We Do Not Go to Church to Play Tennis!
"I went to a church not along ago--they have thirty acres. So what are their plans with it? They want their own football field and tennis courts. Dear God, do we go to church to learn to play tennis? God help the preachers!"
~ Leonard Ravenhill 1907-1994
A quote above by Leonard Ravenhill should really ring true. Now I do not have anything against churches that promote sports as part of its activities but to prioritize sports or any extracurricular activities over worship in church is a very act of idolatry. The purpose of going to church and fellowship with the pastor. Having tennis and other sports activities are considered secondary priorities. It is okay for the pastor to have a tennis coach in their church teach tennis to the players but it is not the top responsibility of the local New Testament church.
The pastor is also a teacher as it is his responsibility to both teach and preach the Word of God. Going to a Sunday service is not only worship but also learning more about the Scripture from the sermon of the pastor. Those who attend the Sunday Service are his students and he is their teacher of the Word of God. It is his responsibility to teach them the Word of God. It is his responsibility to uphold the Bible in the pulpit and not the tennis manual. The tennis manual belongs to the sports department of the church and that is where it should be and not in the pulpit.
It is not sinful for a church to open a sports club or have any extracurricular activities that do not go against the Word of God. But it becomes sinful only when extracurricular activities that are not against the Word of God are put on top of the Word of God.
~ Leonard Ravenhill 1907-1994
A quote above by Leonard Ravenhill should really ring true. Now I do not have anything against churches that promote sports as part of its activities but to prioritize sports or any extracurricular activities over worship in church is a very act of idolatry. The purpose of going to church and fellowship with the pastor. Having tennis and other sports activities are considered secondary priorities. It is okay for the pastor to have a tennis coach in their church teach tennis to the players but it is not the top responsibility of the local New Testament church.
The pastor is also a teacher as it is his responsibility to both teach and preach the Word of God. Going to a Sunday service is not only worship but also learning more about the Scripture from the sermon of the pastor. Those who attend the Sunday Service are his students and he is their teacher of the Word of God. It is his responsibility to teach them the Word of God. It is his responsibility to uphold the Bible in the pulpit and not the tennis manual. The tennis manual belongs to the sports department of the church and that is where it should be and not in the pulpit.
It is not sinful for a church to open a sports club or have any extracurricular activities that do not go against the Word of God. But it becomes sinful only when extracurricular activities that are not against the Word of God are put on top of the Word of God.