FEEDING SHEEP OR AMUSING GOATS?

A Message by C. H. Spurgeon That Speaks To Us Today

An evil resides in the professed camp of the Lord so gross in its imprudence that the most shortsighted can hardly fail to notice it. During the past few years it has developed at an abnormal rate evil for evil. It has worked like leaven until the whole lump ferments. The devil has seldom done a cleverer 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 as the Puritans did, 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 ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” That is clear enough. So it would have been if He has added, “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. Then again, “He gave some apostles, some prophets, some pastors and teachers, for the work of the ministry.” Where do entertainers come in? The Holy Spirit is silent concerning them. Were the prophets persecuted because they amused the people or because they refused? 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 Church to the world? “Ye are the salt,” not sugar candy-something the world will spit out, not swallow. Short and sharp was the utterance, “Let the dead bury their dead.” He was in awful earnestness!

Had Christ introduced more of the bright and pleasant elements into His mission, He would have been more popular when they went back, because of the searching nature of His teaching. 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!” Jesus pitied sinners, sighed and wept over them, but never sought to amuse them. In vain will the Epistles be searched to find any trace of the gospel amusement. Their message is, “Come out, keep out, keep clean out!” Anything approaching fooling is conspicuous by its absence. They had boundless confidence in the gospel and employed no other weapon. After Peter and John were locked up for preaching, the Church had a prayer meeting, but they did not pray, “Lord grant Thy servants that by a wise and discriminating use of innocent recreation we may show these people how happy we are.” If they ceased not for preaching Christ, they had not time for arranging entertainments. Scattered by persecution, they went everywhere preaching the gospel. They “turned the world upside down.” That is the difference! Lord, clear the Church of all the rot and rubbish the devil has imposed on her and bring us back to apostolic methods.

Lastly, the mission of amusement fails to affect the end desired. It works havoc among young converts. Let the careless and scoffers, who thank God because the Church met them halfway, speak and testify. Let the heavy-laden who found peace through the concert not keep silent! Let the drunkard to whom the dramatic entertainment has been God’s link in the chain of their conversion, stand up! There are none to answer. The mission of amusement produces no converts. The need of the hour for today’s ministry is believing scholarship joined with earnest spirituality, the one springing from the other as fruit from the root. The need is biblical doctrine, so understood and felt, that it sets men on fire.

About  C.H. Spurgeon and his article

The anointing on Charles Spurgeon’s life to teach was unparalleled from even a very young age.  He was a mighty man of God in England in the 1800’s.  He was a good friend of Dwight L. Moody, and his sermons are as powerful today as they were then.  The issue that Spurgeon addresses in this article is profoundly relevant to the church today.  What passes for “worship” in churches often echoes demonic secular music.  As such, it is very appealing to the youthful soul, but can be grating and offensive to the Spirit.  Hence glitz and glitter ministries arise – which are exactly the goat ministries to which Spurgeon is writing.  Many pastors today believe that to attract people they need music.  I submit that this is entirely erroneous.  To capture hearts for the King, we need the Spirit of the Living God, Whose great work is to convict the hearts of people.  Can God use music to do this, and to help arrest a person’s attention?  Most certainly.  But to rely on music instead of on the Spirit of the Lord is counterproductive for the Kingdom.

Though it is not the Christian’s call to separate the sheep from the goats, we must recognize that those who are moved by music and feelings are not reliably moved by the Spirit of God.  In modern worship forms, there can be mixtures of soul and spirit, but when those mixtures fail to propel the soul into the Spirit of God and true worship via the spirit and truth (John 4:24), then it is time to step back and check for true spiritual fruit.

Be very watchful for soulish preference for music over the Word of God.  The prancing and dancing associated with entertainment ministry can be very shallow, and becomes the tail wagging the dog.  God did not magnify music above all His name.  He magnified His Word (Psalm 138:2).  Music is to complement, not interfere with, the preaching of the Word of God.

True worship is worship via the Spirit of God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).  This certainly includes singing in tongues, and singing with the understanding also – all from the Spirit of God within.  And the most necessary and highest form of true worship of God is found in obedience, not to self interpretations of His will, but literally of His voice (Matthew 4:4) and clear direction of His Spirit.  Hallelujah!

With much love in Him,

–Paul Norcross