" (a reference to those who are saved and the lost) would be in the church together. But it seems that believers have abdicated the right to worship to the non-believing folk of the church. Hence we have given in to their demands to make sure services end by noon. What is the rush? Shouldn't spending time with fellow believers and with God be our No. 1 priority? After a long work week or school week, shouldn't we be eager to find rest in Jesus, just spending time basking in His glory? Leaving behind the cares of the work week to concentrate on Him should be our concern. Why are we so eager to get out of church? And to do what — numb our brains in front of the TV? Why do we quickly look at our watches when the speaker goes a few minutes past noon? Is it because deep inside we have not been awakened to our need of God? Sure, some services can be considered boring, but if that's your opinion, then what are you doing about it? Get involved!
Like Pastor Jim Cymbala once said, "We pay $20 for a concert, but Jesus can't draw." We make countless excuses for why we need to keep church service short and to the point. "We don't want to offend the visitors; children's attention span is short." And yet we will bore our visitors at home with offensive movies and keep our children glued to the TV to keep them occupied. You never hear a parent say, "We need to turn off the TV because they have a short attention span," do you? It is because we do not spend enough time in His word and in prayer that we look elsewhere to feed our unconverted hearts instead of crying out to God in repentance. Think of the excuses you make not to go to church, and then see in God's word if any of those stand up? God is calling a people to true holiness, people who will take Him at His word and worship with true devotion, people willing to bask in His glory. Are you willing?
"For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort." (Philippians 3:3)
And we linger at His feet.
— — —
Gio Marin is an author, currently working on a master of divinity degree at Andrews Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, with a dual emphasis on systematic theology and church growth & evangelism. Visit For His Glory, the blog, and send an email to {email GioMarinColumn@aol.com}GioMarinColumn@aol.com{/email}. © Copyright 2007 by Gio Marin.
For one, it says that many churchgoers are not converted. They are more concerned with things of this world than being in the presence of God. Jesus did say that the "wheat and the tares" (a reference to those who are saved and the lost) would be in the church together. But it seems that believers have abdicated the right to worship to the non-believing folk of the church. Hence we have given in to their demands to make sure services end by noon. What is the rush? Shouldn't spending time with fellow believers and with God be our No. 1 priority? After a long work week or school week, shouldn't we be eager to find rest in Jesus, just spending time basking in His glory? Leaving behind the cares of the work week to concentrate on Him should be our concern. Why are we so eager to get out of church? And to do what — numb our brains in front of the TV? Why do we quickly look at our watches when the speaker goes a few minutes past noon? Is it because deep inside we have not been awakened to our need of God? Sure, some services can be considered boring, but if that's your opinion, then what are you doing about it? Get involved!
Like Pastor Jim Cymbala once said, "We pay $20 for a concert, but Jesus can't draw." We make countless excuses for why we need to keep church service short and to the point. "We don't want to offend the visitors; children's attention span is short." And yet we will bore our visitors at home with offensive movies and keep our children glued to the TV to keep them occupied. You never hear a parent say, "We need to turn off the TV because they have a short attention span," do you? It is because we do not spend enough time in His word and in prayer that we look elsewhere to feed our unconverted hearts instead of crying out to God in repentance. Think of the excuses you make not to go to church, and then see in God's word if any of those stand up? God is calling a people to true holiness, people who will take Him at His word and worship with true devotion, people willing to bask in His glory. Are you willing?
"For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort." (Philippians 3:3)
And we linger at His feet.
— — —
Gio Marin is an author, currently working on a master of divinity degree at Andrews Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, with a dual emphasis on systematic theology and church growth & evangelism. Visit For His Glory, the blog, and send an email to {email GioMarinColumn@aol.com}GioMarinColumn@aol.com{/email}. © Copyright 2007 by Gio Marin.