Posted on 01/22/2015 5:05:08 AM PST by Gamecock
Every time I say this I get howled down, but I am going to say it again: Worship is not the place for evangelism, but the goal.
“and I began to feel the very presence of God. It was like nothing I ever felt before. Tears streamed down my eyes and right then, I bowed down and made a decision to surrender my life to Jesus. “
Since this was the result; it sounds like things were done pretty well.
Dude!
There ain’t a true, confessional Lutheran on FR that would disagree with you, in concept.
Now...that “american evangelical” thing, mmmmm...not so much.
But still, the desire of God is served as best as our weak efforts can be used.
Far be it from me, a human to tell God what he can and can’t do with his worship.
ping for later
The author left one significant thing out...
We worship together because we are His...In Christ...the Body.
The church never was called to bring the unsaved into the church...church was meant for believers. We were called to go out among them.
Just as Jesus took his diciples aside with Him and further explained and elaborated to them what His teachings meant. So to was the church.
Today we invite anybody in and among...rapidly baptize them and then wonder why the problems and the world has become so much a part of the church.....further that the unsaved are taking over.
He certainly spoke of order in the church...too much of it borders as the Corinthian church, which Paul had to correct time and again they got so out of hand.
Pastors and Leadership are too afraid to make those corrections...so things continue to increase more and more worldly.
I questioned it right away......for it was all about “feeling”...and the “mood” set. Neither of which saves an individual...rather sets them up to “expecttations” that when they aren’t “feeling” somethings wrong.
One of the things I would warn people about is the Evangelical community and others are attempting to bring in the church these “mood” themes...they often resemble New Age with candles and soft music, low lights etc. with someone leading that all should focus on being silent and clear their minds.
That is NOT Christian and a prelude to what may well be the future church Jesus warns about.
Music style is not something to get upset over. God doesn't care about style as much as He cares about heart and content.
***God doesn’t care about style as much as He cares about heart...***
God looking at my heart is the worst thing I can imagine.
I am counting on God looking at Jesus for my redemption, not my foolish heart.
Sometimes it does.
What I do know is that preaching in a dead language as many of my fellow Catholics want to go back to doing has virtually ZERO chance of reaching anyone under 30.
Christ died to save sinners from their sins.
If a person doesn't believe their sins are that bad before God, they won't feel the need to be saved from them.
Therefore, what exactly are they worshipping?
Anything other than a Holy and just God, who desires to have relationship with man, at the cost of his son's death on the cross, and resurrection, that removes their stain sin, so that they maybe Holy before that Holy God, anything else is truly self worship. Worship to make ones self feel good. Thus worship of self.
When a person worships God, there are 2 beings involved (no matter the size of the crowd). The person and God. If the person isn't worshipping God, there is only one left at who they are worshipping.
What does an unbeliever know of Amazing Grace? Or the greatness of Gods faithfulness? What do they know of Holy, Holy, Holy, as they stand and sing covered in the stench of sin?
It must be preached in a living language. Take the book of Acts. They spoke in their native languages and it was an active, not passive, voice. Ramblings and repetitive readings do nothing to draw one to Christ. It is a personal thing between the person and Him...
It seems that today, people are more in a hurry to baptize, than make disciples.
Worship music changes. The contemporary hymns you hear today in church are the future of worship music.
The next Great Awakening will be driven by contemporary music styles, not the hymns of the 1880’s.
Leonard Ravenhill
Smith Wigglesworth
David Wilkerson
Dr. J. Edwin Orr
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