Is American Christianity only what we do on Sunday?

[Morgan]

Why is it that more Americans, dare I say most in the church today, see Christianity as something we do on Sunday, the way we are at church. We go and then the rest of the week is ours. Within the Reformed churches I see more people interested in doctrine and the gaining of knowledge yet very little is applied. I see those that can talk intelligently about doctrinal terms yet live a life outside the church that would be confused for a lost person. Those in Reformed circles tend to go from conference to conference to hear speakers on this or that, spend hours watching Youtube videos from their favorite pastor but never open their Bible or bend a knee and spend time in prayer.

How many really see that our lives should be as Paul describes in Romans 12:1
"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."

Why is it that our lives being totally submitted to service to our King is not a main stream idea? I recalling reading Martyn Lloyd Jones and his ideas of actually practicing to take our thoughts captive (i.e. even getting down to controlling our thoughts to prevent even evil in them) and it seems more of a fringe belief than something anyone is doing. I think scripture teaches that everything we do we are to do it in service to our Lord. Everything I do every day should be in service to Him, my life is no longer my own.

I just "found" the Puritans last year and the more I read the more I see that they held these beliefs. Yet the idea of making my entire being revolve around service to Christ seems to be taken as an oddity when I share that idea with proclaiming Christians. Have we become so far from scripture that we can read about out lives not being our own, about being bought for a price and then think we can have the world and our salvation?

So now for my question. Do you see just clergy, those in full time ministry, as the only ones whose entire being revolves around serving Christ? Or, do you think that every one of us, no matter our vocation, have a sole purpose and were created to conform to His image and serve Him with every effort of our being?

 

[VictorBravo]

So now for my question. Do you see just clergy, those in full time ministry, as the only ones whose entire being revolves around serving Christ? Or, do you think that every one of us, no matter our vocation, have a sole purpose and were created to conform to His image and serve Him with every effort of our being?

No to the first question. Yes to the second, assuming that "sole purpose" is to give glory to God.

Within the Reformed churches I see more people interested in doctrine and the gaining of knowledge yet very little is applied. I see those that can talk intelligently about doctrinal terms yet live a life outside the church that would be confused for a lost person. Those in Reformed circles tend to go from conference to conference to hear speakers on this or that, spend hours watching Youtube videos from their favorite pastor but never open their Bible or bend a knee and spend time in prayer.

Two suggestions:

1. Look for better friends/acquaintances. Dullness is easy to spot, but there are plenty of believers who are serious about their faith and their struggles.

2. Whenever I am inclined to bemoan the state of believers in this world, I remember something about a beam in the eye and I go back to the mirror.

By the way, I watch a lot of youtube videos on metal fabrication and welding, but I've never been to a religious conference. There are many ways to work giving glory to our God.

 

[Joshua]

Our chief end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy Him forever. This means we spend our best efforts in knowing His commandments, endeavoring to obey them, confessing we will never perfect such in this life, consequently confessing our sins to the Lord, both for forgiveness and subsequent cleansing. The sabbath day is a weekly end & start point from which and to which we develop a cadence in our passing through this vale of tears. Our Puritan forefathers recovered the excellent concept of a man -regardless of place & station- being excellent in his calling unto the glory of the Lord, working for the Lord Jesus Christ. This will look different for different people (mothers, fathers as breadwinners, children at home, students, the plumber, the baker, the candlestick maker), but will be undergirded by what the scriptures require of us, which is to receive Christ by faith alone, and express our love to Him by knowing His commandments, working out all their implications & applications, and applying such principles to every lawful and "indifferent" thing we take up from day to day. Our best efforts will be spent examining ourselves in the inner man. This -when rightly carried out- will disabuse us of spending inordinate amounts of time of correcting everyone else. We really must focus on our particular sphere of influence, loving our brethren (especially at our own little local chapters of Zion), not suffering sin upon them, both correcting them in love, and in receiving correction in love.

 

[Morgan]

By the way, I watch a lot of youtube videos on metal fabrication and welding, but I've never been to a religious conference. There are many ways to work giving glory to our God.

I was referring to those that use those platforms as their sole means of learning. They will spend hours watching videos and never open scripture to study on their own. I see it more common for the youth today since they were raised on videos/electronics.

No to the first question. Yes to the second, assuming that "sole purpose" is to give glory to God.


Two suggestions:

1. Look for better friends/acquaintances. Dullness is easy to spot, but there are plenty of believers who are serious about their faith and their struggles.

2. Whenever I am inclined to bemoan the state of believers in this world, I remember something about a beam in the eye and I go back to the mirror.

By the way, I watch a lot of youtube videos on metal fabrication and welding, but I've never been to a religious conference. There are many ways to work giving glory to our God.

We can ignore the actions of others and always go back to the mirror, but that does nothing to address the problem. I am not stating I am above others, but troubled by our churches today and the lack of concern for her.

On your last comment, I was referring to those that use those platforms as their sole means of learning. They will spend hours watching videos, spend hundreds flying to conferences and never open scripture to study on their own. I see it more common for the youth today since they were raised on videos/electronics. In their minds this is as good as studying themselves.

 

[Morgan]

Our best efforts will be spent examining ourselves in the inner man. This -when rightly carried out- will disabuse us of spending inordinate amounts of time of correcting everyone else.

