A Word Of Rebuke For Worship Police

People show up at worship services for all sorts of reasons. Some of my favorite people are those who are desperate. I guess that is because I have been desperate so many times myself. Even while standing behind the pulpit I have needed God to touch me over the years and He has and still does. I have watched God tenderly touch hurting and broken people. I watched him do it last night among a group of teenagers.

There are other people who show up at worship for all the wrong reasons. They are the self appointed worship police. They scrutinize everything and everyone to make sure every "i" is dotted and "t" is crossed. They do not have a heart for God. They are so busy critiquing the music, the fashions of the attenders, and the sermon they miss encountering God altogether.

I talked to a a friend of mine recently who serves on staff at a large church. He told me his pastor received an anonymous letter from a croup of people criticizing his preaching. The focus of their criticism was not theological content. They nitpicked his grammar. I am not talking about a preacher who is not educated and who does have proper grasp and use of the English language. These people are so focused on this issue I wonder when do they ever worship. When do they open their ears and hearts to hear from God. When do they ever turn their attention off themselves and onto God.

There is s story in Mark 3 about a desperate man who came to the synagogues and about some Pharisees who only showed up to criticize Jesus. Jesus knew wha wast in their hearts. He rebuked the hardness of the Pharisee's hearts. He healed the desperate man.

Which one are you? Do you show up to your church desperate for a fresh touch and a fresh word from God. Do you enter the sanctuary or the classroom prayerfully ready to encounter God. Or do you come with a critical spirit to scrutinize and tp take notes of everything done wrong and those who are doing so.

I have a word of rebuke for those worship police. You can actually show up for worship and anger the very God you are supposed to adore with your sinful attitude and air of superiority. You do not have the right to grieve the Holy Spirit for the rest of the body of Christ. Your petrified hard heart is an offense to God. I stand with faithful pastors all over the nation and rebuke you in the name of Jesus. Take the log out of your own eye so you can see more clearly to take the splinter out of other people's eyes.