I recently had a conversation with my father about a
preacher (Paul Washer https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EAMuoucAEY0# ) we had heard who was cautioning the American Church
But my dad made a comment that stuck with me as I was
expressing my concern, “People sometimes want the things Christ can provide and
not Christ himself.” Hmm, I've definitely seen that. People who use God as
“fire-insurance”, if you will.
So this topic had been in the back of my mind but I really hadn't had time to digest it when I came across John 6 in my daily devotions:
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand. Now we all know this story, in fact, I just used
it to illustrate my point above about the importance of meeting the needs of
the people around us. So as I’m reading the passage I’m thinking, “This is the
perfect passage to prove my dad and that Washer guy wrong! Our first and
foremost thought should be about meeting the needs of the people!” Aaaaaaaand
then I got to verse 26, “Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you
are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the
loaves. Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures
to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.’”
Whoa! That’s almost word for word what my dad had told me
earlier this week (I just want to insert here how cool I find it that God
always finds a way to weave my devotional passage into something relevant in my
life! He’s so awesome!). So I began to really think more about the initial
comment that sparked this conversation, “Church is not about meeting the needs
of the people”.
So what then is Church’s primary goal? God is. God and his
glory is what church is all about. And this brings me back to thesis of
Washer’s sermon: the American church has made things too much about us: man.
And not enough about God. After all, isn't he kind of the point of, well,
everything!
Personally, I think a good litmus test of where we place our
emphasis on in our churches is how many times we sing the words “I, me, us, we,
our” in our worship songs. Too often our “worship” songs are not really about
God but about what God has done for US, or how WE feel about God, or what WE
need to do better for God. Very rarely is the song simply just about God’s
greatness and who he is. (Which is why I love “How Great is Our God” by Chris
Tomlin because it solely focuses on God and him independent from us. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pF11qnJ8rw )
Now all this to say, I don’t think it necessarily wrong to
sing songs about what God has done for us (because he has done some pretty
amazing things!) or our response to him, the problem is when it becomes all
about how God relates to us when we need to realize that while we are nothing
without God, God is not defined by what he does for us or how we feel about him
or even what we do for him. In other words, while we will always be dependent
on Him, He will ALWAYS be independent from us. Kinda puts things into
perspective now doesn't it.
Ok back to the “point of church” thing. Now this is tricky,
because I don’t think we are called to forsake meeting the needs of people (Obviously, as we see from Jesus’ ministry it is vitally important). But it’s not the most
important. The danger, as Washer points out, is that once church and
Christianity becomes all about meetings one’s needs what happens when the
church can’t meet all their physical and emotional needs? Does that mean God
ceases to be good?
I think this is hard concept for us Americans to understand
because of the endless prosperity we live in. However, most of our fellow
humans do not. Many Christians around the world live in dire
poverty. I had the humbling experience of witnessing this first hand while I
was in India
a few years ago. And you know what, while the church there did seek to meet
people needs often times due to financial restraints they were not met fully
and guess what? Their faith still grew rather than diminishing.
In other words, if
our emphasis is just on meeting people’s needs their faith is going to die the
instant we stop meeting those needs. And as Christ makes it very clear, we will
have trouble in this world. Our needs will not always be met (and for many
Christians they are not). But if this is our main emphasis and our selling
point of God then when that trouble comes it will be like the seed that fell on
shallow ground. Our faith will die, just as the seed did.
Our “selling” point to people about God is the Gospel not
all the “perks” of being a Christian. Because truly living like Christ is hard
work and our needs aren't always going to be met, “Foxes have holes, and birds
of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Or as
the Message puts it: “Jesus was
curt: ‘Are you ready to rough it? We’re not staying in the best inns, you know.’”
Ok, ok. So what’s my point? As I've written before it’s important
that we are loving and caring for people the way Christ did which often means
meeting their physical and emotional needs but more importantly we need to be
pointing them to God and the Gospel. Having your needs met means nothing
without the Gospel. Therefore, the Gospel and Christ is the point of church. God wants people who love him not the “stuff”
he can give them.
So the challenge for myself (and all of us really): is to look
into my heart and discern – do I love and follow God because of who he is and
because he is the Great I Am or just because I like the benefits of God having
my back?
May we all love and follow Him for simply being the God who is worthy
to receive honor, glory and power (Revelation 4:11). Amen.
“Thou art
worthy, thou art worthy
Thou art worthy, oh Lord
Thou art worthy to receive glory
Glory and honor and praise
For thou hast created, all things created
For thou hast created all things
And for Thy pleasure they are created
Thou art worthy, oh Lord”
As always if you have comments, questions, thoughts, complaints, or ramblings, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me here or leave me a comment!
Great post, Em--right on the money!
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