Is it a Christian Rock Concert?
“I was so pumped. The place was just rockin’ for the Lord. The drummer was amazing. The whole band was crazy good. Like, the lead guitarist was like an Eddie Van Halen or Jimi Hendrix. They had the whole congregation on their feet, clapping and dancing. I thought some people were going to lose it. By the end of the second song, people were shouting: ‘Praise the Lord,’ jumping up and down and laughing hysterically. The place was so alive. I had shivers. You could just feeeeeeel the Lord. You sure wouldn’t call it a dead church.”
After an experience like that everything would seem dead or at least dying to…. to whom? To those who may be dead themselves or dying spiritually. For many, an experience like that is the closest thing they’ve found to the ‘joy of the Lord’ referred to in the Word of God.
“The joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Nehemiah 8:10
Ezra and some others walked out on to the stage in
. No it wasn’t a Christian rock concert – but the Square was packed. The crowd stood to their feet when Ezra opened God’s book. Ezra prayed and all the people said: “Amen, Amen.” The people themselves paused with their heads bent towards the ground in prayer, anxious to hear the Word of God read and explained so they could obey it.
Look at that young father over there. His face is soaking wet with tears. The little boy he’s holding doesn’t understand what’s going on. The young girl with the red hair keeps wiping her eyes.
In fact, it seemed like everyone was broken and crying as their hearts melted in contrition and repentance at the Word of God.
Talented people can whip up frothy excitement the same way fizz is produced in a can of soda or pop. Once the stage production ends the fizz fizzles.
The genuine joy of the Lord is a Christian’s strength – everything else is a poor and short-lived imitation. The joy of the Lord comes from a daily intimate and humble walk with the Lord. Joy is the result of:
- a clear conscience after sin has been confessed;
- a real-life obedience to the Word of God; and
- a daily focus on pleasing and knowing Christ more and more.
How do you get your highs? Do you need a lot of excitement to keep you going? Or is enjoying Christ and quietly feeding on His Word and prayerfully submitting to it and surrendering to His Will and serving Him the activities that give you deepest and most enduring joy?
Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today.
Warmly in Christ
Peter Ramsay