During the last few days I was bothered with one thought. I kept thinking of what Jesus had warned in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
These are very strong words. Jesus rarely used harsh words except when He was confronting the Pharisees gang, the descendents of the devil (brood of vipers, serpents). This is a serious matter.
Jesus contrasted the two objects of worship. On one side is God. On the other side is mammon. One may argue that no one worships money. People just want money for meeting needs and wants (buying things, security, comfort, pleasure, health and may be long life). But Jesus speaks clearly that people who do not worship God worship money.
Not only those who do not worship God are worshipping money, they hate and despise God. They love money and are loyal to money.
Are all Christians worshipping God the way that God has commanded? If not, then they are worshipping money and hating and despising God too. How do we know whether churches are worshipping God or money?
Simple. Just look at the priority on the church agenda.
If they put activities that meet the goals of making the church membership and hence finances (and all fixed assets) grow, then they are not worshipping God.
On the other hand, if they put activities that meet the goals of drawing members to meet God closely and live Biblically in the presence of God, (living in the Spirit and walking by the Spirit), with the purpose of knowing God and His kingdom, then they are worshipping God.
You can actually see obvious worldliness in the church that worships money (and all man-made things). There is no difference between them and any worldly organizations, except some Christian lingo used (in vain).
In the godly church you can sense the obvious difference. When you enter you sense the presence of the holy and glorious God. You cannot help but kneel down, bow low and prostrate yourself, seeing how lowly you are and how majestic God is. You spend hours in stillness. You are awed and grateful at the same time. You feel honored and privileged to be in God’s presence. The whole focus of worship is God, not man. By the time you come out of the worship, you are soaked with God’s presence.
Unlike what popular worldly culture thinks, God is not in the big noise made by impressive bands and singers. God is not in the impressive buildings of concrete and glass. God is not in the impressive and charming speakers’ voice (preaching or praying). God is not in any man-made activities. My advice to all God seeking churches is that do not spend any more on things (or buildings). You would not find God there.
Where is God? God is in the stillness of your heart. He is just there, obliterating all. You can hear Him. You can sense Him in your spirit. His Spirit reveals Him to your spirit. You look with your spirit and you know His presence is real.
A church that worships God seeks God and concentrates all its efforts and resources to build the members’ inner life, and not external sensational pleasure and cheap superficial high generated by special effects and popular culture. More likely than not, those attracted by such entertainments and sensual pleasure and come to church for them are not souls that are saved. What is the point of starving the real children of God and fattening the vipers and serpents?
Be warned: churches that are bent on gaining the whole world are in danger of losing their own souls. (Jesus warned of this danger in Matthew 16:26)
Someone may ask, “Is there no alternative? Can one not keep both as priorities, God and money, soul and world?” The answer has already been given by Jesus. Read your Bible with honesty. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you, my friend.
Here is a clue, in 1 John 1:15, the Apostle John (inspired by the Holy Spirit) thus warned Christians, “Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (Strong words, but true.) I would be careful if I were a worship leader leading songs about how much we love God. Safer to be honest than lying before God.
AAA Jack
June 2, 2009
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