Thursday, June 26, 2014
Ephesians 4:11-12 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.
CHURCH IS EDIFYING, NOT ENTERTAINING
There's been a lot of discussion in recent years about worship styles and settings in church and how they can attract the younger people. Contemporary services have sprung up in many churches, even Lutheran ones, with the intention of incorporating modern styles for teens and adolescents. In our high-tech, digital age culture, the traditional liturgical service is viewed by many as outdated, too slow, and not as entertaining as a faster-paced contemporary service.
I don't think anyone disagrees that all churches want the attention of their hearers, especially the young members. And all churches want to proclaim the message of Christ in a relevant and lively way. But what's interesting is that God Himself never once mentions entertainment and pace as a way to accomplish these goals. Rather, God speaks more about edification, a word largely lost on our modern culture. Edification means the building up of something. In the case of these verses, Paul mentions the edification of Christ's body, the building up of the church.
The Holy Spirit tells us that this is the main reason God wants us to hold church services with pastors and teachers. God wants us to grow together in His grace, to be built up in His name to His eternal praise and glory. The purpose of church is not to go our separate ways because we come from different generations and backgrounds. We are not to seek our own edification at the expense of others just because we want the style a certain way. Church is not about personal entertainment, and if we say it is, then we are greatly discrediting the work of the Holy Spirit through the Word. For where the Word is present, so is God at work in hearts.
We don't need to think that modern styles are what make a service relevant. God has seen to the question of relevancy already, for there is no greater nor pressing message than Christ crucified for sinners. No amount of modern colors, worship formats, techniques, music, or attire can replace the importance of our Savior's shed blood on our behalf. God doesn't mandate the specific form of our worship, but let us take heed that we do whatever we do to His glory and for the edifying of others, not for our own entertainment.
