“A German philosopher many years ago said something to the effect that the more a man has in his own heart, the less he will require from the outside; excessive need for support from without is proof of the bankruptcy of the inner man.”
~A.W. Tozer on “The Great God Entertainment”
Spiritual bankruptcy. Not finding anything to fill that hole within and blaming it on the wrong church, wrong pastor, hypocrites, etc.
Here’s another interesting one, this time from C.H. Spurgeon in his “Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats?”:
“From speaking out as the Puritans did, the church has gradually toned down her testimony, then winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. Then she tolerated them in her borders. Now she has adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses.
My first contention is that providing amusement for the people is nowhere spoken of in the Scriptures as a function of the church. If it is a Christian work, why did not Christ speak of it? “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). That is clear enough. So it would have been if He had added, “and provide amusement for those who do not relish the gospel.” No such words, however, are to be found. It did not seem to occur to Him.”
Our culture thrives on stimulation. We’re constant pleasure-seekers, wanting the most fun in the most time, with the least amount of money or self-involved production. We have expectations when we attend church. My expectations are quality Sunday school for my children, nursery for my toddler, fulfilling and inspiring music, and a message that lingers within for more than the hour it takes to preach. A program such as AWANA for the kids rounds out the whole experience. What are your expectations?
Something is watering down the depth of our testimony. Is it that we’re so busy with everything that we’re getting apathetic? Because the message we’re sending the world when we have cake walks during the Sunday service is this:
Jesus isn’t enough.
What do you find yourself doing with your free time? Educating yourself? Spending time with the Lord? Or seeking entertainment?
It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. For the entire messages behind the above quotes, go here.