Reverence or Relevance?
March 11th, 2009 Posted in Pastor's corner, sermonsIt seems to me that for some we have lost the “fear of the Lord,” even in the Church.
There was a time when things were perhaps too uptight, and one spoke in whispers in the Church, and laughter was rarely heard. But today, many churches, in their attempt to be thought of as “cool” or “contemporary,” they have lost their focus.
I am not suggesting we attempt to be irrelevant and uncool, but my question is “Have we traded reverence for relevance?”
For instance, you have preachers talking in great detail about sexual issues, ranging from programs to have “sex every day for seven days” to more extreme versions in which they speak very graphically about specific sexual acts from the pulpit.
The cussing preacher
Then you have the “Cussing Preacher” syndrome. The pastor thinks it’s cool to use profanity in the pulpit so people will see him as one of them.
Is this all really necessary? I don’t think so.
Look, I have been a pastor for 35 years, and we have never had a problem reaching our culture and seeing people come to Christ. I am all for being real and authentic, but I also stand up on the platform to speak God’s Word.
1 Peter 4:11 says, “If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God” (NIV).
We are also told in Scripture to watch what we say. Speaking of the tongue, James writes, “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in God’s likeness. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so” (James 3:9-10 ESV).
The early Church had it right
The early Church, the Church of the book of Acts, had it right, of course. And let’s not forget they “turned their world upside down” (see Acts 17:6). Do we ever need that today!
These first-century believers were filled with both joy and the fear of the Lord.
Acts 2:46-47 tells us, “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people” (NKJV).
This phrase “gladness and sincerity of heart” literally means “with unaffected joy!” I love that–they were not afraid to express joy in their faith.
But there also was a sense or reverence and awe among these believers.
Acts 2:43 says, “Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles” (NKJV).
What is the fear of the Lord?
It does not mean you should be afraid of God. To fear God means that you have a healthy respect or reverence for Him. Another translation describes it as “a wholesome dread of displeasing God.” In other words, I love God so much that I want to do all I can to keep from displeasing Him.
Look, I am all for relevance. We need to make sense to the people we are reaching. But let’s not lower our standard in order to extend our reach.
Let’s not trade reverence for relevance.
I think for us to seek to live godly lives is very relevant, and very different than what this world has to offer. That’s how we will turn our world upside down, instead of the world turning us upside down.
Pastor Greg,
As I read the words of this post, I found myself filling in the names you were nice enough to leave out. The “sex every day for seven days” preacher? I know who that is. The “Cussing Preacher”? I know who that is.
These are megachurch pastors who preach to huge throngs of people each week. I’m a pastor myself, and I know the pressure to keep the pews full and the people interested. But I can’t help but wonder if these men clear all of this stuff through the Lord. Are they praying as they should? Are they seeking God’s will as they should?
I’m not their judge, and I don’t want the job, but I do have some spiritual discernment about me. If God really is in what they are doing, more power to them. But if He isn’t, such attempts at “ministry” need to cease.
Dear Pastor Greg,
You are totally right about the words and manner that all Christians should treat our speech. I am so thankful for the upbringing my mother gave me that included a healthy dose of God-fearing training. It was beautiful to watch my mother learn of the love of God when she accepted Christ many years later.
I stand with you in not compromising my reverence for the living God. Thanks for this blog entry-it encouraged me greatly!
I often think of 1 Corinthians 9:27, where Paul talks about “lest having preached to others I myself be a castaway.” If the greatest Christian I can think of had these thoughts, how much more should I want to strive for the mastery and guard my faith. If we dig deep into the Rock, we won’t get caught up in all of this craziness (fads)around us, and we’ll maintain a healthy fear and reverance for our God.
It’s not about you or me. It’s about Him receiving His Glory!
Peace from the east….enjoy your week everyone!
-Mark
Seeing the same concern here in the Midwest. I am concerned for the next generation . . . my kids and their kids and their peers. This lowering our standards to “interest” the people, isn’t it really just playing to the enemy’s plan?
Pastor Greg,
I really appreciate your posts on this topic. So many churches nowadays are just trying to be cool and relevant, and I’m glad that you stand on God’s Word and do not trade that for anything. But at the same time, you maintain your fresh insight and relate the infallible Word of God to our lives now.
God Bless!
I love it when this topic is mentioned. Many have lost the true meaning of fearing the Lord. In fact, some people say it, but they really don’t and you can tell by their lifestyle. These posts definitely help me with explaining it to other people.
Anne Maltes
Hi Pastor Greg,
Speaking of reverence, it’s almost Easter time and I got to looking up where in the world this Easter bunny thing originated. And of course, it’s about a pagan myth of the “gods.” How is it that we, so casually, go along with giving any attention to something other than Christ, especially a bunny? Am I wrong? Should I make such a big deal?
I just get so stirred up inside thinking of how we don’t reverence what our Savior did for us on the cross without sharing it with a rabbit? Any insights would be great!
Thanks,
Kaye Graham
Amen, Pastor Greg!
Amen!
I find it refreshing that this wasn’t a post filled with name-dropping that simply causes a love-hate fest over the names that were “dropped.” Excellent post, much needed point, and graciously delivered.
It amazes me how many Christians, especially leaders, seem to think that the Bible needs embellishment to be relevant and effective. Great post. Neat title, too.
Daniel Abbey
Thank you and amen! This desire for “relevance” seems to have morphed into a desire for the praise of men. Thank you for your clear and articulate argument for reverence.
Mike Zinn
I agree wholeheartedly with the post below – “…refreshing . . . and graciously delivered.” Thank you!
Spot on! Thank you, Greg.
Paul Tautges
Well said, Pastor Greg. Speaking of relevance, I think Ephesians 4:29 in the Word of God is relevant:
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”
John Roden
Thank you, Pastor Greg! In the task of reaching the lost, quite a few of our churches have lost some of the reverential fear of God. You are absolutely correct, and this should be required reading for pastors.
Yemi Ogunbase
This is the first time I’ve ever read anything by Greg Laurie, but am interested because there’s an upcoming Harvest Crusade in my city.
I completely agree with everything he said here and appreciate his candidness. I believe a person in the pulpit should be held to a higher standard, so as to set a good example for everyone else.
It’s astonishing to think a pastor, or anyone, would curse from the pulpit thinking it’s cool or hip. It’s all I can do to keep my own tongue in check, and especially when I’m speaking with others who may or may not be believers!!
Thanks for this post.
Caleb Kolstad