Worldly Amusements
The church must maintain its purity and avoid worldly amusements to please the Spirit of God.
D.L. Moody addresses the issue of worldly amusements infiltrating the church, emphasizing that introducing questionable entertainments like lotteries and theatrical performances grieves the Holy Spirit. He argues that lowering the church's standards to attract the world ultimately leads to spiritual loss and a lack of divine presence. Moody believes that if such practices drive away members, it is for the best, as the church should not compromise its integrity for the sake of popularity. He highlights the absurdity of employing unconverted individuals in worship roles, asserting that true worship requires a heart aligned with God.
Text
Then, another thing, I think, that grieves the Spirit, is the miserable policy of introducing questionable entertainments. There are lotteries, for instance, that we have in many churches. If a man wants to gamble, he doesn't have to go to some gambling den; he can stay in the church. And there are fairs - bazaars, as they call them - where they have rafflings and grab-bags. And if he wants to see a drama, he don't need to go to the theater, for many of our churches are turned into theaters; he may stay right in the church and witness the acting. I believe all these things grieve the Spirit of God.
I believe when we bring the Church down to the level of the world to reach the world, we are losing all the while and grieving the Spirit of God.
But some say, if we take that standard and lift it up high, it will drive away a great many members from our churches. I believe it, and I think the quicker they are gone the better. The world has come into the Church like a flood, and how often you find an ungodly choir employed to do the singing for the whole congregation; the idea that we need an ungodly man to sing praises to God!
It was not long ago I heard of a church where they had an unconverted choir, and the minister saw something about the choir that he didn't like, and he spoke to the chorister, but the chorister replied: "You attend to your end of the church, and I will attend to mine." You can not expect the Spirit of God to work in a church in such a state as that.
Sermon Outline
- I points: - The Spirit is grieved by worldly amusements in the church - 'Examples of questionable entertainments: lotteries, fairs, and theaters in the church'
- II points: - The church should not compromise with the world to reach it - The world's influence in the church is a flood that must be stopped
- III points: - Unconverted individuals should not be involved in church activities - The Spirit of God cannot work in a church with worldly influences
Key Quotes
“I believe all these things grieve the Spirit of God.” — D.L. Moody
“The world has come into the Church like a flood, and how often you find an ungodly choir employed to do the singing for the whole congregation;” — D.L. Moody
Application Points
- We should be careful not to compromise with the world in our church activities, lest we grieve the Spirit of God.
- The presence of unconverted individuals in church activities can hinder the work of the Spirit of God.
- We must strive to maintain the purity of the church and avoid worldly influences to please the Spirit of God.