Recently, I read an advertisement for a person to travel to various restaurants and report on the quality of the food. Hmmmm ... thought about applying, but changed my mind! Weight control, you know.In these tough times it would have a double-whammy effect if you took the position — give you a job and, in addition, get you a free meal every day. Not bad!
Reflecting on this task, I thought about Ezekiel. The crowds came to hear him preach. But it’s said of Ezekiel’s preaching (33:33), "Yes, to them you are like a singer of love songs who has a beautiful voice and plays skillfully on an instrument. They hear your words, but they don’t obey them."
Of course there’s nothing like that going on in the church today!
No one today would shop around for the best preacher in the community because they enjoyed his style. Of course not. They’re interested in what he has to say only because they want to learn to become more faithful Christians. Having discovered such an eloquent preacher, no one today would listen to and enjoy his sermons and then fail to go home and practice what he preached. Of course not! They all are anxious to leave the service so they can get at it!
I wonder how much of this sort of thing is actually involved in the church attendance of many today. We don’t have divine revelation on the issue as Ezekiel had, so we can’t read hearts (on this mattert see previous blogs about reading the heart).
Even if such pulpit entertainment isn’t your prime concern in attending church, even if you aren’t a sermon taster travelling about from church to church (or from Bible conference to Bible conference ) in search of beautiful singing and skillful playing from the pulpit, isn’t there at least a touch of this attitude in you? Shouldn’t we all become aware of the fact when it exists and root it out of our lives? You know we should.
[from Institute for Nouthetic Studies Blog by Jay Adams]
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