An evil is in the 'professed' camp of the Lord, so gross in its impudence,
that the most shortsighted can hardly fail to notice it. During the past
few years it has developed at an abnormal rate, even for evil. It has
worked like leaven until the whole lump ferments!
The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing, than hinting to the Church that
part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a
view to winning them. From speaking out the gospel, 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 into all the world and
preach the gospel to every creature," that is clear enough. So it would
have been had he 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.
Then again, he gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as pastors and
teachers for the work of the ministry. Where do entertainers come in? The
Holy Spirit is silent concerning them. Were the prophets persecuted because
they amused the people, or because they refused? The "concert" has no
martyr roll.
Again, providing amusement is in direct antagonism to the teaching and life
of Christ and all His apostles. What was the attitude of the apostolic
Church to the world? "You are the salt of the world", not the sugar candy;
something the world will spit out, not swallow.
Had Jesus introduced more of the bright and pleasant elements into His
teaching, He would have been more popular. When "many of His disciples
turned back and no longer followed Him," I do not hear Him say, 'Run after
these people, Peter, and tell them we will have a different style of
service tomorrow; something short and attractive with little preaching. We
will have a pleasant evening for the people. Tell them they will be sure to
enjoy it! Be quick, Peter, we must get the people somehow!'
No! Jesus pitied sinners, sighed and wept over them, but never sought to
amuse them!
In vain will the epistles be searched to find any trace of the 'gospel of
amusement'. Their message is, "Therefore, come out from them and separate
yourselves from them... Don't touch their filthy things..." Anything
approaching amusement is conspicuous by its absence. They had boundless
confidence in the gospel and employed no other weapon.
After Peter and John were locked up for preaching, the Church had a prayer
meeting, but they did not pray, 'Lord, grant unto your servants that by a
wise and discriminating use of innocent recreation we may show these people
how happy we are'.
No! They did not cease from preaching Christ. They had no time for
arranging entertainments. Scattered by persecution they went everywhere
preaching the gospel. They turned the world upside down; that is the only
difference from today's church.
Lastly, amusement fails to effect the end desired. Let the heavy laden who
found peace through the concert not keep silent! Let the drunkard to whom
the dramatic entertainment had been God's link in the chain of their
conversion, stand up! There are none to answer! The mission of amusement
produces no converts!
The need of the hour for today's ministry is earnest spirituality joined
with Biblical doctrine, so understood and felt, that it sets men on fire.
- C. H. Spurgeon
Wise words C H, thanks for drawing our attention to them.
If you out in Internet-land have a comment, reply, encouragement or sassy come-back
to something I posted feel free to leave it. I may even post it for your viewing pleasure.
I would like to add though if your going to disagree - that's fine (I like that) please provide IN CONTEXT biblical reasoning not just, "I feel like God would be a huge dick if he Elected some to Salvation and left others to revel in the mire of their own sin." Aside from Blasphemy that is not a logical connection of the passages of Scripture in question regarding Is it Man's work/decision that Saves or God's work/decision that Saves.
God bless and remember if your god is not the God of Scripture (Mormons, Islam, Buddhist, JW's, Catholics, Hindus, Free-will Pelagians/Semi-Pelagians/Arminiams) then you worship an Idol that you have "Carved" theologically and that Idol cannot and will not Save you. Repent and trust no longer in yourselves or your false religion but in the Biblical/Historical/God-Man Christ Jesus AKA the Messiah Yeshua of Nazareth.
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