The Church and the Second Law of Thermodynamics

One thing that church history teaches us is that nothing remains static in the life of the church.  There is always change and development, and, as happens in nature and in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics, left to its own everything tends towards decay and degeneration.  The same happens within the life of the church.  Here we see the results of sin and the fall on mankind.  Sin is degenerative, so this is the tendency within the church's life.

Few see this, of course.  The many, on the other hand, believe that "every day and in every way we are getting better and better."  Because the churches have more 'evangelical' ministers today, things are on the up.  But right from NT times, the apostles had to warn the churches of heresies and false doctrine propagated by false prophets.  Paul warned about wolves coming in sheep's clothing.  He spoke about false prophets from among their own number coming in to lead the people away from Christ and the Gospel.  That warning still stands, but the churches do not listen or believe what Paul was saying.  They actually welcome and embrace and protect false prophets within their ranks.  There is pride in what is called a 'broad church.'

But, and here's the vital point, the changes introduced by the false prophets masquerading as 'evangelicals' are so subtle that none but the most alert recognise what is happening.  At one time, services of worship were conducted in a reverent and dignified way, and solemnity marked all that was done.  This was true even in non-christian congregations.  There was a gravitas about what was being done, and everybody accepted this as right and proper.

But today, evangelicals have been at the forefront of subtly introducing changes into church worship that no one dared to question it.  It was being done by evangelicals so it must be OK.  And church members and elders simply went along with it.  The message is still the same even though we have changed the method of presenting that message.  We still preach the Gospel, but our dependence is more on powerpoint than on God the Holy Spirit.  We still sing the old worship songs and hymns and psalms, but we prefer the new one with their heavy drum beat, loud pounding of the piano, and tunes that are all but impossible to sing.  That's not to mention the theology that is taught through these (often) terrible songs.  But we still preach the Gospel.

Then there is the almost endless singing that goes on - to such an extent that worshippers become intoxicated with singing that they are no longer able to hear the message - if there is one.  There is also the terrible practice in some evangelical churches of singing the Psalms at such a slow pace that it can take up to ten minutes to sing Ps.23.  It's terrible.  And I often wonder what the Lord thinks of such deadly singing, for it hardly brings any glory to Him.

Yes, we may have introduced drama as a means of presenting the Gospel, but the Gospel is still being preached.  And we like to hear personal stories, testimonies they're called, and these last about 25 minutes so that the time for preaching is reduced; but there has been no change in what we stand for - the Gospel.

The litany could go on much longer, but I think you get the point.  You might be asking where this approach to Christian things emanated from, and you'd be right to ask.  Within the last 150 years, we have seen subtle theological changes that have come in from Germany where matters deemed to be circumferential have been tampered with, thus introducing theological rot into theological thinking.  Scholars denied the historicity of OT narratives, but emphasised the importance of the message that they obtain.  It's the message that is crucial and as long as you have the message, it matters little if the story that contains the message is factual.

And men fell for that lie!  Theological students who were being trained for the Christian ministry were contaminated by this garbage, and then spread it through their congregations with the result that what was left of a faith was based, not on historical fact but on an educated man's opinions.  Slowly this trend continued, and those promoting it assured the church that they were evangelicals.  But alas, the results are clear to be seen.  The church was started on a slippery downward trend, and no one saw what was happening.  But we still preach the Gospel.

Things are happening within the church; but are they good things that are happening?  Are deeper Christians, more spiritual people, being produced by today's church?  Where are the truly godly men and women that we read about in books?  Where are the men and women of conviction who once shook the world?  Where are the men who despised the world for the sake of knowing Jesus?  Where are they?  The Tozers, Ryles, McCheynes, Lloyd-Jones, Edwards, Calamys, Davenants, Baxters, Calvins, Luthers, Latimer's, Ridleys, Cranmers.

The church has created the conditions in which such men cannot be produced. thing.  If God has withdrawn from the church, then the spiritual equivalent of the Second Law of Thermodynamics will work itself out, and the church will tend towards its own disintergration. 

And woe betide those who did that very evil thing!