No pastor knows it all, but most have a far better understanding of the Bible than the average church member. That, of course, is as it ought to be. But we live in a day when just about everybody thinks they are an expert. The other day I was listening to a popular radio talk show when the host went off on a tirade about something related to the Bible. He basically issued a challenge to his listeners warning them that they don’t dare debate him about the Bible because of his great knowledge of it. Based on the foolish things he had said, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I thought about calling to take him up on the debate, but I remembered what Prov. 26:4 says–“Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him”. But Mr. Always Right isn’t the only one with this problem. Many actors, athletes, etc. speak as though they are experts on any given subject including the Bible. Their popularity gives them a platform from which to speak and they think just because people listen that they must be experts. The same thing could be said of many singers, musicians, and song writers. Someone writes/sings a popular Christian song and the next thing you know they are acting as though they were a theologian. They assume the position of an authority figure in churches. But it doesn’t end there.

At this point we could go in a lot of different directions, but I want to focus mainly on the subject of worship. Again, I remind you that no pastor knows it all, although a few might think they do, but most have a far better understanding of the Bible than most, and they want to help. Although most pastors welcome questions and open for discussion, and patient with those who differ, it is sometimes very difficult.

One of the things in this regards is a young person who thinks they have it all figured out and aren’t willing to listen to wise counsel. To hear them talk you would think they are indeed theologians, even Hebrew and Greek scholars. In their mind they know it all, or they are following some one who does, and they refuse to listen to anything that conflicts with their beliefs or desires. This is never more apparent than it is when the subject is worship. Their mind is made up and they don’t want to be confused with the facts.

The truth is that some people don’t have a clue as to what constitutes true worship. They know what they like and that’s all that matters to them. Observing what’s going on in many churches and it’s obvious that they want chills without commitment, thrills without truth, emotion without edification, happiness without holiness, excitement without effort, worship without works, attention without adoration, etc. In other words, although they talk about God, it is all about them rather than Him. All they think about is what they get out of it, not what God gets from it. No wonder they’re never satisfied. They fill themselves with a cheap substitute and then wonder why “worship” isn’t more thrilling. In some cases true worship bores them to tears, so they invent something to their own liking— something as close to the world as possible. And you will notice that these folks are always pushing the limits, looking for something new, going to greater extremes, never content.

It isn’t the purpose of this message to debate all the different styles of worship or to convince everyone that my favorite songs should be their favorites. My purpose is to challenge you to base your decisions on the truth rather than personal preference or popularity. Every Christian, regardless of age, should learn all they can about the Bible and follow it as closely as possible. If more did that there would be a lot less debate regarding worship wars, and everything else. Think about it!

We hear a lot today about the past generations of Christians being too somber and how church should be more fun and exciting. But, here’s a thought— perhaps the previous generation had a greater hatred of sin and a greater love of holiness! Could it be that they wept more about their failures rather than laughing out of fun. Could it be that the preachers in the past denounced sin in such a way that it made sinners miserable, rather than entertaining people as the modern preachers do? Have you ever thought about that? Just asking–after all if you are going to condemn those who did so much for the cause of Christ shouldn’t there be some scriptural justification for your charges? By the way, you might also consider that those from “the greatest generation” were not raised in the lap of luxury as was this generation. Going through the Great Depression and WW ll tends to make you think differently.

Considering the sad sinful condition of the average church today it seems to me that,  until confession is made, tears would be more appropriate than cheers. Only repentance will bring the kind of rejoicing that is appropriate. Those who refuse to repent have no right to rejoice. And I see little evidence of repentance today. Were we as sensitivity to sin as we should be there would be a lot more weeping and a lot less laughing. Tossing out the hymns, stepping up the beat, pumping up the volume, using strobe lights, and shouting the rafters down doesn’t mean you’ve had a good worship service. What you might refer to as a dead, dull, boring service just might actually be far more spiritual than anything you’ve ever experienced— you just failed to recognize it as such. Catering to the flesh and stirring up the emotions might make you feel good, but that doesn’t mean God is pleased. I suspect not many church folks today would have enjoyed services with the persecuted saints in the catacombs, but I have no doubt about which generation was the most dedicated to God. They turned their world upside down for Christ. What have you done! So, criticizing a church for being dull and boring just might be an indictment against you rather than a fault with them. Think about it!

The battle for the mind never ceases. There is always something calling for our attention— something that will divert our attention and distract us from our duty. Because we love our family, friends, church, and country we just naturally pay attention to things related to them— we should, but only to an extent. If we aren’t careful we will find ourselves depressed and defeated— focused on the wrong things.

It’s been one of those mornings for me. I made the mistake of reading the news and listening to a talk show host for about 5 minutes. Now here I am with pen in hand, a heavy heart, and a cluttered mind! I’m not over Benghazi yet (will never be) and stuff just keeps piling on— Benghazi, Bundy, Bergdahl, V A scandal, illegal immigration. It never stops and Obama is never held accountable. And it will get worse! The same government that fails to care for our Vets, our heroes, wants to run healthcare for everyone! I don’t know whether to laugh or cry! Can you imagine what a fiasco that will be? We are headed toward disaster— which by the way is exactly what Obama has wanted from the beginning.

Are Americans so dumb as to let this happen or is he so smart that he has hood-winked the majority into believing he is doing good? I’ll let you know when I figure it out. All I know now is that we are headed down a path that no sensible person would take. The blind are leading the blind and we’re all headed for the ditch. One well known talk show host said he wasn’t comfortable calling the president “evil”. Well, unless he is totally ignorant, I am perfectly at ease in doing so. How else would you describe a person who intentionally does what he is doing? No, I couldn’t think of a better word either. As I recently wrote to the Speaker of the House, John Boehner, “I have never been so disappointed in the Republican party! No one, it seems, has the guts to truly stand against the present evil administration. And we have no one standing in the wings ready and able to defeat the Democrats. Whoever they run will win. God give us a hero–like Reagan!” Think about it!

The more I think about it the more I realize that this is not a good way to end this article. If I just leave it there all I’ve done is divert your attention, distract you from duty, and discourage you. So let me turn your attention to where mine should be– to the Word of God. I remind you of what Jehoshaphat said during a crisis long ago, “ O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do : but our eyes are upon thee.”– 2 Chron. 20:1. The key to our survival and success is “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith—- consider him–” (Heb. 12:2-3). Think about Him!