Yes, that is an odd question: a Christian, or a hamburger? Actually, it comes from a comment by the late Keith Green, a Christian musician from a time when Christian music had content and power. He once said: “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian, any more than going to McDonalds makes you a hamburger”.
He was pointing to an only-too-common phenomenon: the churches full of people who have never experienced God, never known their sins to be forgiven, and with no assurance of their salvation. In fact, it is quite likely that many people would even accept that these things are either possible, or desirable in a Christian. To know that you are a sinner, to know that “I once was lost, but now I’m found; was blind, but now I see”, and to know that you are destined for eternal life, regardless of everything against you, may be considered arrogant and presumptions.
But that is precisely what Jesus and every New Testament writer says we should know. “They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Saviour of the world.”[John 4.42] “We…know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.”[Galatians 2.15-16.
“We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”[1 John 5.20]
Why is it so many sit in churches, or stand and sing, and don’t know these things? In part, it’s because no-one expects them too. They have not been told that this is an essential part of being a Christian. They have been led to expect that they are simply an audience, their role is to sit and listen, or join in with the singing and prayers.
Because so many churches are structured that way, for historical reasons, or because of the format used in church meetings. And because so many church leaders grew up under that kind of structure, they don’t know that it could, or should, be any different. But the New Testament is clear, as Paul said to the Corinthians: “When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.”[1 Cor. 14.26]
Christians were not meant to meet so that they could enjoy a great light show, a musical performance, a concert. They are to worship; but that, today, often means repeating the few lines of a chorus in order to get a good feeling, rather than sing the words of songs that have content, real meat and not milk. The writer to the Hebrews bemoaned the same problem is his or her day: “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.” [Hebrews 5.11-13]
Christians today are too often led to believe that the spirituality of a church is reflected in its size, in the talent of the choir, the number of people who attend youth groups, social events, and so on. But these things are, in fact, often a hindrance, because they exclude the possibility of close fellowship, put the emphasis on the standards which the world uses to define success. The big question for any church, or for any individual, is: are you a Christian, or a hamburger?
