Friday, January 19, 2007

Dead Men Can Dance





How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God…
(Genesis 28:17)

The modern versions of the Bible use the word awesome where the King James Version uses the word dreadful, and the old rendering gives a better sense, in a sense, because the majesty of God is indeed a dreadfully awesome thing. Think of Isaiah 6, or the many angelic encounters we see recorded in scripture. When faced with the hosts of heaven, men fall to their knees in worship, reverence, or just plain fear, and probably a combination of all three.

However, in our churches today, we have replaced the majesty of God for the marvels of the world. We have all the latest technology, sound equipment, you name it, we are as state-of-the-art as any amusement park out there, in some respects, and certainly as powerful as any theater, in many cases. Now using technology and visual, audio, etc. is not in itself a bad thing, only if it distracts from the real reasons we are to be at church. Too many have been blindsided by the spectacle and not awed by the holiness, the otherworldliness, and instead have met only the majesty of the worldliness we can muster up. Today many could be in the presence of God but like Jacob they would not know it (vs.16). We have taken things that the world would call “awesome” and have Christianized or baptized them into sanctity. But they are merely spectacular in a worldly sense. They would say “awesome” to its worldly counterpart as well.

So what is the net effect? They liked the experience but they could get that anywhere. They didn’t experience God they had a sensory overload, a soulish delight, not a spiritual awakening or enlightenment. What we need is not bigger and better versions of the world’s diversions we need something that the world cannot duplicate. We need the honest to goodness real thing, the presence of God in our midst. A holy fear of God among us is the fruit of such an encounter, and the response not “wow how cool was that” but “wow what a fool I’ve been”.

It is a matter of emphasis and priority. The emphasis is on entertainment instead of ministry. The priority is on the fun of fellowship instead of the exhortation and encouragement. Hebrews 10:24 says we are to stir each other up to love and good works in the assembly, not stir ourselves up to laughter and enjoyment as our key to building each other up. Instead of just accepting the world’s culture we need to line them up, learn them up, and lift them up (1 Thessalonians 5:14).

When we have special events that aren’t as focused on the proclamation of the Word, these things are not necessarily bad. But ask yourself why we have more people attend, especially those people who don’t normally “do church”? Of course some naïve minister or immature congregant will tell you, “Oh we should do this all the time, we get people who otherwise wouldn’t be here”. That is the point, they will come if it is entertaining, but if it is seeking God’s face in worship they want no part of it. They want a safe place but not a sanctified one. They act Christian without conviction. They can praise but they can’t truly worship.

We think that we can play the worlds songs with just a little Christian tuning up and things will be all right. It seems to work, doesn’t it? Well, we think that just because we get them coming to us, just because we get them moving with us, and just because they begin to act like us that we have converted them, but only God converts, friend. They may be active with their flesh but in their spirits they are still dead men. You see, we could even have them dancing in the aisles, but when the tune is on the same frequency as the world, even dead men can dance.


“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow. Convicted for sure. Forgive us Lord. Change our hearts Oh God.

Even So... said...

Did you like the dancing skeletons?

Anonymous said...

They were really "awesome!"

Even So... said...

Bullseye, Steve...

One Sheep's Voice said...

hmmm... As David said, " Lord forgive this foolish servant"!

One Sheep's Voice said...

Seems I feel a bit foolish myself.. I wanted to find where I had read that passage about David and can not find it in any of several translations. I remember David said this of himself. Can you help out JD?
Thanks

Anonymous said...

Paul, I don't claim to have JD's recall of Scripture, but in his temporary absence, may I suggest Ps. 51 (David) & 73 (Asaph)? They don't contain your exact quote, but they do share the prayers of "foolish servants" begging forgiveness before God.

Even So... said...

In 1 Samuel 25:28 Abigail says something similar to David...

Anonymous said...

Whoa, check that. you're probably thinking of 2 Sam 24:10:


"David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing."

Even So... said...

That's the one, Steve...

Even So... said...

The scripture windows are cool, eh?...

Anonymous said...

sorry JD, I didn't notice your comment before I posted that.

Even So... said...

Hey, Paul, while I am here boosting up my own comment count, I might as well ask you how the first day went?....

Even So... said...