I guess I was not clear, I seem to have given the picture of being holier than thou. I am speaking in terms of church leadership, I will soon be in a position where I have to address these issues and I am wondering what other Elders, Pastors and church leaders are doing if anything. Those that are not leaders should respond from their perspective, how these ideas can be used for instruction. But I am looking on how I can change the ideas that have been misapplied in our churches. It is not just something local to me or necessarily one I am dealing with personally, but one that seems to be prevalent everywhere I have been in the recent years. It is the idea of people I work with, with relatives, with friends.

 

[Joshua]

I guess I was not clear, I seem to have given the picture of being holier than thou. I am speaking in terms of church leadership, I will soon be in a position where I have to address these issues and I am wondering what other Elders, Pastors and church leaders are doing if anything. Those that are not leaders should respond from their perspective, how these ideas can be used for instruction. But I am looking on how I can change the ideas that have been misapplied in our churches.

The line you quoted was not an accusation toward you, but an assertion of what every Christian ought to be doing. I did not think you were expressing a "holier than thou" sentiment. That noted, I confess that I am still unclear in what you're asking. Pastors are to preach the word, administer the sacraments, know, pray for, and counsel their flock. Elders are to be apt to teach, also taking up some of the aforementioned things (knowing, praying for, counseling, etc.). Deacons are to be involved in serving the church with regard to financial & physical assistance to the flock. Sometimes, the financial aspect may include counsel. As for the laity, they are to support one another via prayer, fellowship, joining one another in praise, having a word in season one to another, serving one another where needs arise, etc. For example, the Apostle mentions the older women teaching the younger how to be good wives, mothers, and keepers at home. Are you asking if laity should be involved in churchly office of teaching/instruction? I would say no, other than in the singing of Psalms (which is not really related to church office).

 

[Morgan]

The line you quoted was not an accusation toward you, but an assertion of what every Christian ought to be doing. I did not think you were expressing a "holier than thou" sentiment. That noted, I confess that I am still unclear in what you're asking. Pastors are to preach the word, administer the sacraments, know, pray for, and counsel their flock. Elders are to be apt to teach, also taking up some of the aforementioned things (knowing, praying for, counseling, etc.). Deacons are to be involved in serving the church with regard to financial & physical assistance to the flock. Sometimes, the financial aspect may include counsel. As for the laity, they are to support one another via prayer, fellowship, joining one another in praise, having a word in season one to another, serving one another where needs arise, etc. For example, the Apostle mentions the older women teaching the younger how to be good wives, mothers, and keepers at home. Are you asking if laity should be involved in official teaching? I would say no.

The most universal idea I see from proclaiming Christians is that only the laity are to be totally submitted to Christ. Whether my family, friends, acquaintances etc. it seems to be the prevailing idea.

You did answer my main question and I would assume most here would agree with you. My main question is, do people only see those in church leadership or that being their vocation, as those whose entire lives revolve around service to Christ. Maybe I should have asked if those here see the prevailing idea in their circles to be, that unless your vocation is in ministry, your life is not dedicated to serve Christ. It seems as if most ignore Ephesians 4:12, that those leaders are given within the church to equip the redeemed for the work of the ministry. That was my main idea and concern.

 

[Joshua]

My main question is, do people only see those in church leadership or that being their vocation, as those whose entire lives revolve around service to Christ. Maybe I should have asked if those here see the prevailing idea in their circles to be, that unless your vocation is in ministry, your life is not dedicated to serve Christ.

No, or -at least- they shouldn't. Each of us is required wholly to be in service to Christ, and that service looks different (though all regulated by Scripture) for people in different stations. We work as if working unto the Lord, serving Christ, whatsoever we're doing, being unto the glory of God (1 Cor. 10.31). The Puritans' emphasis on glorifying God in our callings is a testimony to the idea that we are to be wholly in service to Christ. In other words, service to Christ is not limited to ministry.

 

[ZackF]

Our chief end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy Him forever. This means we spend our best efforts in knowing His commandments, endeavoring to obey them, confessing we will never perfect such in this life, consequently confessing our sins to the Lord, both for forgiveness and subsequent cleansing. The sabbath day is a weekly end & start point from which and to which we develop a cadence in our passing through this vale of tears. Our Puritan forefathers recovered the excellent concept of a man -regardless of place & station- being excellent in his calling unto the glory of the Lord, working for the Lord Jesus Christ. This will look different for different people (mothers, fathers as breadwinners, children at home, students, the plumber, the baker, the candlestick maker), but will be undergirded by what the scriptures require of us, which is to receive Christ by faith alone, and express our love to Him by knowing His commandments, working out all their implications & applications, and applying such principles to every lawful and "indifferent" thing we take up from day to day. Our best efforts will be spent examining ourselves in the inner man. This -when rightly carried out- will disabuse us of spending inordinate amounts of time of correcting everyone else. We really must focus on our particular sphere of influence, loving our brethren (especially at our own little local chapters of Zion), not suffering sin upon them, both correcting them in love, and in receiving correction in love.

I don’t know what they taught you in the Soviet Union, but multiple paragraphs are not always a bad thing.

 

[Joshua]

I don’t know what they taught you in the Soviet Union, but multiple paragraphs are not always a bad thing.

Okay.

You’re right.

My bad.