Can Worship Be So Modern It Is Meaningless?

The following question from GotQuestions.org has just been assigned to you:

QUESTION RECEIVED:

I currently go to an (Denomination Name Removed) church (NOT FROM GEORGIA) and they just built a new building and in the back where the baptistery is there was suppose to be a huge cross and it is still there but it has been covered up with a wall.

The pastor that was there before said that the cross was for the older churches.

So the cross is covered up.

The church is still struggling with people it seats 1,300 people and is running about 100 people due to the fact that people believe the Holy Spirit has left the building.

I was wondering if there is anything in the bible that says anything about covering up the cross or not having a cross in the church? 

They have a new pastor now that is very good and they just found out about the cross being hid behind the wall and they are going to begin construction to knock out the wall and show it in the church.

MY ANSWER:

The cross in churches is a symbol.

It is a symbol of course of the greatest reason for worship.

After the Reformation there was a strong reaction to any symbolism or art being in churches, including crosses that would lead to idolatry.

The hiding of the cross in this case seems to be about consumer preference.

Who is a worship service for?   God.

Who worships Him?  - saved Christians.

Can non-Christians worship?  No.

Should non-Christians be at a Christian worship service? Yes

Is evangelism the center of worship?  No.

Should evangelism left out of worship? No

Worship celebrates the gospel which is the perfect life, death, burial and resurrection of our Lord who paid for our sin on a cross.

Believers continually worship and rejoice about the gospel.

Non-believers can hear the gospel visiting worship andrepent and know Christ paid for our sins.

Non-believers can repent, and receive pardon for sins and eternal life with the Father.

1st Corinthians 14:24-25 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.

Non-believers who would be offended by a cross would be offended bu prophecy also.

1 Corinthians 1:23 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,

Honor God and 2,000 years of Christian tradition.

But, do not though be superstitious about your worship.

Inspect your worship.

Does it read, pray, say, sing and see (through The Lord’s Supper and Baptism), and preach the Bible?

If not this will show the real problem on what the church professes.