Ligonier recently did an interview of Sinclair Ferguson and asked many questions about the book”In Christ Alone”. Sinclair is one of my favorite speakers and authors alive today. His knowledge of scripture and insight in applying it have a steady depth that is needed today. The interview ranges from subjects concerning quotes in the book, Calvin, the reformation and the church today. One question:
What are some of your concerns related to the health of Protestant Christianity we see here in present-day America and in your beloved Scotland?
The passage which was expounded at my ordination to the gospel ministry was 2 Corinthians 4:1-6, and it has served as a kind of guiding light to me ever since. Paul says there that he has put aside not only disgraceful, underhanded ways, but that he does not “do” things just because “they work.” Instead he expounds the truth and does so in such a way that both the truth of the gospel and his own integrity are clear. By contrast we have become a very pragmatic church; we have a thirst for size (bigger is seen as better).
We have also spawned a cult of the personality and the guru. I have seen pulpit search committee material stating in black and white that they need an “outstanding communicator” to be their minister. Much of our thinking has actually become very worldly.
One indication of this recently is in the ease with which Christians now speak about “the quality of our worship” but unlike their forefathers do it only once on Sunday (and many ministers know that an evening service would not be well attended …. for all kinds of reasons that I suspect will not hold up before the God of the universe who is worthy to be worshiped and adore world without end! I wonder what he thinks of the quality of our worship!). It is also a concern to me that we are living in the age of the worship leader and the counselor rather than the preacher (what we do and what we talk about–sadly usually ourselves–takes precedence over God talking to us.
Again there is the lack of prayer, and of the church praying. This is to me the most alarming, for this reason: we have built apparently strong, large, successful, active churches. But many of our churches never meet as a congregation for prayer. I mean never! What does that indicate we are saying about the life of the church as a fellowship? By contrast the mark of a truly apostolic spirit in the church is that that we give ourselves to prayer and the word together
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