It is now common practice in most evangelical churches to offer the people, especially the young people, a maximum of entertainment and a minimum of serious instruction. It is scarcely possible in most places to get anyone to attend a meeting where the only attraction is God. One can only conclude that God's professed children are bored with Him, for they must be wooed to meeting with a stick of striped candy in the form of religious movies, games and refreshments.
This has influenced the whole pattern of church life, and even brought into being a new type of church architecture, designed to house the golden calf.
So we have the strange anomaly of orthodoxy in creed and heterodoxy in practice. The striped-candy technique has been so fully integrated into our present religious thinking that it is simply taken for granted. Its victims never dream that it is not a part of the teachings of Christ and His apostles.
Any objection to the carryings on of our present golden-calf Christianity is met with the triumphant reply, "But we are winning them!" And winning them to what? To true discipleship? To cross-carrying? To self-denial? To separation from the world? To crucifixion of the flesh? To holy living? To nobility of character? To a despising of the world's treasures? To hard self-discipline? To love for God? To total committal to Christ? Of course the answer to all these questions is no.
We are paying a frightful price for our religious boredom. And that at the moment of the world's mortal peril. (Man: The Dwelling Place of God by A.W. Tozer)
A.W. Tozer is one of my favorite authors/preachers to read. I was introduced to his writings in college by one of my mentors in ministry. His words are both prophetic and convicting of the current state of American spirituality. It is a little known fact that Tozer began his ministry in 1919 when he was called to pastor a small storefront church in Nutter Fort, West Virginia. Until this morning, I did not realize that I was living close to where Tozer began his incredible journey in the ministry.
As I was reading from a devotional given to me by my best friend, Tozer on Christian Leadership, I read the above quote. I have used the first part in sermons, particularly to teenagers. I would use the quote to defend my lack of "student ministry games" so common in student ministries. However, I never read the last part of quote or at least pay any attention to it.
We justify such religious pragmatism by pointing to our numbers and saying, "We are growing!" Perhaps, but to what extent? Does the growth in numbers justify the means by which we have grown? It is tempting, especially in my area of evangelism, to develop the "any means necessary" philosophy. Some argue that end justifies the means and as long as the means are spiritually and scripturally ambiguous (not directly opposing Scripture), it is permissible.
However, I think we are missing the point. We, followers of Christ, have become so bored that we feel the need to entertain and be entertained. In return, we argue that those who are perishing desire to be entertained all the more. Does a man trapped in a burning building desire the firemen to perform a comedy skit to the song Disco Inferno? No! He wants them to run in and save him from the flames! He is not interested in a well polished method or performance. He simply wants to be saved from a fiery death!
I am convinced that those who are lost, without Christ, are not as bored with God as those in our pews. They may be bored of boring Christians and boring churches, but they are not bored with God. Why have we pushed blame on the lost for our own boredom with God? Why have we justified using the glitz and glamor of entertainment to "win the lost" when it is nothing more than to keep our own church members happy? Unbelievers are not bored with God, we are!
Are we to remove any element of fun from Christianity or from the Church? Absolutely not! Does this mean that we must do away with any form of entertainment in our churches? No. However, we ought to ask ourselves, if we were to remove everything from our churches (the musicals, the concerts, the socials, the summer camps, the multimedia approach, etc.) and all that remains is God, would He be enough? Would God, as the only attraction, cause our churches to grow or diminish? If this were the case, I am afraid that our churches would decline in membership and attendance. But, I believe they would increase in passion, spiritual depth, worship, and, dare I say, evangelistic outreach and response.
The result may be the exchange of church members, seeking to be entertained, for Christ-followers, seeking the very glory of God; an exchange of the bored for those who are still in awe of their God!
Is this not the very definition of a revival?
May we never be bored of God!
