March 10
Some churches and some Christians appear to be thriving. In the case of the churches in question, the attendance might be high and giving may be generous; new people may find their way to the door every week. In the case of individual believers, they may seem doctrinally sound and evidence the gifts of the Spirit.
What more could a pastor hope for from his church? Yet, appearances can be deceiving. It says in I Corinthians 10:3-5, “They all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual water…but God was not pleased with them.” The truth of the matter is that God is not impressed with superficiality.
The Lord did not die on a cruel Roman cross so churches could boast of high attendance or squander the generous offerings of the people upon grand edifices. Nor did He sacrifice Himself so people could conduct endless intellectual discussions regarding doctrinal truths.
While these things may give the illusion of a thriving body of believers—the church pews may be full and its coffers overflowing; the Sunday school classes may boast of intriguing and profound lessons—but if it’s just a spiritual ‘game’ the Lord will be neither fooled nor pleased with what He sees.
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