The so-called “worship” of today is external and spectacular; it is not as it should be, internal and reverent. Many feel that they must have a large, expensive, elaborate, and spectacular building, and a proper clergyman all arrayed in his ornamental robes before they can worship. While in fact, the very opposite is true. This preoccupation with money and material things has played a large part in the decline of real, spiritual worship today (Mark 4:19). The Lord Jesus Himself vividly describes the modern church for us in the Book of Revelation. He speaks there to the modern church of our day, saying, “I know your works that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot; so then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew (vomit) you out of my mouth. Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods and have need of nothing; and do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked” (Revelation 3:15-17). Here our Lord describes the actual spiritual condition of today’s church; it is in reality, like a blind beggar, destitute, clad in rags and lost! Christ’s flock (His people) is called in scripture “little flock,” (Luke 12:32). This little flock is not to be found meeting in these large, materialistic, money grubbing synagogues of Satan. Knowing that the love of money is the root of all evil (I Timothy 6:10), those who are saved will have nothing to do with these spiritually dead congregations who worship their materialism. True believers set their affections on things above (Christ and His glory), not on the things of this earth (Colossians 3:2). The house of God is not so much brick and mortar stacked together in ornate edifices or stately buildings. The house of God is where God meets with His people. The church of the living God is the assembly of Christ with His people. Our Lord prayed and preached in private dwellings, and in the open air, on the mountain side and in a fishing boat, as well as in the temple or synagogues. While it is well enough that churches have good buildings, it was not till the end of the third century that Christians had edifices expressly reared for their public worship. Nothing makes any place sacred but the divine presence. There is far too much emphasis put on buildings today and not enough upon the divine presence. This came to be the sad case with the nation of Israel in the days of their apostasy. And the prophet Hosea declared this indictment by the word of the Lord saying “For Israel hath forgotten his Maker and buildeth temples” (Hosea 8:14). Our blessed Lord assures His own that where two or three are gathered in His name, He is there. How sad that so many churches are more concerned for crowds, money and elaborate buildings than they are for the presence of our blessed Christ:. For this end many unscriptural methods have been adopted for the promotion of man-made programs and fleshly entertainment. The state of the Laodicean Church has developed; apostasy has taken hold and judgment is at hand.
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