Silliness

Silliness is defined by Merriam-Webster as 1. a lack of good sense or judgment, 2. language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense, 3. a lack of seriousness often at an improper time.  At MFC silliness abounded.  Of course, being a Word of Faith church, one can readily see where this is going.  In a previous post I mention things like pulling invisible levers, people scrambling for a Pay Day candy bar and there was more as well.  For instance all the dancing, running, laughing, acting drunk, etc.  Does this draw people to God? No. Are people getting worked into an emotional frenzy? Yes. 

How on earth is a person supposed to bring a visitor to a church when you have no idea what kind of silliness will happen?  I Corinthians 14:26-40 is about order in worship.  Silliness, like I mentioned above, was not order.  Many times it was more like mass chaos and occasionally people got injured. 

All the while you did not see people coming to Christ. You did not see baptisms.  You did not see people going out and drawing people to Christ.  It was just weirdness.  Don't be weird.  No one wants to be like a weirdo. They want to know that Christ is here to fill that God shaped hole in our lives.    They want to know that God loves them, even though they have made some mistakes.  There should be order to our worship services.  Not for us, for those who we are trying to introduce to our Lord and Savior.

All that to say this,  have good judgement in the church you attend.  Are lives being impacted eternally?  Are people coming to Christ?  Are people moving forward in their relationship with Christ?

A Good Example of What Not to Do

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSJt-LHMNRY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Okay so look at this from the objective outsider. 1. If you were visiting, would you ever go back? 2. Does this make christians look good? 3. If you spend all this time publicly tearing people down does finishing it with I love you make it okay?

This is abusive use of the pulpit. He says he is important which shows his ego. But God should be lifted up not this guy. John  3:30 has John the Baptist telling his disciples that Christ must become greater and he must decrease. Verse 31 expands on this by saying that Christ is from heaven and is above all, but those from earth speak as one from earth. We are not the important ones, we are earthen vessels. God is the important one.

This is not making anyone walk away from the sermon having grown in their walk with Christ. On the contrary, I bet a lot of folks felt pretty low afterward. If you have a problem with a congregant you should take it to them in private. But airing grievances from the pulpit like this is not biblically sound. In Matthew 18:15-20 Jesus tells us how to deal with sin in the church. Go point out there fault just between the two of you, then if they won't listen get a witness, then if they won't listen take it to the church. Hunting people down from the pulpit is just abusive.

Watching this video made my breath get very shallow, as it reminded me so much of MFC.