"Satan does not mind family values -- as long as what you ultimately value is the family. Satan does not mind social justice -- as long as you see justice as most importantly social. Satan does not tremble at a Christian worldview. He will let you have a Christian worldview as long as your ultimate goal is viewing the world."
How sinful and deprived are we to lose sight of God when obeying His very decrees?
How sinful and deprived are we to glorify ourselves when we claim to glorify Him?
I remember Chung called it "morally neutral."
Many sins are not evil in and of themselves; our hearts are what contaminates our actions and deeds. Sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4), and the Law requires that we do everything for the glory of God.
So, even amidst church services, ministry gatherings, bible studies, small groups, fellowships, the things we do and the events we attend that we assume are "Christ-centered," we may lose sight of His glory.
This reminds me of the story of boy Jesus at the Temple (Luke 2:41-52).
Jesus and His parents had just celebrated Passover in Jerusalem. As they left to go home, Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it (Luke 2:43). Thinking He was in their company (Luke 2:44), they continued in their travels. Upon discovering this truth, they frantically searched for their son, returning to Jerusalem. After three days, they found Him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them, and asking them questions. His parents were astonished, and Mary said, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you." Jesus replies, "Why were you searching for me? Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"
In the ESV, Luke 2:43b-44 states, "His parents did not know it, but supposing Him to be in the group, they went a day's journey."
Like Mary and Joseph, we suppose, assume, like to think that Christ is in the things we do. If only they turned around...
In our case, only when we turn back to the Gospel, to the Cross will we realize how we steal the attention and glory away from Christ.
Where does this attention and glory go to?
To ourselves, to others, to "good" sermons, to "good" praise, to organization, to the outcome, to the number of people attending, to the number of people saved, to on and on and on and on.
Notice that none of these things are bad in and of themselves. But, as Moore presents, Satan uses these morally neutral -- or even morally good -- things to deceive us into thinking they are for the glory of God.
Why do we desire a high number of attendees in our worship services? If we claim it is really for His glory, then it should not disappoint, discourage, or dishearten us. If we claim it is really for our passion for Him and His people, then we should come to realize that it is He who turns the hearts of stones into hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19) and not what we say, what we do, and what emotions our worship services provoke by our praise bands and sermons.
Don't get me wrong -- these aspects are very important. However, our sinfulness is rendered by our making it of first importance. Nothing manmade will ever be of first importance.
Paul knew (and knows) what that is: "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
This Truth is worth living for, worth dying for!
I pray that we can focus on this and this alone during our worship services, prayer meetings, etc.
Together, let's return to the Father's house.
