Keep Your Separation of Church and State to Yourself

Here's the Problem

Recently, a preacher friend shared a link to a worship service, asking for my thoughts and insights. He kindly suggested I skip the music section if I wanted, which I did. I’ll confess, as an independent fundamental Baptist who found salvation in the 1970s, my perspective on this service was shaped by my traditional background.

The Music and Atmosphere:

I'll be blunt – in my personal opinion, the music and atmosphere of this service were far from what I consider spiritually uplifting.  The casual and, frankly, worldly nature of the music and overall atmosphere was replusive and I believe repulsive to God. It lacked the reverence I believe we should have when approaching God in worship.

Impressive Growth and Church Plants:

During the announcements, the church shared its remarkable growth, boasting thousands of attendees and five different campuses in the Denver area. They mentioned starting two new churches, each with a whopping one thousand attendees. 

The Separation of Church and State:

One part of the “speech” that struck a chord with me was when the pastor urged the congregation to keep their views on the separation of church and state to themselves. This issue is crucial because maintaining this separation allows individuals to worship freely, without government interference. It safeguards our religious freedom.

A Call for Political Involvement:

The core message of the sermon in typical Catholic/Protestant fashion, revolved around Christians actively participating in politics to bring about change. The emphasis is misplaced. Real change begins with individuals wholeheartedly trusting God to fulfill His perfect plan, rather than seeking political power.

In Conclusion:

I firmly believe the Bible teaches and Baptist history demonstrates, that our primary mission should be preaching the Gospel and relying on God's sovereignty rather than striving for political dominance.

The problem in our world today isn't that Christian religion hasn't done enough to impact society. Instead, it's that too many Christians struggle to place their complete trust in God to execute His perfect plan. Rather than attempting to change the world through political means, we should prioritize effectively preaching the Gospel.