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Feeding Sheep or
Amusing Goats?
So when they had dined, Jesus saith to
Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?
He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him,
Feed my lambs.John 21:15
An evil is in the
'professed' camp of the Lord, so gross in its impudence, that the most
shortsighted Christian can hardly fail to notice it. During the past few years
this evil has developed at an alarming rate. It has worked like leaven until the
whole lump ferments!
The devil has seldom done a
more clever thing, than hinting to the Church that part of their mission is
to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them. From
speaking out the gospel, the Church has gradually toned down her testimony, then
winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. Then she tolerated them
in her borders. Now she has adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses!
My first contention is that
providing amusement for the people is nowhere spoken of in the Scriptures as
a function of the Church. If it is a Christian work why did not Christ speak
of it? 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, and
provide amusement for those who do not relish the gospel'.
No such words, however, are
to be found. It did not seem to occur to Him. Where do entertainers come in?
The Holy Spirit is silent concerning them. Were the prophets persecuted
because they amused the people, or because they confronted them? The 'concert'
has no martyr roll.
Again, providing
amusement is in direct antagonism to the teaching and life of Christ and all His
apostles. What was the attitude of the apostolic Church to the world? "You
are the salt of the world", not the sugar candy; something the
world will spit out, not swallow.
Had Jesus introduced more
of the bright and pleasant elements into His teaching, He would have been more
popular. When "many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him," I
do not hear Him say, 'Run after these people, Peter, and tell them we will have
a different style of service tomorrow; something short and attractive with
little preaching. We will have a pleasant evening for the people. Tell them they
will be sure to enjoy it! Be quick, Peter, we must get the people somehow!'
No! Jesus pitied sinners,
sighed and wept over them, but never sought to amuse them!
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