Oh... That's What It's For!

History is full of stories about items created for one purpose that ended up being used, and most widely known, for some other purpose.  Post-it Note adhesive, Arm & Hammer baking soda and Avon SkinSoSoft are just a few examples.

Another great example, though a sad one for sure, is found in Hosea 8:11 - "Though Ephraim built many altars for sin offerings, these have become altars for sinning."  The spiritual decline of Israel was so severe that the very altars they built for confessing sin to Jehovah became altars at which they sacrificed to and worshiped false gods.

Each time I read that verse over the past month, I couldn't help but ask, "How often do we do the same thing in our lives and churches today?"  The likelihood of finding a church building occupied by a Bible-believing congregation where pagan deities are worshiped is probably very low.  But finding one where many other, seemingly good, things are worshiped in addition to God… I think that's pretty easy.  So let me play Hosea for a minute and step on a few toes.

Let's start with Pastors…

It's wonderful when the people of a church loves their pastor(s).  It's tragic when they worship them.  It's downright pathetic when a pastor perpetuates it.  As church members, we need to remember Paul's words to the Corinthians… "When one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men?  What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe, as the Lord has assigned to each his task."  As pastors, we need to be like John the Baptist… "He must become greater.  I must become less."

Then there are Programs…

When it comes to sacrifices, more than a few sacred cows need to be tossed on the altar in our churches.  I'm all for good programs that help our churches make disciples.  What drives me crazy is that once we start something, there's no way to ever stop it – even if it is no longer effective – because someone's feelings might get hurt.  Again, don't get me wrong… I'm all for supporting, honoring and listening to the wisdom of those who invest their lives into a particular program or model of ministry.  But I'm more for helping those same people understand WHY we do programs in the first place so they are able to truly serve God and others instead of worshiping that program with one more chorus of "We've always done it that way."

And of course, Preferences…

Speaking of music, I'm a little surprised I've never heard KC & the Sunshine Band's "That's the Way (uh huh, uh huh) I Like It" as a call to worship.  The list of false gods we worship in this category could go on forever, but here are just a couple of the obvious ones.

• Music styles.  It's a crying shame that the phrase "Worship Wars" ever had to be coined in the first place.  Whatever style of music we prefer, let's stop worshiping that style and get back to worshiping God.

• Bible versions.  An accurate translation of God's Word is essential to good teaching and true worship.  There are a lot of them out there.  There are also a lot of bibliolaters out there.

Well, I guess I've meddled enough.  I hope I've spoken truth in love.  My prayer for myself, for you and for our congregations is that we stay true to the purposes for which God instituted the local church… and most of all, that we worship Him and Him alone.