Once upon a time in a land far away lived a group of Puritans who hungered for godly preaching and sound doctrine. Alas, these men and women were victims of mediocre preaching but one day a non-conformist minister was asked to preach. After nearly two hours of speaking, the minister looked at his pocket watch and apologized for the length of his sermon. But the parishioners would have none of it. "Go on sir, go on!" someone shouted.
A story like this in today’s churches would sound much like a fairy tale. Instead of setting aside the Sabbath as a day of rest and a time to gather together as believers to listen to a two-hour exposition of God’s Word, many would rather sing a few song that stir the emotions and listen to a fifteen minute pep talk about how much God wants everyone’s wishes and desires come to fruition. In case you are not as convinced as I am, look no further back than this past Sunday for another glaring example of just how far our churches have declined.
Reuters journalists Kevin Krolicki and Soyoung Kim describe the Sunday morning worship service at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, MI in their latest joint article:
"With sport-utility vehicles at the altar and auto workers in the pews, one of Detroit's largest churches on Sunday offered up prayers for Congress to bail out the struggling auto industry.
‘We have never seen as midnight an hour as we face this week,’ the Rev. Charles Ellis told several thousand congregants at a rousing service at Detroit's Greater Grace Temple…"
To what might he be referring? The militant homosexual agenda infiltrating our schools and polluting our children’s minds? The recent decision by Planned Parenthood to offer gift cards for no-hassle abortions? The incessant attacks to erase God from the common vernacular? No, not even close. The Rev. Charles Ellis was referring to the uncertainty of both houses of Congress as they decide this week whether to aid the American automotive industry. (I wonder what passage from the Bible he choose as his text for his pep-talk…)
Who needs circumlocutory prayers, psalms of praise and hour long biblical expositions when we can hear 15 minute political diatribes and watch the spectacle of hundreds of auto workers being anointed with oil against the backdrop of a Ford Escape, a Chevy Tahoe and a Chrysler Aspen? Admittedly, that sounds a bit more intriguing…
But what I find to be the most tragic are the words of Rev. Ellis explaining the reason for the automotive Sunday service. Said Ellis:
"We believe he [God] can change the minds and hearts of men and women in power, and that's what we tried to do today."
Not to preach the Word of God but to persuade politicians to give money to the auto industry. In his own words, his mission was not a matter of proclaiming the gospel message, stating the truth about God’s righteous judgment against the wicked, or even declaring the gift of salvation but to single-handedly lobby members of Congress to a particular political viewpoint. Now, I am an advocate for taking all our prayers and concerns to the Lord in prayer, but neglecting the preaching of the word when we are commanded to gather together is going too far. But unfortunately, yesterday’s automotive service typifies many of the twenty-first century churches that proclaim everything but the gospel. Now more than ever, we need to return to that land far away where people proclaimed, "Go on sir! Go on."
