{"id":166,"asset_id":336,"title":"Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats","alias":"feeding-sheep-or-amusing-goats","introtext":"<h2>Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats<\/h2>\r\n<p>My first contention is that providing amusement for the people is nowhere spoken of in the Scriptures as a function of the church. If it is a Christian work, why did not Christ speak of it? \u201cGo ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature\u201d (Mark 16:15). That is clear enough So it would have been if He had added, \u201cand provide amusement for those who do not relish the gospel.\u201d No such words, however, are to be found. It did not seem to occur to him.<\/p>\r\n<p>Then again, \u201cHe gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers, for the work of the ministry\u201d (Eph. 4:11-12). Where do entertainers come in? The Holy Spirit is silent concerning them. Were the prophets persecuted because they amused the people or because they refused? The concert has no martyr roll.<\/p>\r\n<p>Again, 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? Ye are the salt\u201d (Matt. 5:13), not the sugar candy \u2013 something the world will spit out not swallow. Short and sharp was the utterance, \u201cLet the dead bury their dead\u201d (Matt. 8:22) He was in awful earnestness.<\/p>\r\n<p>Had Christ introduced more of the bright and pleasant elements into his mission, he would have been more popular when they went back, because of the searching nature of His teaching. I do not hear him say, \u201cRun after these people Peter and tell them we will have a different style of service tomorrow, something short and attractive with little preaching. We will 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.\u201d Jesus pitied sinners, sighed and wept over them, but never sought to amuse them.<\/p>\r\n<p>In vain will the Epistles be searched to find any trace of this gospel of amusement! Their message is, \u201cCome out, keep out, keep clean out!\u201d Anything approaching fooling is conspicuous by its absence. They had boundless confidence in the gospel and employed no other weapon.<\/p>\r\n<p>After Peter and John were locked up for preaching, the church had a prayer meeting but they did not pray, \u201cLord grant unto thy servants that by a wise and discriminating use of innocent recreation we may show these people how happy we are.\u201d If they ceased not from preaching Christ, they had not 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 only difference! Lord, clear the church of all the rot and rubbish the devil has imposed on her, and bring us back to apostolic methods.<\/p>\r\n<p>Lastly, the mission of amusement fails to effect the end desired. It works havoc among young converts. Let the careless and scoffers, who thank God because the church met them halfway, speak and testify. Let the heavy laden who found peace through the concert not keep silent! Let the drunkard to whom the dramatic entertainment has been God\u2019s link in the chain of the conversion, stand up! There are none to answer. The mission of amusement produces no converts. The need of the hour for today\u2019s ministry is believing scholarship joined with earnest spirituality, the one springing from the other as fruit from the root. The need is biblical doctrine, so understood and felt, that it sets men on fire.<\/p>","fulltext":"","state":1,"catid":"23","created":"2020-11-05 14:43:52","created_by":"873","created_by_alias":"","modified":"2020-11-05 14:43:52","modified_by":null,"checked_out":null,"checked_out_time":null,"publish_up":"2020-11-05 14:43:52","publish_down":"0000-00-00 00:00:00","images":"{\"image_intro\":\"\",\"float_intro\":\"\",\"image_intro_alt\":\"\",\"image_intro_caption\":\"\",\"image_fulltext\":\"\",\"float_fulltext\":\"\",\"image_fulltext_alt\":\"\",\"image_fulltext_caption\":\"\"}","urls":"{\"urla\":false,\"urlatext\":\"\",\"targeta\":\"\",\"urlb\":false,\"urlbtext\":\"\",\"targetb\":\"\",\"urlc\":false,\"urlctext\":\"\",\"targetc\":\"\"}","attribs":"{\"article_layout\":\"\",\"show_title\":\"\",\"link_titles\":\"\",\"show_tags\":\"\",\"show_intro\":\"\",\"info_block_position\":\"\",\"info_block_show_title\":\"\",\"show_category\":\"\",\"link_category\":\"\",\"show_parent_category\":\"\",\"link_parent_category\":\"\",\"show_associations\":\"\",\"show_author\":\"\",\"link_author\":\"\",\"show_create_date\":\"\",\"show_modify_date\":\"\",\"show_publish_date\":\"\",\"show_item_navigation\":\"\",\"show_icons\":\"\",\"show_print_icon\":\"\",\"show_email_icon\":\"\",\"show_vote\":\"\",\"show_hits\":\"\",\"show_noauth\":\"\",\"urls_position\":\"\",\"alternative_readmore\":\"\",\"article_page_title\":\"\",\"show_publishing_options\":\"\",\"show_article_options\":\"\",\"show_urls_images_backend\":\"\",\"show_urls_images_frontend\":\"\"}","version":1,"ordering":null,"metakey":"","metadesc":"","access":"1","hits":null,"metadata":"{\"robots\":\"\",\"author\":\"\",\"rights\":\"\",\"xreference\":\"\"}","featured":"0","language":"*","xreference":"","note":""}