The Main Attraction At Church

The Main Attraction At Church

We need to allow God to become the main attraction at church once again. Let us as worshippers and leaders become tireless in our insistence that the church is for God, about God, through God, and for the glory of His Son - Jesus Christ!

Are there any other individuals that are as hungry for this type of verticality as I am? Every person longs for "transcendence." God placed that desire within every person. It is the "God-shaped" vacuum! This cavity of the soul requires attention and filling! Solomon was crushed by the realization that on his own he could not fashion a happiness or satisfaction that would endure beyond the momentary. Listen to his confession in Ecclesiastes 3:11 "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also he has put eternity in man's heart…" If there was ever a man that attempted to find satisfaction down every road that life offered, it was Solomon. Ecclesiastes documents Solomon's quest for pleasure, constructing a palace that it took your breath away, collecting jewels, and other possessions. He enjoyed a lifestyle of the rich and famous.

If that kind of wealth and horizontal satisfaction was the ultimate fulfillment in life then why did he pen the following words; "So I hated life, because of what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and striving after the wind." Ecclesiastes 2:17. Solomon discovered what so many fail to see in history - there is a repetitive loop of personal futility  of believing that pursuing the horizontal will fill the empty cavity of our soul. Finally Solomon testifies that God had placed eternity into man. What is eternity? Eternity is a deep abiding sense of something outside the boundaries of our senses. Our consciousness of God is part of our nature, and the  suppression of it is part of our sin. Romans 1:18-21 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened."

We long for transcendence/eternity but we cannot find it! The implications of Solomon's statement in Ecclesiastes 3:11 are staggering; people are looking for the eternity that God created for them to long for, but they cannot find it on their own. C.S. Lewis stated it this way; "…the infinite relief of having once got rid of the silly nonsense about your own dignity which has made you restless and unhappy all your life." [C.S. Lewis, "Mere Christianity," (Simon & Schuster: Touchstone, 1996) p114]. Transcendence is a healthy dose of insignificance to humanity whose root sin is PRIDE! Transcendence cuts us down to our proper size before an awesome God The fact that you and I are are not significant is a wonderful freeing discovery and that is what the church is for (James McDonald - Vertical Church).

I experience "transcendence" when:

•   something infinite reminds me I am finite

•   all that is knowable reminds me how little I am

•   I accept One who exists outside the boundaries of human knowing, who calls me to bow down and serve Him as the true Center of the universe