Jesus had a following. A conservative estimate would have 10,000 people gathered on the hillside above the Sea of Galilee, possibly doubling that number (John 6:10). That’s a crowd. Most pastors would feel that their ministry was successful, given similar results. The crowds were very enthusiastic about Jesus. “He perceived that they would come and take Him by force to make Him a king” (6:15). So, they were all in. What an opportunity, if that was the point.
I’m a child of the 80s, and in the 80s, Jack Hyles was the king of church growth. When I talk to older pastors from that era, almost universally, they will tell me that they made the trek to Hammond for the Pastor’s School. My own family migrated towards and eventually landed at a Hyles church. And those were exciting days. I remember a discussion my dad had maybe a year or two before our family moved to the Hyles church. We were visiting friends in Kansas, and the topic of Jack Hyles came up. Everyone was talking about him at that time. He had one of the biggest churches in America – he said it was the biggest. My dad and his friend discussed his methods, and I listened from the back seat of the car. As I recall, they were a bit skeptical. But eventually, we ended up there. Who can argue against a growing church?
The ministry of First Baptist in Hammond is a case in point that, for many Christians, church growth trumps many vital things. If a church is growing, we will give them a pass on nearly anything – heresy, impropriety, even immorality. Chicks dig the big crowd. Perhaps then, we could be instructed by how Jesus handled His enthusiastic followers above Tiberius.
I’m not trying to add to all the angst I see on the Internet. I get it that everyone is frustrated. We really aren’t used to these sorts of disruptions to our lives, and judging by all the whining and complaining and outrage I have witnessed, we really aren’t in shape for it. So, you might see this as some form of virtue-signaling or pious something-or-other, but I want to risk alienating a few friends so I can use my gift of slaps for those who need one right now.
First, I have seen the first amendment posted on Facebook a lot lately. I am happy that you love the first amendment. I love it too. But if you think all the travel bans and stay in location orders and gathering restrictions violate the first amendment, let me remind you that we have a court system for that very reason, to protect our constitutional rights.
But before you rush out to hire an attorney and fight this in court, let me save you a little money. States rushed to declare a “state of emergency” before this pandemic really even got going because, by law, emergency powers give the states the ability to put all kinds of restrictions in place – unconstitutional limits included. Most states have laws in place that provide them with this power. I don’t like it, and you shouldn’t like it. But that is the reality of this situation. Before you hire a lawyer and take it to court, understand that our courts would most likely uphold the emergency powers that our states have claimed. In other words, these laws probably will withstand a constitutional challenge.
If you don’t like the power that a “state of emergency” gives your Governor or local authorities, I would recommend that you do something to change the law. Over the years, I have heard many excuses Christians make for not being involved in politics. You are too busy, politics isn’t a place for Christians, and so on. I understand if you don’t like to be involved. But, this sort of thing is the result of Christians withdrawing from the public arena and then demonstrating their ignorance of these things when they happen.
My suggestion? Sometime after this is over, you might consider contacting your legislator (I hope you at least know his or her name) and let them know what you would like to see done in the future. I believe there ought to be more restraint. You might be interested to know that some states have moved to protect second amendment rights in a time of emergency. Why not try to ensure that first amendment rights receive equal protection? Consider writing some letters or helping craft some legislation that addresses your frustrations. As Americans, we really do have a great system, but it only works if we get involved.
Now, let me turn to something a little more spiritual, for the sake of those who think me too pious. I get it that everyone is frustrated, irritated, perhaps even outraged. Some are worried, some afraid. But I would love to see a more Scriptural response to this. Much of the angst and outrage I have seen on Facebook has come from my Christian friends. But Christians, God did not leave us without instruction when times like these come along. Let me remind you, God calls for two things from his people: consider yourself and turn to the Lord.
Yes, in times of calamity, the first thing God wants from His people is repentance. I shouldn’t need to give Scripture references for this one, because the Bible reminds us of this repeatedly.
