OceanSide church of Christ

 Previous Return to Articles Next 

LIVING CHURCHES VERSUS DEAD CHURCHES

Victor M. Eskew

 

            There are many people who attend the worship services of the churches of Christ who leave, saying:  “Those churches are dead.”  There are no instruments of music in the service.  There are no light shows.  There are no theatrics.  There is no Children’s Church.  The number of people who attend the services may be small.  The worship is simple.  There are prayers.  There is congregational singing that is done a capella.  There is a message from the Bible.  There is the partaking of the Lord’s Supper.  And, there is the weekly free-will offering.  To many, a service that consists of these simple elements is a dead church.

            In John 6:63, Jesus reveals to us the mechanisms that provide life in a church.  Listen to the Savior’s words:  “It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing:  the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”  It is the Holy Spirit that empowers the church.  The medium through which He instills power into the body of Christ is the Word of God.  In other words, if a church wants to be alive and thriving in the eyes of God, it will adhere to the instructions of the Holy Spirit found in the pages of the Bible.  Acting in harmony with divine truth is where life is. 

            Those in the world mistake excitement for life.  They mistake emotionalism for divine animation.  They mistake all of the things that appeal to the flesh as the quickening of the Spirit.  The masses are drawn to the noise and to the crowds.  They flock to the things that give them goosebumps and positive emotions.  They see the commotion that surrounds them and believe that everyone is on fire for the Lord.  They believe that they are just as alive as they can be in Christ.

In I Kings 18, we find an account that contrasts two different approaches to sacrifice.  In I Kings 18:19, Elijah makes an appeal to King Ahab.  “Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the grove four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table.”  In verse 20, we read that Ahab accepted the challenge.  The guidelines for this event were simple.  “Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:  and call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord:  and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God.  And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken” (I Kings 18:23-24). 

The prophets of Baal were given the first opportunity to call up their god.  “And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us…And they leaped upon the altar which was made” (I Kings 18:26).  These men were very animated in their efforts.  In fact, in verse 28, they livened up the performance even more.  “And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed upon them.”  What a performance!  How could Elijah top that?  Would he even try?

“And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:  and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord:  and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.  And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.  And he said, Do it the second time.  And they did it the second time.  And he said, do it the third time.  And they did it the third time.  And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.  And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.  Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou has turned their heart back again” (I Kings 18:30-37).  The behaviors of Elijah in no way matched the antics of the prophets of Baal.  After he prepared the altar, he simply called upon the name of his God.  He did not leap on the altar.  He did not cut himself with knives and lancets.  He merely called upon God saying:  “Hear me, O Lord, hear me…”

The results of this day are revealing.  The prophets of Baal were never heard.  “And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied unto the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded” (I Kings 18:29).  The results for Elijah were much different.  “Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench” (I Kings 18:38).  The vibrant display by the prophets of Baal turned into dismal failure.  The calm demeanor of Elijah was met with a magnificent display of power by God.  “And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces:  and they said, The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is the God” (I Kings 19:39).

            It would be interesting to carry out a similar contest today between the “lively services” of the evangelicals and the “dead services” of those in the church.  They would have loud music and shouting, and dancing, and magical displays of lights.  The Lord’s church would conduct a simple service involving the five items of worship:  singing, prayer, teaching, the Lord’s Supper, and the offering.  Which display would God accept?  Which one would cause Him to be satisified?  Which one would He commend with the most wonderful approval? 

            The reality is that what appears to be alive to men can be dead in the sight of God.  And, that which man believes to be dead can be alive and animated in God’s presence.  Dear readers, the worship that is alive in the mind of God is the worship that conforms to the teachings of the Spirit in the Word of God.  Jesus declared that “the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”  God longs for worshippers who bow before Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24).  Those who seek to worship Him according to the doctrines of men bow in vain (Matt. 15:7-9).  Worship is living and vibrant anytime it is conducted in the manner prescribed by God.  Those who worship in harmony with His will cause a sweet smelling savor to come up before Him.