JUST SHOWING UP DOESN'T GET THE JOB DONE

I love the Cowboy Culture of the 1950's and 60's! Of course, like many of you I was raised with Cowboys (and Cowgirls), being a main influence on Television and in the movies. You learned why the good guys were good and the bad guys were bad. You learned morals and ethics, you learned respect for others, you learned respect for property and you learned what was acceptable to say and what wasn't, you even learned about the concept of "work ethics".

Though he has been dead for a number of years, no one portrayed what a Cowboy was better than John Wayne. Some say he did it better than anyone else. John Wayne's characters could ride and fight with the best, but he always let his concern for others show through also. He portrayed for us the importance of qualities such as honor, loyalty, bravery and commitment.

In the movie "Rio Bravo," Wayne's character made a statement that echo's much of Christ's teachings about commitment and what he expects from us, when he said "Just showing up doesn't get the job done!"

Jesus tells us, 'If you love me you obey my commandments"! (John 14:15) Because you see, just showing up at worship service "doesn't get the job done," it doesn't do what God demands of us.

I know you may get tired of seeing me refer to this concept so often in my writings, but I do it because I see it as a major problem in the churches throughout our land. People want to wear the name Christian, but they don't want to take it any further than that. Being a Christian means our lives have been transformed from the very foundation of our being. It means as Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)  It means that you are dead to self and alive to Christ. It means… that we finally understand that just showing up doesn't get the job done. It means we finally understand what it means to be buried with Christ and raised as a new creation (Romans 6:3-4). How about you, do you really understand that "Just showing up doesn't get the job done?"

THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT

Recently I have been made aware once again about a great failing on the part of some church leaders. Somewhere along the line some have forgotten our purpose. Some have forgotten that worship is about God and not about those who worship him. Now, I'm not saying that people aren’t important, but I am saying that just perhaps we need to re-evaluate the focus of why we gather together.

There is a great small book titled, "Showtime! Worship in the Age of show Business", by Dan Chambers. Mr. Chambers takes a look at some of the modern worship practices in comparison to what God's Word indicates worship should be. You might be surprised at the extent to which some churches will go to "pack the pews".

I guess in itself that's not new, people in general have short attention spans. Many today need something to keep them in their seats for the 30 to 60 minutes they sit together with the crowd in their church buildings. We see this in our modern "entertainment" mentality is Television programming. They have to change the image every second of so or people get bored. They have to push the envelope of what is accepted or outrageous to keep people tuned in to their programs. Sadly, this has influenced some who plan worship assemblies.

Again this is not new. Several years ago while we were in Michigan I saw a church advertising in the News Paper that they would be having "Belly Dancers for Jesus" at their church, urging everyone to come. I can't question the motivation of the Belly Dancers themselves, but it sure seemed to me that the church was focusing on the dancing rather than Jesus. What have our churches come to when we have to bribe, promise entertainment or trick people to come and worship with us? What does that say for us as a people when we need those things?

There is an old, old song titled, "Give me that Old Time Religion," what has happened to that concept in our world. What does that say about our society when just worshipping God is not enough? Jesus said in John 4:23-24: "But the time is coming, indeed it's here now, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth."

"True Worshipers," worshiping in Spirit and Truth indicates it is something we need to do, not have done to us! The idea of Worship carries with it the concept of bowing down before the one being worshiped. It is not about us it is about offering ourselves to Him. Our songs or prayers; our messages should center on God and our love for and service to him.

If you are "going to church" (as the accepted concept is used), with hopes that it will "be interesting enough to keep you awake," or "exciting enough to make you feel good," then just perhaps you are going about it wrong.

Russ Lawson