I was playing ping-pong at a friends house. During the final point, my friend returned the ball and it hit the ceiling, bounced off the light fixture and landed on my side of the table. "Game!" he stated loudly. "House rules are in order here!" In other words because we are playing in his house it is his rules and he won.
That made me think how more and more people today are using "house rules" in their approach to God. Many have an idea about how they want to approach God, worship God and run with it. Because they are sincere in their heart, they believe it is completely acceptable. Recently I had an elder at a congregation tell me that "our ideas of worship are out-dated" and we need a new, fresh approach so they brought in things that were, well, appealing to people and the community. "House rules!" I hear more and more talk of what moves us and what makes us feel closer to the Lord. I hear little talk about what is acceptable to the Lord. "There's nothing in the Bible that says it's wrong!" is the argument of many. I guess that means "House rules"!
It was Jesus who said that not everyone who says Lord, Lord will enter God's kingdom but only those who do His will (Matt. 7:21) Heaven and fellowship with God is God's place! Being in fellowship with God is what He allows because of His mercy and grace. That means His "house rules" and He sets the standards, not man. We seem less and less concerned about His will and more and more involved in our will. If we are going to be pleasing, have an edifying worship, who determines what that is and acceptable? Remember Cain offered his ideas of what was acceptable to God and God rejected him. God determines what is acceptable. When are we going to learn?
Paul understood it is God's "house rules" that matters. He understood that to cause a brother or sister stumble was a terrible offense in the eyes of God. Paul went as far as saying if it is food that causes my brother or sister to stumble he would never eat meat again (I Cor. 8:13). How many have that kind of heart for the will of God today? How many times do we see that depth of love practiced? To sin against brethren when they are weak, you sin against Christ (I Cor. 8:12). Paul knew something about reverence for the Lord and awe to his God. That's what many are missing today. What we are seeing in the church is dividing up into two separate congregations while one group worships their way allowing the other to worship another. How close is that to the will of God? Does it promote unity and oneness in the Lord or create division? What does the voice of the Lord want? What we are speaking of in each of these cases, "House rules!" and it's not about God's house from heaven we are addressing.
2 comments:
Many a kind and sincere brother and sister believe their worship 'style' is acceptable as long as they worship God and keep Him in focus. What they fail to realize is they set the standard not God and just blindly go along. Thanks for sharing your insight Brent!! You do a lot of good for a lot of people.
When reading 1 Cor 14 it looks to me like Paul wants worship to be edifying for the members and still able to convict unbelievers who show up. If this is what the church strives for then we can stop worrying about whether Biblical silence allows or doesn't allow something.
Also, not every group who has a different worship "style" is making up their own rules. The congregation I attend doesn't meet in the temple daily like the early Jerusalem congregation, but I think both fit under God's "house rules"
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