…if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Consider yourself, Christian. Have you grown cold towards the Lord or the things of God? Have you grown worldly in your outlook? Are your loyalties divided? What has your attitude been in this calamity? Have you been thankful? Joyful? Full of peace and hope and encouragement? Consider your ways.
Then, turn to the Lord. There are about five ways that I would urge you to do this – no doubt there could be more – but these make a good starting point.
Turn to the Lord in worship. Turn your heart, your focus, your adoration back to God. Humble yourself before Him. Be amazed by Him. Could I point something out to you? Not more than two months ago, our President stood before a joint session of Congress in the presence of the American people and proclaimed that our economy was the greatest in history. How’s that looking now? What happened? Regardless of who you might blame for our troubles, hasn’t God shown Himself to be mighty?
We have no assurance that our economy will recover from this. We certainly hope it will, but we cannot be sure. In a matter of a couple of weeks, God brought it all to a screeching halt. Isn’t God awesome? I do not use that word frivolously either. “Awesome” is the best word to describe the magnificence of Almighty God.
Turn to the Lord in thanksgiving. The Bible teaches us,
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
I haven’t seen much in the way of thanksgiving on Facebook. I have seen much in the form of whining, complaining, and outrage. But Christian, let me ask you: what are you thankful for in this inconvenience? What are you grateful for amid this coronavirus? It would be a sad thing if, in any situation, we could find nothing to thank God for. It is His will that you give thanks in everything, and this coronapanic is part of that everything.
Turn to the Lord in rejoicing. The joy of the Lord is your strength, believer. Can you rejoice in hard times? I struggle to hear you praise God in good times if you can’t praise Him in the bad. Rejoice evermore. Rejoice in the Lord alway!
Turn to the Lord in giving. Let your joy in your affliction overflow into generosity. Be sure to maintain your support for local church missions, your local church, those who lose their jobs in this crisis, and those who struggle and suffer at this time. This is what the Apostle Paul referred to when he said,
Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality (2 Corinthians 8:1-2).
Turn to the Lord in prayer. Pray for your elected leaders during this time. Times like these call for special prayer for our elected leaders.
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; (I Timothy 2:1-3)
Pray for your pastor. Pray for your fellow Christians, your fellow church members. Pray for your unsaved friends. Pray fervently. Pray without ceasing.
The coronavirus has made it difficult for us to lead that quiet and peaceable life in all godliness. For the first time in my life, our government has branded church services as non-essential, restricting the size of our meetings. In many places, liquor stores and abortion clinics remain open, while churches cannot gather. This is not a good thing. But this explains why we must pray at all times for our rulers and those who are in authority. I won’t ask for a show of hands (or a thumbs up) of how many have been praying for our elected leaders. I will only remind you that this is a Christian duty.
In times like these, we must return to those things that God has called us to do. Judging by what I have seen and heard recently, on Facebook and other places, we are not in the right mind for sharing the good news with the lost. Admittedly, Facebook might not be the best gauge of these things. Still, I would remind everyone that the things we post in this medium are the things that the world sees about us. And they reveal what is going on in our hearts. I hope that everyone will let their joy abound in this time, and their light shine. And may many who are lost and desperate for hope find grace and help in this time.
In this particular series of posts, I am dealing with worship style, not worship music – though worship music is a part of the overall style. I want to be clear on that point because some Facebook readers did not seem to understand that, especially some who read my article on Tom Brennan’s Facebook page (at https://www.facebook.com/tom.brennan.58/posts/10214908523539365). I intend to deal with worship music eventually, but first, I want to establish a foundation for style in general, and for worship style in particular. In previous articles, especially my article called “Gothpel Style,” I was attempting to show from Scripture that God cares about style, that style is not merely a matter of preference, a neutral vehicle for conveying a somehow disconnected message. The Scripture passages I used were not intended to speak specifically to the subject of music, though I do believe they establish a certain kind of style that should be used in worship.
That said, I hope to advance the discussion here in order to outline a Scriptural worldview regarding worship style. Please note that this series of posts deals with the big picture first, and from there will seek to offer some specific principles.
The Village Smithy 