“Most christians have been immersed in church culture for so long that they have no idea how non-Christian guests might interpret what they see and hear at a worship service, or what might inspire them to come back.” 

Is the Christian worship service for God’s pleasure or a sales meeting?

Are Christians to conform to the ways of this world?

Is it a “what” or a “Who” that might inspire a non-Christian to come back?  If it is a person, is it a marketer disguised as a Christian, or is it Yeshua/Holy Spirit?

What does scripture…say about a non-believer visiting a worship service?

The book, “Jim and Caper Go to Church” by Jim Henderson and Matt Casper (self-proclaimed atheist) is predicated on so many false premises that it’s conclusions are not merely invalid, but ludicrous.  It is about a pastor that takes an atheist to twelve leading churches to get him to critique the churches as a non-believer.  How a book such as this can be published is evidence of the decline in the liberal American church.  Populated by those “well-meaning”, guilt ridden, apologetic church goers, who are ashamed of much of the Bible;  who ridicule along with the world traditional orthodox Christianity; who take no stand  against moral decay and outright abomination and detestable practices; who refuse to call sin – sin; who are worldly and non-spiritual in all their ways, who have a form of religion but deny the power of a resurrected life.  Only to such as these could it be a good idea to take an Atheist around the nation criticizing the church.  

Since there is no meaningful point or narrative, I risk nothing telling you that in the end the Atheist prevails, remains an unwavering unbeliever, contributes nothing, as he clearly was incapable since he is devoid of the Holy Spirit, and describes a collective American church as a fraud, in the nicest of terms.  These two arrogant guys really hit it off as friends.  Jim tells us that in 1998, “I knew that I would spend the rest of my life trying to reinvent evangelism.”  Casper proclaims his vast wisdom, “You know me, Jim: I’m always able to answer both sides of the question.”

It is true that the American Church has many showman running the shows, and here in this book we have a salesman seeking to run the evangelism department, but the true Church is the hidden body of Christ, just as we fallen, broken, fallible Christian’s are the Spirit-filled members of Christ body.  We fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfector of our faith.  We trust and rely on a Sovereign Father God Almighty and we live and do according to His good purposes by His indwelling Holy Spirit.

THE CHRISTIAN WORSHIP SERVICE:

John: 4: 23-24 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

1 Corinthians: 11: 20. So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat,….

CONFORMING TO WORLDLY WAYS:

Romans: 12: 1-2  Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

WHO DRAWS PEOPLE TO GOD:

2 Corinthians: 4: 3-6 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.  The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.  For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.  For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

WHEN UNBELIEVERS COME TO CHURCH:

1 Corinthians: 14: 16, 21-25. Otherwise when you are praising God in the Spirit, how can someone else, who is now put in the position of an inquirer, say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since they do not know what you are saying?… In the Law it is written: “With other tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.”  Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers.  So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?  But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare.  So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”