What's Christian camp for?

Imagine that you have signed up for a tennis camp that says it will turn you into the next Roger Federer, Nadal or Sharapova (or at least try to). So you eagerly go there with your racquet in tow and your best tennis sneakers ready to learn how to hit scorching forehands down the lines and the intricacies of a serve-and-volley game

Now, assume that when you get there this is the schedule you get:

1) 3 hours on the badminton court..
2) A trip to the closest town to buy souveniers...
3) Loads of fun in a swimming pool, and a seminar on aqua aerobics..
4) An intense 3 hour session on how a tennis ball is made, plus a trip to a tennis ball making factory

And so on...

You would feel pretty ripped off, woudn't you? Presumably, the time spent might be fun, enjoyable and relaxing..but it's not what you're supposed to be doing.

None of those things make you a better tennis player.

The prime reason you wanted to go for this camp was to have hours of gruelling sessions hitting thousands of balls. You needed seminars on court tactics with your double's partner. And everyone wanted to attend those talks on better body mechanics on a service motion. Essentially, you wanted to become a better tennis player, and you payed money and sacrificed time for the opportunity to learn to be one

By now my point is pretty clear. Christian camps that don't do what they are supposed to do, that is - preach the gospel, make disciples of men and women and teach them how to be more like Christ should not be in the game of holding Christian camps. You can call it a motivational, spiritual, get to know your inner hurt child camp but once you remove the 'Christ' from the 'Christian' part..it's as good as if you never put that in the first place

All those points in 1 to 4 are in themselves relatively benign, or even good. But they are not what part of those things that should constitute a tennis camp because they add nothing of value. It's like what one of my tennis coaches used to say to me when I asked him how to get better. He said:

" Hit balls. Lots and lots of balls."

So, this is one of the way to become a better follower of Christ. Read the Word. Lots and lots of the Word. Pray to God. Pray lots and lots to God. And this is what you should be getting in a Christian camp. Lots and lots of what you should be getting

SDG

Leading Worship: It's all about the gospel

I had a great worship session this morning.

After practice the previous night, I was kind of wondering how it would go; but it went much, much better than what I was expecting. Of course, there a few snafu's here and there but for they were not of earth shattering consequence, in my opinion.

Most of all, I hope the gospel was proclaimed in worship today. It's nice if I hear that someone told me they enjoyed worship, but it would absolutely thrill me if they told me that the gospel message reached them. And that Christ Jesus was proclaimed in song today.

That would be nice. Really, really nice

Getting it the first time

Sometimes when I take a friend to hear a good sermon from a speaker I highly regard, it stumps me when that person doesn't react as passionately as I would have expected. At times, I want to say: "Are you made of stone?!? Doesn't what he said move you in any way?". In my less charitable moments, I am likely to dismiss that person as one who is not in the rarified circle of those elite who "get it"

Now this might work two ways and I too have been on the receiving end as well. Quite a few times, I've sat stone faced through a sermon when all around me, people are guffawing and rolling in the aisles with laughter. And on certain occasions, I can almost sense the same condenscention directed my way as I have done to others.

Maybe one's man's meat is another man's poison. After all, it all comes down to personal preference and mood right? The latter is important, to be true. How often have we gone to a church service and while the worship was good, the sermon was God glorifying and the whole service honoured the Lord; you were in a different world thinking about something else? It happens

But it's not an excuse when the Gospel is preached. When the emphasis is not on the techniques of motivating presentation and all expositing the Word, I must say that at that time, irregardless of mood or frame of mind or whatever; the Gospel must pierce. How deep is a matter for debate. Either you have harderned your heart or God has harderned it for his purpose, the lukewarm response is no response at all. It doesn't have to move you to drop to your knees in repentance (although should you be so moved to, it is not a bad thing), nor should you have to shout "Yes! Preach it, brother!!" at the top of your voice. But it should speak to you. And it can't be ignored

If your father speaks to you, no matter how you feel at that time; you have to respond. And if the Father speaks to you through his word, there is no way you can hear the words: "Jesus died for your sins" and not be affected..unless you are not of the elect

Of course, it is not for me to say who is and who is not. I could very well type these words now and years from now, be the equivalent of the son of perdition. I pray to God I hope not. But I might also be a layabout in the faith, and suddenly die as one who God knows and loves. It is possible for in God, all things are possible

However, this does not excuse a non-response. Once the gospel is heard, you must react. Even if you get angry at it, the reaction shows that it has done it's work as a spear to your conscience. But not to move as a result, it is a dangerous thing indeed, my friend