Is there any difference?

Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from any Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. - Ezekiel 22:26

And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; -Leviticus 10:10

There's a difference between

• applauding man and a congregation praising God.
• a crowd and a congregation.
• entertainment and edification.
• what's done in the flesh and what's done in the spirit.
• marketing people and harvesting souls.
• success and blessing.
• managing a business and shepherding a flock.
• doing what works and doing what's right.
• psychology and theology.
• what's relevant and what's eternal.
• preferences and principles.
• numerical growth and spiritual growth.
• revivalism and revival.
• work of man and work of God.
• programming and ministry.

Unfortunately, these differences have become blurred and almost imperceptible in the church of Jesus Christ today. Are you different? Is there any difference between how your church operates and how a business operates? Jesus said they hated me and they will hate you (John 15:18-25). If what we are doing in the church is accepted and applauded by the world then we're doing something wrong. Charles Spurgeon, the great English Baptist, declared with feeling, "The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the Church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them.... providing amusement for the people is nowhere spoken of in the Scriptures as a function of the Church. The need is biblical doctrine, so understood and felt that it sets men on fire..."