Unbelievers and church meetings

Tim Keller writes about unbelievers coming to the church gathering:

A look at both Acts chapter 2 and 1 Corinthians 14.24-25 will teach us the following:


1. Non-believers are expected to be present in Christian worship. In Acts 2 it happens by word-of-mouth excitement. In 1 Corinthians 14 it is probably the result of personal invitation by Christian friends. But Paul in 14.23 expects both ‘unbelievers’ and ‘the unlearned’ (literally ‘a seeker’ — ‘one who does not understand’) to be present in worship.


2. Non-believers must find the praise of Christians to be comprehensible. In Acts 2 it happens by miraculous divine intervention. In 1 Corinthians 14 it happens by human design and effort. But it cannot be missed that Paul directly tells a local congregation to adapt its worship because of the presence of unbelievers. It is a false dichotomy to insist that if we are seeking to please God we must not ask what the unchurched feel or think about our worship.


3. Non-believers can fall under conviction and be converted through comprehensible worship. In 1 Corinthians 14 it happens during the service, but in Acts 2 it is supplemented by ‘after meetings’ and follow-up evangelism. God wants the world to overhear us worshipping him. God directs his people not to simply worship, but to sing his praises ‘before the nations’. We are not to simply communicate the gospel to them, but celebrate the gospel before them.”


~ Tim Keller, Worship Wars, Evangelicals Now site (http://www.e-n.org.uk/)