Bringing powerful worship service experiences can be one way that we bring the power of Christ on earth and into the lives of people. While Jesus encounters can happen in small group settings and one on one evangelism, they also happen in the context of corporate church gatherings.
For some churches, holding services has been deduced to nothing more than simply 'playing church'. What that means is that leaders have been resigned to believe that as long as we play three to four songs, get people hyped up with a word, preach a message and do ministry time, we've completed our role as a church.
And while these things are important and are components of a Godly, powerful event, playing church in the sense of going through the motions may not bring the vibrance of God's presence. Visitations of the Holy Spirit and revelations of Christ do, and contrary to popular belief, the things we do can actually remove the essence of God instead of inspiring it. Here are five ways that churches can ruin an experience with God.
Removing Christ from the center. Very unfortunately, many churches have various centers. Some churches can be personality-centered, doctrine-centered or event-centered. God does not build those kinds of churches, He builds churches with Jesus Christ at the centre and core of everything we do. He is the one who is glorified and it is His name that brings ministry and healing to people.
Being too experience-driven. We think that just because the worship music has a lot of bass in it and the people cry during the altar call that God has come down. I've seen a lot of people experience an emotion or hype, but not necessarily the loving and powerful God we enter into relationship with and serve. That's why a few services down the line, they may have disappeared from the pews and never reach the point of fulling committing their lives. When we point people to Christ, no matter what the experience, they will be transformed by the renewing presence of God.
Seeking to entertain more than educate. While it's good to keep church services out of the "boring threshold," our goal is never to entertain people with nice videos, funny jokes and well-choreographed dance numbers. In a society that seeks to be endlessly tickled in the senses, God calls for ministers who will pierce the heart and challenge the mind.
Not giving people opportunities to get involved. In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul urges, "and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." Until people are empowered to get involved in ministry processes, we are barely scratching the surface. A church filled with spectators is a church built for no lasting change.
Being unfriendly towards the seekers. God values the lost and Jesus made that clear when He said in Luke 5:31, "...Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." God calls us to value the lost and to find the seekers and guide them into the truth of the Word of God through the power of the gospel. What that can mean in terms is a simple "hello, welcome". Is your church doing a good job of easing new people in? Or are they awkwardly heading for the door because nobody even came and said hi?
And to understand this authority properly and what a Godly will towards sex looks like, we need to be paying careful attention to what the Bible says about the relationship between male and female.
