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 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.
Then again, "He
gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some evangelists; and some
pastors and teachers ... for the work of the ministry" (Eph. 4:11-12).
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 church to the
world? Ye are the salt" (Matt. 5:13), not the sugar candy---something the
world will spit out not swallow. He was in awful earnestness.
Had Christ
introduced more of the bright and pleasant elements into his mission, he
would have been more popular when they went back, because of the searching
nature of His teaching. 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." 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 this gospel of amusement!
Their message is, "Come out, keep out...!" Anything approaching
fooling 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 thy servants that by a wise and
discriminating use of innocent recreation we may show these people how happy
we are."
If they ceased not from preaching Christ, they had not time for
arranging entertainments. Scattered by persecution, they went everywhere
preaching the gospel. They turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). That is
the only difference! Lord, clear the church of all the rot and rubbish
the devil has imposed on her, and bring us back to the Bible.
Lastly, the
mission of amusement fails to effect the end desired. It works havoc among
young converts. Let the careless and scoffers, who thank God because the
church met them halfway, speak and testify. Let the heavy laden who found
peace through the concert not keep silent! Let the drunkard to whom the
dramatic entertainment has been God's link in the chain of the 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 believing scholarship
joined with earnest spirituality, the one springing from the other as fruit
from the root. The need is biblical doctrine, so understood and felt, that
it sets men on fire.
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