Ask Your Preacher - Archives

Ask Your Preacher - Archives

“The Church Of Me”

Categories: PREACHING/TEACHING, RELIGIONS, THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH, WORSHIP
I am not very religious.  I'm a science major, and my mind tends to go with science over religion.  But I enjoy church and the community and family feeling it gives.  I love choir and have been singing forever and would like to sing for a church.  I love how church helps people and makes it easier to get involved.  The problem is that I do not enjoy the sermon part of going to church.  Are there churches out there that have all the qualities I want without the long, drawn-out sermon that I cannot get my head into?  A place that is, essentially, church with all things (God included) but without so much pressure to believe in one thing?  A place where I can still believe in God but let it be okay that I am very skeptical?  I go once in a while but can't continue because I very much dislike the sermon.  I don't like the praying or the feeling that I have to join in.  What should I do?

Sincerely,
Quasi-Christian

Dear Quasi-Christian,

You should decide whether you are going to believe in God or not.  You state that you want to go somewhere where you can “believe in God but let it be okay that I am very skeptical.”  That is a self-contradicting statement.  It is akin to saying, “I’d like to be hot… but still cold” (which in the end, makes you lukewarm – Rev 3:16).  It is unfortunate that we live in a world that teaches us that religion is mostly about how it makes us feel – this is false.  Religion only has meaning when it is based upon conviction; otherwise, we might as well just join a club or other social organization.

We would challenge you that you don’t have to choose religion over science – we certainly didn’t.  The battle isn’t between God and science; it is between evolutionists and preachers.  God, His Bible, and science are in perfect harmony.  There are mountains of scientific evidence that God exists and that evolution is false.  We would highly recommend that you read the posts in our EVIDENCES category of the archives.  We would also recommend that you spend some time reading books like Evidence That Demands A Verdict by Josh McDowell, Case For A Creator by Lee Strobel, and Has God Spoken? by A.O. Schnabel.  We would also recommend the website www.answersingenesis.org and the movie "Expelled" by Ben Stein.  Take the time to make serious inquiry into this subject – it is the most important topic you will ever research!

The reason you don’t like the sermons is because you don’t think they apply to you.  You are skeptical that the Bible is really from God.  If the Bible isn’t from God, you shouldn’t waste your time with the church (1 Cor 15:13-14).  If the Bible is from God, you need the sermons to help mold and teach you.  If God really is, you need to become the person God intends for you to be… if not, forget the “church thing”.