A Simple Guide to Doing Church Right

But first, how to do it wrong...

A recent headline reads as follows... “College Park Church in Indianapolis, Indiana Hosts Mega Booze and Cigar Festival for ‘Man’s Night’... the men of the Church and their guests are invited to three separate guy’s fun nights throughout the coming months”. (Source)

As you can see from the flyer below, while this Church won’t be serving any “adult beverages”, but attendees are welcome to bring “any sort” they please, and “many other men” will be doing the same.

One writer put it this way, and I share their sentiment... “I’m not going to attempt to make a theological case against alcohol as there is simply no way to justify from Scripture that having a drink now and again is sinful. The Bible simply does not teach this. It does, however, teach against drunkenness, and it does teach that even though some things are permissible, they may not always be beneficial.” (Source)

Tell me, what in the blank does throwing a huge fraternity party with adult beverages allowed have to do with sharing God’s Word?

In an effort to reach out to men (and women) these days, a growing number of Churches are foolishly falling all over themselves to look more and more like the unsaved world... instead of a place to gain knowledge of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. There is a disturbing trend of increasing acceptance of values and lifestyles that conform to the norms of the unsaved world and not those found in the Bible. Paul put it this way in his letter to the Romans...

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

Nearly a century ago (1927), Henry H. Halley wrote Halley’s Bible Handbook. In it, he describes how “church” should be conducted. His instruction, beginning on page 814, is timeless:

“A simple suggestion... That each Church have a congregational plan of Bible reading, and that the Pastors’ sermon be from the part of the Bible read the past week... thus connecting the pastor’s preaching with the people’s Bible reading. This suggestion, if followed, would, beyond any doubt whatsoever, produce a revitalized church. Provided, of course, the pastor himself thoroughly believes in the Bible as God’s Word and puts his heart into the effort.

The Church and the Bible go together. The Church exists to proclaim and exalt the Christ of the Bible and nothing else. A church that does not enthrone the Bible in the lives of its people is false to its mission. The Bible is not just sort of a text or pretext book for preachers and teachers. It is a book for the people. All the people and preachers and teachers who build upon any other foundation must not be surprised if their work in the end proves to be very superficial.”

On the next page, Halley goes on to say... “I marvel that the Church people are so indifferent to and neglectful of the book that tells them about their Savior. But I marvel more that Church leaders are doing so little about it. Unquestionably the most fatal weakness of the present day church is the lack of leadership in the pulpit on this one point of guiding and leading the people into the one habit that is a source and basis of everything the Church exists to accomplish in its people.”

It should be apparent to all by now that the way of the secular (non-Christian) world has led individual families and our country headlong down the path of spiritual destruction. As long as church leaders try “creative marketing” instead of God’s way, the men of their churches will continue to be influenced by the world’s lies. They will never discover the difference between the wisdom of God and the foolishness of man. Any and all Church-sponsored men’s events should include some amount of time for sharing the Word of God or seeking His wisdom in an opening prayer. Only in that way can such men effectively lead their families as commanded by Scripture.

I wonder if College Park Church has liquor liability insurance...

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