Entertaining God

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Michael Blue on December 3, 2008 at 1:10am

I'm torn on this issue. On the surface; your ideals are absolutely correct. However, is there a difference between entertaining God and outreach? How many of the lost would be attracted to and converted by the type of service you describe? Should there be different types of services for different purposes? Or should be balance all aspects of what a "church service" can achieve, and blend them into one service?

I'm not claiming to know the answers...Only asking more of them. :)

Good topic!

~M

Permalink Reply by Ray Watson - The Secret Place on December 3, 2008 at 3:33am

I agree Michael, different courses for different horses. I think we try and squeeze too much out of a single service, and a different focus for a meeting will naturally determine the nature of it. An outreach meeting will no doubt be quite different from a worship service. I guess my comment is meant as a general perspective on the state of the "church" when it comes to entertainment oriented programs rather than God-seeking services.

Permalink Reply by Maureen on February 25, 2009 at 7:27pm

We are now offering 2 services in the week; Sunday is a time of corporate worship and instruction, an equipping of the saints to do God's work, time, and Wednesdays is true immersion worship totally in the spirit, we have a list but don't always get to it and often go on tangents where the spirit leads. Wed is a smaller group, more mature believers, we are often led to intervention or one-on-one prayer. last week we were led to anoint prayer cloths and pray over each person who received it. Very powerful but I am not sure this will work as we grow. We are a small church only about 120 families and just over a year old. We have even had times on Wed. where the worship leader has been given a prophetic song from the Lord and as he learns it the congregation does too. Talk about possibilities for confusion but The Holy Spirit pulls it and us all together. We just have to remain obedient, and out of the flesh! God be Praised we just need to stay in the Light and connect with the Holy Spirit, not just during 'Worship' times but always!

Permalink Reply by Justin Kirkendall on December 3, 2008 at 3:19am

I see Michael's point.
Sometimes in our quest to be initimate with the Lord- we lose half of the people sitting in the pews on a given service time because they haven't even started their spiritual walk yet- so how do you balance that? Outreach ministry for the unsaved/carnal believer? and then Deep Intimacy/Entertaining God for the more mature/spiritual believers?

We have tried to do a service where it's just for intimacy/worship/prayer/entertaining God but some people just think it's something to take up another day of the week- so I just have those times :) by myself

Permalink Reply by Michael Blue on December 3, 2008 at 3:43am

This is a model I've seen used a few times, and I can see the meaning behind it, but I don't know how I feel about it, really.

Sunday morning has 2 services; a "seeker" service full of videos, skits, more "secular" sounding music, etc, and a "light" alter call, if any...Followed by the "discipleship" service for believers, which is more like what most of us experience on a Sunday morning...Praise and worship, testimonies, a word and ministry time.

It seems to work well, until people get caught up in the social aspect of church and don't "graduate" to the 2nd service on their own timing; but with their friends.

I think this is one of the reasons for so many different approaches; we get to see what works and what may not; and some things may be for a place and a time, but not for our place at this time...Who knows. :)

~M

Permalink Reply by David Goodwin on December 3, 2008 at 5:30am

This is a great topic. And I'm not sure I have anything fresh to add that Michael and Justin haven't said below either. Just to say that I really believe, in most cases, by the time people have made the step to actually entering the church, they are usually much more open than the "churched" are ready for.

In my experience, there has usually been so much personal seed-planting & watering, that when they step through the doors, they want to see God move, and not be entertained.

Have we become scared that we might lose people at the expense of losing God from our meetings?

That said, we also need keep in mind what Paul wrote about using tongues with wisdom, etc. Indeed, all the gifts and fruits should be used with wisdom, of course!

Anyway, bless you guys - and may the Holy Spirit keep on messing with the song list!

Permalink Reply by Ray Watson - The Secret Place on December 3, 2008 at 9:01am

Thanks for your input David........ and while we're on the song list thing....
I had dream years ago, and I saw myself in a circle with a group of other ministers, and one of them asked me, "what is the key to the anointing on your song leading?" I heard myself say, " I don't just use songs, I let songs be used." The room grew quiet and I new I had just said something profound. That dream changed the way I lead song services. I come to church with my list, but I am sensitive to the fact that the Holy Spirit is the divine conductor of the service, and at any moment He can change the songs, or whatever is supposed to happen in the service. And He does. It really messes things up. I don't think alot of churches could handle that right now. So we do church without Him.

Permalink Reply by Todd Vaters on February 13, 2009 at 3:28pm

Wow! Very profounds. By posting this you may have just fulfilled the dream. :o) Not that it's the first time you have told the story (or so I imagine).

Permalink Reply by Joseph Roth on December 3, 2008 at 9:21am

RAY! Way cool. One of the things we do at our church is have a prayer and discusion time before we practice. WHY? Because it allows us to open up to him and what he wants not what we want. We also have to be at church an hour earlier than the rest of the congregation for prayer. That helps us to stay focused on him and not entertaining. I am waiting for the day when the music ends and he takes over and what do you know, no preaching. HMMM!