No problemo, Steve...Ruby called last night to givew an update on your dad, we are still praying, for sure...

Anonymous said...

yeah, if you've got broadband, they take forever on dial-up!

(feel pity now)

Anonymous said...

hey, thanks JD. I think I need more patience in debating the necessity of the cross with my family than with others (strangers). I can walk away from lesser acquaintances without becoming frustrated at a lack of acceptance, but with them, maybe cause I love them more, I have often been driven to aggravation & therein lost the anointing & guidance of the Spirit. Please pray in this regard.

jazzycat said...

Thanks for this post.

We should take the church to the world, not bring the world to the church....

Please God not man.

This message is contained in the Bible in many ways.

Even So... said...

Please God not man.

This message is contained in the Bible in many ways.


Yep, Philippians 3:1

One Sheep's Voice said...

Thanks guys for the help, it one of those hit you bewteen the eyes kind of statements. One that bring a new measure of understanding in the area of humility/forgiveness and grace of God.
JD, yeasterday went just as if God had directed the whole thing! Funny how that works huh? The area I will be in is by far one of the best of those I have seen in the county. they also told me to excect that the local news papers to catch wind of my being there. Seems I'm the first in the state to be a crossing guard from a wheelchair. So... thanks for everyones prayers our God is truly an "awesome" God

Even So... said...

That is wonderful, Paul...to God be the glory!

Craver Vii said...

Absolutely! We must take the church to the world. Let me take another angle and see how it comes across, though. What I find difficult to accept is when the church uses that as an excuse for laziness or poor stewardship. When we do not spend time rehearsing and learning our parts for a song so that we can do it just right on Sunday. Or when we have the latest technical gadgets for home and car audio, but we have a cheap old tape recorder at church that makes the pastor sound like he’s trying to reach us from 1921. I’m thinking that an Exodus 35 (verses 4-35) mindset is not quite the same thing as becoming The Church of the Holy Pizzazz. Does that make any sense?

To me, it’s not a question of having the best that money can buy; it’s more like offering unblemished firstfruits, the unblemished lambs, etc.

Even So... said...

I am with you 100% Craver, great insight that should be a no brainer, but alas...we always need to be on the lookout for being able to say "amen", without saying "oh, me"....

Bhedr said...

But we do need to make sure we are offering firstfruits of the lamb and not the substance of the earth that God has cursed. I think we often confuse the two unfortunately and there really is no defining line anymore.

Good post.

Bhedr said...

For instance the point I am trying to make is sometimes God does use that cheap tape recorder as a stumbling block to the uncircumcised ear. Strength of flesh can come in many Trojan horses. For instance I have heard some people tell me that they don't like to listen to a preacher because of the way they talk in general. Someone once told me that he can't listen to Dr Lutzer as his voice is like fingernails scratching the chalkboard(an obvious charachatcher). This guy rarely has an ear for biblical matter though and is usually ready to jump on the Christian Rock band wagon. He even tried to get me to join his band a while back as I am a guitarist, but I was concerned about this matter at the time and I saw the potential inhibitor and declined the offer. I got accussed of quite a few things at the time and some felt I was trying to get attention but I was burdened about the very thing you speak of here. Since then the church has grown and usually appeals to the cravings of the world to draw the crowd but does preach the word on Sunday Mornings and Sunday nights, however the services are so scattered now that none really are of one sound mind. I finally left as I was burdened about so much of this...but they have the money and the equipment. My new Pastor is simply driven by prayer and the power of the word and is thankfully not interested in experimenting with this new route that the youth are more inclined towards.

Even So... said...

Thanks for the insight Brian...BTW, I love Dr. Lutzer for the most part, especially his voice....no accounting for taste...except that some just don't like the taste of good old fashioned doctrine...it may not be as hip as the flavor of the month... but that old redemption story is as sweet as ever to me...

Taliesin said...

Good post JD.

It seems to me that the line is a tough one to see. When have we ceased to be faithful in outreach and become worldly? Wherever one draws the line, what should be clear is that if gospel (and all that it entails including the cross, God's wrath, sin, hell, etc.) is not preached, then we have definitely crossed the line.

But the cross is and always will be a stumbling block and a rock of offense to many. Sometimes we should be uncomfortable in church.

Even So... said...

Sound words, Eddie...