CREATURE WORSHIP

There are some things you don’t notice because you are not interested in them. If you don’t play golf, it is just another sport so you don’t waste time watching it on TV.

There are other things that can creep up on you as they dominate society and you cannot but notice that they are there.

One such subject is the body beautiful. It came to my attention one day when I visited one of our major department stores. I wanted a certain product and to get to it I had to go through the store to get to it at the back. The part of the store that I had to go through covered one block and it was full of cosmetics and pampering products.

I was quite surprised as I did not realise that the cosmetics industry consumed people to that degree. Then I started to notice how much is invested in the outward appearance. Apart from makeup there was diet and fitness, cosmetic surgery, clothes, massage, fitness supplements and food and the rise of the so called beautiful people and magazines that glorify the outward man and woman.

Every one of them is meant to make the outward look and appearance better and you were judged by how you looked, not what you were.

Now I should not be surprised as the scripture says that man gave themselves over to the worship of created things (themselves) foregoing the worship of the creator. When we become the centre of the universe, we reap what we sow. We destroy the inner man.

So we should not be surprised that we are a nation that is not coping with life as it is full of stress, pressure, achievement, creating an image, making money, chasing dreams and generally screwing ourselves up.

We have allowed the dollar to control almost everything we do so money, instead of being a commodity that serves us has now become the love of our life and the scriptures says that the love of money is the root of all evil.

The question has to be asked “is the church following the trend or providing an alternative.”

The evidence suggests it is the former. In my country Australia there are 10,000 ex-pastors who gave up because of stress and pressure. In the USA, the same is happening every month pastors are resigning or being fired because of lack of results, pressure or conflict in the fellowship.

The leadership system encourages an emphasis on money as the more successful you are the bigger and more prestigious church you get appointed to which means a higher salary so the church becomes a business you run and you get paid accordingly.

Most churches have 80% of their congregation that are spectators. This is due to two things mainly. The ministry is in the hands of a chosen few that are not reproducing so they hold on to the ministry as “their’ ministry which is quite foreign to the New Testament teaching or they are so busy working and making the dollar in other words serving mammon they don’t have time to serve God beyond the Sunday morning meeting and an occasional one here and there.

In other words, we are running with the hounds and we are no different to the world.

Jesus came to establish an alternative kingdom but if those that are part of it still have one foot in the other one which they are supposed to have left, or only pay a visit occasionally how can we convince the world that it is worth giving up for the kingdom of God.

Now more than ever, we need God’s people to look again at what is the kingdom of God and what does it mean to be a part of it because we sure ain’t doing it justice at the moment? Whilst we are in our present state, the inner man which is the most important part of us will live an impoverished life devoid of spiritual power and passion.