Permalink Reply by BRENDA HATRIDGE on January 27, 2009 at 1:39am

Had to read everyone's comments till I could respond. As a worship leader in a small church, I spend days in fasting and prayer, and ask the Lord what is it He would have me sing and when i have one or two songs , the rest I leave to the Leading of the Spirit, i sing unto the Lord and as it overflows to those standing amongest the pews the Spirit of the Lord moves, now three services in a row, my voice was scratchy, it seemed in the flesh everything was wrong, so I closed my eyes and pressed forward, so I wouldn't be distracted , and when I opened my eyes, my back was to the people, some were running the isles , some slain in the Spirit and some were weeping and some recieved there healing and Pastor never did preach, we just continued to go with the Spirits lead. I too recieved my healing of diabetes and next service I sang look what the Lord has done and again the same reaction, Praise God revival is here. He is opening up heaven's gates and windows for those called by His name. It is all in Him and all about Him. May the Lord bless each one of you above all you have asked of Him and beyond your wildest imaginations, ( according to the power within you) Seeing souls saved and lives changed and allowing God to use you as His instruments. Have been in a variety of services and churches - if we aren't careful as worship leaders or worshippers, we can worhip the music and not the Lord, everyone needs to keep their hearts in check. I had to leave one church some 27 years ago, not to say the more contemparay music is wrong, but.. for this service and this church it was . We were in the middle of a service and the praise singers we doing a great job , I was not leading at that time , I was just a worhipper, again my eyes were closed, because I block out all that is about me, and focus just on Jesus, when I heard the Lord face say , " daughter, daughter, " I said "yes! Lord" and He said, " who amongest you is worshipping me, I opened my eyes and started crying ," no one but... me Lord" because although some were shouting and raising their hands, I realized they were worshipping the music and not the Lord, I knew then it was time for me to move on and seek the Lord for a new home church were I could get feed. Not that there was anything wrong per say in that church but... I had matured and needed more spiritually, I no longer needed to be entertained or follow others , I could bask in His presence on my own. But... I have loved and appreciated all the levels of God and only hunger and thrist for more , for His knowledge and wisdom and love is never ending, we will never arrive to the finish line till we are presently with Him in eternity. Prayerfully yours, Sister Brenda Hatridge Glory to His Name .

Permalink Reply by ~Gentle Rain~ on December 3, 2008 at 3:30pm

"My house shall be called a house of prayer"

Music is inspired by God, the words we write are inspired by Him alone, therefore, to me, Music is prayer. One can get just as lost in the musical word as any spoken prayer. God speaks many languages.. He reaches all thru different means. Music is a language in itself. We as God's servants can not reach all people, we can only offer what we feel He has sent. He will reach them, either thru quiet times, spoken word, or the music He has given us to share. I feel we do what we think He wants of us, and He will handle the rest.

Anyway, that is one person's take on it anyway.

take care... and know.. I care

Mare
aka: ~Gentle Rain~

Permalink Reply by Brannon Mooney on December 3, 2008 at 9:22pm

Ray... it seems to me you have chosen the better thing. Out of relationship we are continually filled ... and that can't help but spill over onto everyone the Lord leads us to encounter. " 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty." Zech 4:6 The only one who truly attracts, changes, reveals and reconciles people to Christ is the Spirit of God. I'm just dust and completely a disaster or worse - dangerous! on my own strength. So, at the risk of sounding completely naive... and tossing the practicality of schedules to the wind... I'd rather dwell there exclusively!

What David Goodwin said " Have we become scared that we might lose people at the expense of losing God from our meetings?" -- wow that hit's home... I'm not sure, but doesn't a line of thinking that caters to comfort goes straight down the road of the lukewarm church...??

So I pray that God will help make room where he wills for corporate times of dwelling... And that he would call other's like the Rivera's, the IHOPs, and yourself to teach and lead us to the throne room, unhurried, and completely yielded to him. He know's all about time constraints.. right! He's the author of time! He's always right on time... and I have NEVER EVER experienced a time in worship when yielding to the Lord was a wrong course of action.

Maybe the concern some may have is that there is a tendency to chase after the emotional "exeriences" or "manifestations" instead of seeking God truly (all of him, his correction, his sufferings, etc.) I suppose that's a danger -- just relying of the "feelings" of the experience instead of the deeper realities of faith... I dunno.

I just remember a time quite a while ago where I went to lead worship for an inner city church for the homeless. ... and we just barely started our first song and we all suddenly stopped.... it was as the Lord had stepped in the room. Then the keyboard player dwelled on ONE chord ... and the Lord powerfully ministered. I sang out just once something like "the spirit of the Lord is here..." just once .. and we were all floored in awe by the presence of God. What more could we ask for?? The rest was simply our souls lifting in love like a child to the most high God while He powerfully ministered.

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