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WORLDLY ENTERTAINMENT IN CHRISTIANITY
- 2023/10/16
- 再生時間： 15 分
- ポッドキャスト
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サマリー
あらすじ・解説
There is an evil within Christianity in these last days that can easily be seen by even the most shortsighted person. This evil has developed at an abnormal rate. There is no greater harm that the Devil has done to the Church in these last days than to suggest to it that part of its mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with the intention of winning them for Christ.
Much of the Church services of today are directed towards the idea of entertainment. It is generally assumed by many churches in these final hours of the world's history that their members must have a jolly good time or else they will leave the church and go to one which has a better singing band, a funnier preacher, a bigger stage, and more brilliant lighting effects. In many circles, a successful, effective church worship service is measured by the extent to which the people have been entertained. The Church has gradually lowered her testimony, overlooked and then winked at, and excused the frivolities at this end time. Not only has the Church done this, she has also tolerated them in her borders and now, sadly speaking, she has adopted them with the excuse of reaching the masses.
My first point of argument is that providing amusement or entertainment such as choreography, musical concerts, drama, dinners, and picnics for the people has not been spoken of in any portion of the Holy Bible as a function of the Church. If providing entertainment in the Church was the work of the Christian, why did not Christ speak of it? "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." Short and sharp was the command and it is clear enough. Had the work of providing entertainment been the work of the Church, Christ would have added, "and provide entertainment for those who hate the Gospel." However, no such words have been found. Christ did not even think about it. Then again, "He gave some apostles, some prophets, some pastors and teachers, for the work of the ministry." Where do entertainers come in? The Holy Spirit never mentioned them. Were the prophets persecuted because they entertained the people or because they refused? There has not been an entertainer among the list of martyrs.
Again, the provision of entertainment by the Church is in direct opposition to the teaching and life of Christ and all His apostles. What was the attitude of the Church to the world? "Ye are the salt," [something the world will spew out, not swallow], not sugar candy.
If Christ had introduced more of the bright and pleasant elements that is being used by the Church today into His mission during His first advent, He would have been more popular. However, He went to the cross because of the searching and convicting nature of His teaching. I do not hear Him say, "Peter, run after these people, and tell them we will have a different style of preaching tomorrow, something short and attractive with very little preaching. We will have a pleasant evening for the people. Tell them they will definitely enjoy it. Hurry up, Peter, we must get the people by all means!"
Beloved Readers, Jesus had pity on sinners and even cried for them, but NEVER SOUGHT TO ENTERTAIN THEM. Our search in all the writings of the apostles for any trace of entertainment in the four Gospels will be in vain. Their message was, "Come out, keep out, keep clean out!" Clearly, anything that is close to fooling and entertainment was absent in their preaching. They were very confident in the Gospel and so they employed no other weapon. When Peter and John were arrested and locked up for preaching, the Church organized a prayer meeting, but they did not pray, "Lord, enable Your servants so that by a wise use of entertainment, we may show the people around us how happy we are." They did not have the time to arrange entertainments because they did not stop preaching Christ. Scattered by persecution, they went everywhere preaching the Gospel. They "turned the world upside down." That is the difference!
Finally, I must state clearly that the use of entertainment by the Church has not been a successful one. Instead, it does great harm to new and young converts to the Christian faith. I dare anyone to boldly come forward and testify that he or she was led to Christ through entertainment in the Church. I bet there is no answer because it is a general fact that the use of entertainment by the Church does not produce converts. The need of the hour for the Church in these evil last days is earnest spirituality that is devoid of worldly entertainments. There is the urgent need of sound Biblical doctrine, so understood and felt, to the extent that it sets us on fire. It's my earnest prayer that may God clear the Church of all the rot and rubbish that the Devil has imposed on her and bring back to us the methods that the apostles successfully used to win souls in past ages.
Much of the Church services of today are directed towards the idea of entertainment. It is generally assumed by many churches in these final hours of the world's history that their members must have a jolly good time or else they will leave the church and go to one which has a better singing band, a funnier preacher, a bigger stage, and more brilliant lighting effects. In many circles, a successful, effective church worship service is measured by the extent to which the people have been entertained. The Church has gradually lowered her testimony, overlooked and then winked at, and excused the frivolities at this end time. Not only has the Church done this, she has also tolerated them in her borders and now, sadly speaking, she has adopted them with the excuse of reaching the masses.
My first point of argument is that providing amusement or entertainment such as choreography, musical concerts, drama, dinners, and picnics for the people has not been spoken of in any portion of the Holy Bible as a function of the Church. If providing entertainment in the Church was the work of the Christian, why did not Christ speak of it? "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." Short and sharp was the command and it is clear enough. Had the work of providing entertainment been the work of the Church, Christ would have added, "and provide entertainment for those who hate the Gospel." However, no such words have been found. Christ did not even think about it. Then again, "He gave some apostles, some prophets, some pastors and teachers, for the work of the ministry." Where do entertainers come in? The Holy Spirit never mentioned them. Were the prophets persecuted because they entertained the people or because they refused? There has not been an entertainer among the list of martyrs.
Again, the provision of entertainment by the Church is in direct opposition to the teaching and life of Christ and all His apostles. What was the attitude of the Church to the world? "Ye are the salt," [something the world will spew out, not swallow], not sugar candy.
If Christ had introduced more of the bright and pleasant elements that is being used by the Church today into His mission during His first advent, He would have been more popular. However, He went to the cross because of the searching and convicting nature of His teaching. I do not hear Him say, "Peter, run after these people, and tell them we will have a different style of preaching tomorrow, something short and attractive with very little preaching. We will have a pleasant evening for the people. Tell them they will definitely enjoy it. Hurry up, Peter, we must get the people by all means!"
Beloved Readers, Jesus had pity on sinners and even cried for them, but NEVER SOUGHT TO ENTERTAIN THEM. Our search in all the writings of the apostles for any trace of entertainment in the four Gospels will be in vain. Their message was, "Come out, keep out, keep clean out!" Clearly, anything that is close to fooling and entertainment was absent in their preaching. They were very confident in the Gospel and so they employed no other weapon. When Peter and John were arrested and locked up for preaching, the Church organized a prayer meeting, but they did not pray, "Lord, enable Your servants so that by a wise use of entertainment, we may show the people around us how happy we are." They did not have the time to arrange entertainments because they did not stop preaching Christ. Scattered by persecution, they went everywhere preaching the Gospel. They "turned the world upside down." That is the difference!
Finally, I must state clearly that the use of entertainment by the Church has not been a successful one. Instead, it does great harm to new and young converts to the Christian faith. I dare anyone to boldly come forward and testify that he or she was led to Christ through entertainment in the Church. I bet there is no answer because it is a general fact that the use of entertainment by the Church does not produce converts. The need of the hour for the Church in these evil last days is earnest spirituality that is devoid of worldly entertainments. There is the urgent need of sound Biblical doctrine, so understood and felt, to the extent that it sets us on fire. It's my earnest prayer that may God clear the Church of all the rot and rubbish that the Devil has imposed on her and bring back to us the methods that the apostles successfully used to win souls in past ages.