While convenience is a good thing, it is meant to enhance one’s commitment to God and the church, rather than replace it. In last week’s sermon, Pastor Aries encouraged the church to return to the heart of true and proper worship.
“Do we still believe in the house of God? Do we still regard coming together in the house of God as important?”
Over the weekend of 24 and 25 September at City Harvest Church, executive pastor Aries Zulkarnain posed these searching questions to the congregation. As the church has resumed full on-site services, the church leadership has been encouraging members to return to the house of God.
“Please do not think that we want you to come back in order to make up the attendance,” Pastor Aries clarified. “One of the reasons that we are encouraging you to come back into this community, into the house of God, is to ensure that we don’t replace community with self-directed religion.”
Apostle Paul gave a warning against the same danger to the Colossian church in Colossians 2:8-10 and 23. He told them to guard against self-imposed and self-directed religion. Pastor Aries continued by explaining that Christians were not meant to grow in isolation where there is a lack of accountability to others. It is accountability that keeps a Christian’s spiritual lives aligned with God.
In both John 2:13-15 and Matthew 21:12, Jesus cleansed the temple from traders who had turned the place of worship into a place to profit. Pastor Aries explained that Jesus placed great importance on keeping the House of God holy and pure.
By extension, 1 Corinthians 6:19, reminds Christians that their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, hence, it is important to tend to their spiritual lives, which must also be “cleansed, holy and in proper order”.
Pastor Aries went on to list two key guiding points to keep in one’s spiritual life.
1. MAKE SURE THAT CONVENIENCE HAS NOT REPLACED COMMITMENT
“In the two and a half years of online service, worship has been made convenient for us,” the pastor noted. “But we must ensure that our commitment and our devotion towards God remain true and legit.”
In the days of Jesus, Jews from all over the world would journey to Jerusalem to conduct their pilgrimage. They would have to bring along animals and other items to make an offering. This made their journey difficult and inconvenient.
The merchants tried to make things easier for the pilgrims by setting up stalls along the road to Jerusalem that sold animals. This would ease the burden of the worshipers having to carry their own sacrifice all the way from their hometown.
Later, spurred by potential profits, temple authorities allowed merchants within the temple compounds. “They were willing to compromise on the quality of worship for the sake of convenience,” Pastor Aries pointed out.
While making things convenient is laudable, the pastor reminded the church that convenience is supposed to enhance their commitment to God, rather than replace it. In the case of the temple traders, convenience had replaced commitment. The outer court of the temple where worship was supposed to take place was tarnished by the buying and selling of animals, turning the holy place into a market place.
Likewise, during the pandemic, technology made online services possible, allowing CHC members to continue worshiping weekly despite the physical restrictions. Now that those regulations have eased, it is important to check that convenience has not eclipsed one’s commitment and devotion to God and His house. While some members may believe that they are able to worship God alone at home and yet continue to grow in their spiritual walk, it is also possible that they would end up disconnected from the church community.
Pastor Aries pointed out that Christians today no longer have to do as the pilgrims did, embarking on long journeys to conduct animal sacrifices. “The only thing now is to simply bring yourself to church!” Pastor Aries said. As Romans 12:1 instructs Christians to offer their bodies as a living sacrifice, Pastor Aries encouraged the congregation to show up for on-site services early and actively engage in worship.
Having said that, Pastor Aries also notes that attending services online is not the issue. No matter if the Christian is worshiping online or onsite, they need to have a heart of worship. Pastor Aries acknowledged a member who resides in Melbourne and has been attending church services online. The entire family shows up early for the online service and actively engages in the service from start to finish, standing up and lifting their hands in praise and worship.
Another example of truly “showing up” is a member of the Chinese service, Eric Chua. Despite having contracted tongue cancer 10 years ago and losing the use of his vocal cords, Eric continues to serve as a choir member. The act of true and proper worship is embodied by his entire physical presence—his dancing and lifting of hands. And while he cannot sing, he mouths the lyrics to the worship songs.
The issue with convenience replacing commitment and devotion is that unknowingly, one may start to approach God on their own terms. “You may be inclined towards a practice of faith that is self-directed instead of being Spirit-led,” Pastor Aries warned. Instead of listening to the voice of God, one may start going by their feelings. Yet following Jesus means to do things His ways, and not the way the Christian feels is right.
In fact, this is how the devil distracts and tempts Christians. He tried this even on Jesus (Matt 4:8-10), attempting to convince Him that the cross was too inconvenient, and that Jesus could obtain the world simply by bowing down to him.
However, Jesus knew that beyond fulfilling a task, it was also important to complete it God’s way. “The way of Jesus is never convenient,” Pastor Aries reminded the congregation. He joked that his turn to preach seemed to be scheduled at inconvenient times—last week, he had just had his braces done and had to take painkillers before his sermon because of the ulcers caused by the braces.
“While God’s way is not always the most convenient, it is the way that leads to freedom, grace and victory,” he preached.
Commitment is not just about attending church. It is about being involved and being planted in the community. God wants His people to grow not just individually, but also collectively in the body of Christ (Heb 10:25).
2. WE MUST MAKE SURE CONVENIENCE DOES NOT DIMINISH OUR VALUE OF WORSHIP
After Jesus cleansed the temple, the disciples were reminded of Psalms 69:9, as Jesus had displayed the passion and zeal that King David had for the house of God. They saw how Jesus was adamant about restoring a proper order of worship in the house of God and refused to let convenience diminish the value of worship.
“The problem was not about buying and selling but that they were using the house of God as a place to profit off the poor and pilgrims,” Pastor Aries explained. It was a means to make easy money. “Worship had become transactional, instead of pure and holy.” While convenience can enhance worship, it can also become dangerous if it takes over the rule and reign of God in one’s heart.
Despite the pandemic, Pastor Aries was thankful that many members of the church had experienced many financial blessings, such as pay increments, promotions and job opportunities. But this blessing has also led some to believe that having less commitment to church helped them to gain more in life.
“The easier it is to get the blessing, the harder it is to see the Blesser,” he cautioned. Quoting Deut 8:17-18, Pastor Aries reminded the congregation that the ability to successfully navigate the pandemic comes from God.
“The day you think you don’t need God is the day of your spiritual death,” he warned. That sort of thinking will change a Christian’s values towards worship. He reiterated what CHC’s senior pastor Kong Hee had been teaching the church recently—that God is first; family is second and work and ministry is third. “Once the right order in your life is established, then the right blessing will flow into your life,” he taught.
He also pointed out that true treasures are not money or luxury goods, but the fruit of the Spirit—like love, joy and peace. Recently Pastor Aries visited a church member Kelvin, who had been fighting cancer for 10 years. At one point, he had developed a large tumour on his neck. Even though he received healing and the tumour disappeared, he is not completely cancer-free yet.
In the recent visit, the pastor was surprised to see him transformed. From a dejected and cancer-stricken man, he not only looked healthier but was radiant in demeanour. Pastor Aries felt the Holy Spirit point out that while Kelvin still had cancer physically, mentally, he had broken free from its reins.
In closing, Pastor Aries the congregation to come back to the heart of worship to seek Jesus without agenda, and to come back into worship that is right and true.
