An evil is in the professed camp of the Lord, so gross in its impudence that even the blind can hardly fail to notice it during the last few years. It has developed at an abnormal rate, even for evil. It has worked like leaven until the whole lump ferments. The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the church that part of her mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them.
From speaking out as the Puritans did, the church has gradually toned down her testimony, then winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. Then she tolerated them in her borders. Now she has adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses.
My first contention is that providing entertainment for the people is nowhere spoken of in the Scriptures as a function of the church. If it is a Christian work, why did Christ not speak of it? “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15) That is clear enough. So it would have been if He had added, “and provide amusement for those who do not relish the Gospel.” No such words, however, are to be found. It did not seem to occur to Him.
Then again, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers… for the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:11-12). Where are the entertainers? The Holy Spirit is silent about them. Were the prophets persecuted because they entertained the people or because they refused? The concert has no martyrs.
Furthermore, providing amusement is in direct antagonism to the teaching and life of Christ and all his apostles. What was the attitude of the Church to the world? “You are the salt,” not the sugar candy—something the world will spit out, not swallow. Sharp and to the point was the preaching: “Let the dead bury their dead.” (Matthew 8:22) His was a tremendous earnestness.
If Christ had introduced more bright and pleasant elements into His mission, He would have been more popular when they turned away from Him because of the searching nature of His teachings. I do not hear Him saying, “Run after these people, Peter, and tell them we will have a different style of service tomorrow, something short and attractive with little preaching. We shall have a pleasant evening for the people. Tell them they will be sure to enjoy it. Be quick, Peter, we must get the people somehow!” Jesus pitied sinners, sighed and weaned over them, but He never sought to amuse them.
In vain will the epistles be searched to find any trace of this gospel of entertainment! Their message is, “Come out, be separate, stand aloof!” The absence of anything approaching jesting is conspicuous. They had boundless confidence in the Gospel and employed no other weapon.
After Peter and John had been arrested for preaching the Gospel, the church had a prayer meeting, but they did not pray, “Lord grant unto thy servants that by a wise and discerning use of innocent recreation we may show these people how happy we are.” If they had ceased from preaching Christ, they had no time for arranging entertainments. Scattered by persecution, they went everywhere preaching the gospel. They turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). That is the difference! Lord clear the church of all the rubbish that the devil has imposed upon her, and bring us back to apostolic methods.
Lastly, the mission of entertainment fails to effect the desired end. It works havoc among the young converts. Let the careless and scoffers, who thank God because the church met them halfway, speak and testify. Let the oppressed who found peace through a concert not keep silent! Let the drunkard to whom the dramatic entertainment was a link in the chain of their conversion stand up! No one will answer. The mission of entertainment does not produce converts. The immediate need of the ministry today is belief in the combined wisdom with true spirituality, one springing from the other as fruit from the root. The need is biblical doctrine, so understood and felt, that sets men on fire.
