Gimme That Showtime Religion
by John MacArthur

Can the church fight apathy and materialism by feeding people's appetite for entertainment? Evidently many in the church believe the answer is yes, as church after church jumps on the show-business bandwagon. It is a troubling trend that is luring many otherwise orthodox churches away from biblical priorities.

Church buildings are being constructed like theatres. Instead of a pulpit, the focus is a stage. Some feature massive platforms that revolve or raise and lower, with colored lights and huge sound boards. Shepherds are giving way to media specialists, programming consultants, stage directors, special effects experts, and choreographers.

The idea is to give the audience what they want. Tailor the church service to whatever will draw a crowd. As a result, pastors are more like politicians than shepherds, looking to appeal to the public rather than leading and building the flock God gave them. The congregation is served a slick, professional show, where drama, pop music, and maybe a soft-sell sermon constitute the worship service. But the emphasis isn't on worship, it's on entertainment.

Underlying this trend is the notion that the church must sell the gospel to unbelievers. Churches thus compete for the consumer on the same level as the latest TV reality show or a major motion picture. More and more churches are relying on marketing strategy to sell the church.

That philosophy is the result of bad theology. It assumes that if you package the gospel right, people will get saved. The whole approach is rooted in Arminian theology. It views conversion as fundamentally dependent on an act of the human will. Its goal is an instantaneous, superficial decision rather than a radical change of the heart.

Moreover, this whole Madison-Avenue corruption of Christianity presumes that church services are primarily for recruiting unbelievers. Many have abandoned worship as such. Others have relegated conventional preaching to some small-group setting on a weeknight. But that misses the point of Hebrews 10:24-25: "Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together."

Acts 2:42 shows us the pattern the early church followed when they met: "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." Note that the early church's priorities clearly were to worship God and to edify the brethren. The church came together for worship and edification; it scattered to evangelize the world.

Our Lord commissioned His disciples for evangelism in this way: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations" (Matt. 28:19). Christ makes it clear that the church is not to wait for or invite the world to come to its meetings, but to GO to the world. That is a responsibility for every believer. I fear that an approach emphasizing a palatable gospel presentation within the walls of the church excuses the individual believer from his personal obligation to be a light in the world (Matt. 5:16).

We have a society filled with people who want what they want when they want it. They are into their own lifestyle, recreation, and entertainment. When churches appeal to those selfish desires, they only fuel that fire and hinder true godliness. Some of these churches are growing exponentially while others that don't entertain are struggling. Many church leaders want numerical growth in their churches, so they are buying into the entertainment-first philosophy.

Consider what this philosophy does to the gospel message itself. Some will maintain that if biblical principles are presented, the medium doesn't matter. That is nonsense. Why not have a real carnival? A tattooed knife thrower who juggles chain saws could do his thing while a barker shouts Bible verses. That would draw a crowd. It's a bizarre scenario, but one that illustrates how the medium can cheapen and corrupt the message.

And sadly, it's not terribly different from what is actually being done in some churches. Punk-rockers, ventriloquists' dummies, clowns, magicians, and show-business celebrities have taken the place of the preacher--and they are depreciating the gospel. I do believe we can be innovative and creative in how we present the gospel, but we have to be careful to harmonize our methods with the profound spiritual truth we are trying to convey. It is too easy to trivialize the sacred message.

Don't be quick to embrace the trends of the high-tech superchurches. And don't sneer at conventional worship and preaching. We don't need clever approaches to get people saved (1 Cor. 1:21). We simply need to get back to preaching the truth and planting the seed. If we're faithful in that, the soil God has prepared will bear fruit.

© Copyright 2004 by Grace to You. All rights reserved.

In His Toolbox,

B4B
http://mypeoplepc.com/members/dcartwright/CMF_FortCarson/

"...my religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me." He added, after a pause, looking me full in the face: "That is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave"

General "Stonewall" Jackson

The bottom line is that regardless of the delivery means, is the message being conveyed to the people who attend in a meaninful way that best suits them?

I did the liturgical church thing for years where you know each week you'll do x,y,z right down the schedule with the sermon and then hymn numbers changed. Just because thats the way its BEEN done, doesnt mean its the ONLY way to get it done.

I think there is a struggle in the American Church system on what to do. I think there are more people willing to go to church and want the message but I think they feel disconnected. The churches are trying to try all kinds of ways to find out how to reconnect and so we'll see a lot of this as they experiment.

In my own church I was a little 'wierded out' about the relaxed dress, band vs organist and use of overhead projector but what I found was a pastor who preached in a fashion that just sunk in and I connected with.

 

But, after the guests leave and the Christmas presents are laid out, I feel more relaxed listening to Mid Night Mass broadcast from the Vatican.  It gives me a sense of the true meaning of Christmas.  I don't have to fight the crouds at my church.

All the way, sir!!!

Well, that is a broad sweeping statement. But then again, I guess if you are not Catholic and you are Christian, you are Protestant. I'm Episcopalian, and we are rather traditional, other then letting gays become bishops, which is a paradox.


......."If you dream about shooting me, you better wake up and apologize" Reservoir Dog

Both Protestants and Catholics are Christian.

If you surf the TV channels on any Sunday morning, you will see that I am correct.

But,, it is just IMHO.

All the way, sir!!!

This has started well!

"The bottom line is that regardless of the delivery means, is the message being conveyed to the people who attend in a meaningful way that best suits them?"

Is that one of the isssues here? Who should messages suit the most - the folks in the pews or God? In John 6 Jesus said some pretty tough stuff to the 'folks in the pews' and a lot of them left. Call it Jesus'church reduction sonference?

"I think there is a struggle in the American Church system on what to do. I think there are more people willing to go to church and want the message but I think they feel disconnected."

The question to this one is , To whom are we to connect, God or peopple or both? In what order?

"Both Protestants and Catholics are Christian."

Speaking in 'religious' terms, that is correct. Speaking in strictly spiritual terms, being a Catholic or a Protestant doesn't make one a real Christ any more than going to McDonalds makes you a hamburger.

I am all for using the technology of the culture but we must never compromise the Gospel. Now that's pretty broad, I know. When the God we present ceases to be the God of the universe who created ALL things for His own pleasure and glory we have missed the boat. Whatever we do in church must be first God-centered and not man-centered. The brush is still pretty broad. I found a 'church' online that began services in one series with secular songs - "Ive Got Friends in Lowly Places' one of them! Another church built their Christmas service around Beatles songs. Now that might be a bit much, don't you think? 

Jesus said HE came to seek and save the lost. We do not seek God without a supernatural push. Arminians and Calvinists agree on that - at least they used to. If that is the case, we need to simply remain faithful to the gospel, preach all of it in love and let God do the rest., which goes to Skypilot's post. Along with 'entertainment' there's a growing tendency NOT to bring up anything that might cause folks to feel uneasy.

In His Toolbox,

B4B
http://mypeoplepc.com/members/dcartwright/CMF_FortCarson/