Church Shoppers Have you ever read the personal ads in a newspaper? They go something like this: Man looking for blonde, good-looking woman. Must earn $30,000 per year minimum, have nice clothes and car. Must be athletic, warm and able to make me laugh..." Such an ad tells what one seeks in a partner. Sometimes our requirements are materialistic, silly and applied so strictly that they eliminate potential growth. Some people, when looking for a church apply the same shallow requirements. Notice, for example, some of the things which are sought by many modern "church shoppers." The church must have a very big, beautiful building. The early Christians did not have buildings at all. Sometimes they met in the Jewish temple (Acts 2:46), and other times they met in homes of Christians(Rom. 16:5), or in upper rooms(Acts 20:8). The church must have a lot of members. Numbers are fine, but the real question is, are they walking in truth? The preacher must have a college degree, wear expensive suits, be an eloquent entertaining speaker and have a nice house and car. Jesus and other Bible preachers were humble, poor men who loved the truth and placed no emphasis on material things.(Matt. 3:4; 18:20; Luke 12:15; Acts 3:1-6; 4:13) The church must not teach against other churches. Jesus attacked the false teaching of His day (Matt. 15:1-9), and so did the great apostle Paul.(Acts 15:1-2; 14:1-7; 18:4) The church must have some programs for me and my children. The only activities the church had in New Testament times was the preaching and teaching of the word of God and benevolence (Eph. 3:8-10; I Tim. 3:15). There was no recreational or secular program, for Jesus said that His kingdom was not of this world(John 18:36). The church must accept me as saved in whatever way I think I was saved, and accept me as a member. The Bible teaches that there is salvation in no one else but Jesus (Acts 4:12). The Lord has but one church (Matt. 16:18; Eph. 4:4). He teaches that salvation can only be found in His church (Eph. 5:23; Acts 2:47). All other churches will be rooted up because there is no salvation in them (Matt. 15:13-14). That being the case, people must be baptized into Christ for the remission of their sins in order for the Lord to add them to His body—the church (Acts 2:38; I Cor. 12:13). One cannot be in a false church and become saved while he is in it. All who come out of man-made churches must be baptized into the Lord’s body—His church (Gal. 3:27; Acts 22:16). There are many things that people expect from "their church." However, people have no right to place demands upon the Lord. What we should do is search with an open mind and an open Bible. Let the Bible teach us and show us what the church should be as God designed it. Rather than place undue emphasis on material things like the building and big crowds, we should notice more important things. What do they teach? Do they use God’s Word as the source of their authority, or do they do what "feels good" and appeals to the crowd? Do they worship like the New Testament Christians worshiped? Do they wear the name of Christ rather than the name of some man or doctrine? What about the lives of those professing Christians who meet there? Are they holy and righteous people living as God commands? It is sad to see people reject a church—possibly throwing their souls away—because that congregation may have a small number of people present. Remember that Jesus taught that the way to heaven is strait and narrow and few would find it (Matt. 7:13-14). Perhaps we should be more concerned when there are crowds of satisfied people. Jesus Himself was not a "popular" preacher! If a person wants to be saved, he will search the New Testament and examine the church he reads about there. He will seek for truth, not for silly things that mean nothing as far as the Lord is concerned. – copied Via Beacon, publication of Bellview church of Christ, Pensacola, FL * * * * * * * * * * * "Market & Souls" The above quotation is the title of an article which appeared in the October 17 issue of The Birmingham News. The article gives an example of what the author of the previous article says people look for. "The Church at Brook Hills" near Birmingham is the featured church of the article. The article begins, "On a recent Friday night, the Rev. Rick Ousley stood on a stage adorned by theatrical props in the new sanctuary of the Church at Brook Hills." The author of the article pointed out that "as churches approach the new millennium, they are changing the way they respond to spiritual seekers—and it looks a lot like the way TV uses advertising or stores to relate to shoppers." In other words, some of these "mega" churches in large cities are "marketing" themselves much like businesses do on TV. Greg Garrison, author of the article, quotes from a book entitled Shopping for Faith: American Religion in the New Millennium with these words: "It often seems that the religion of America is consumerism." Of course this means that people are little concerned about what God’s word says and greatly concerned with what makes them feel good, what they want, what they like! A greater part of the article deals with what that book says religious trends will be in the new millennium. Note some of their findings based on a number of observations. My comments follow each one. -->"Consumerism and ‘mix-and-match spirituality’ will shape all religious practice, from evangelical worship to New Age workshops. ‘In the new millennium, more and more American congregations will take this market-based approach to find new members and keep the ones they have. Megachurches embody the consumerism, eclecticism, and the conservatism shaping the religious future. They are the evangelical answer to Home Depot." In other words, these megachurches will have even more of a "have-it-your-way-at-Burger-King" approach to attracting and retaining members. If a tired young mother needs some time away from her children, then there is "mother’s-day-out," provided of course by the church. If you are into exercise, family-life centers (built at the church expense) offer aerobic courses. Of course none of this is authorized in the New Testament and is therefore sinful.(Matt. 7:21; II Jno. 9) -->"Personal spiritual experience will replace religious doctrine as the driving force in the free market of belief. Gallup polls show that 7 in 10 Americans believe one can be religious without going to church. ‘As denominational doctrine becomes less relevant to many Americans, the experiential elements of religion and spirituality will become more important." Again, what "I" enjoy experiencing replaces "religious doctrine." There is no wonder why the Twickenham church of Christ in Huntsville brought in so many by showing old Andy Griffith reruns and calling it a Bible Study!! Mix a lot of jokes and entertainment with perhaps a verse at the end of a session and presto, people think they have served God and had "fun" at the same time! People have become and are becoming more interested in satisfying their physical desires than in God’s demands and calling it "religion." This is called "will-worship" in Colossians 2:23 and simply means that worship is changed from worshipping God to worshipping one’s own desires; his own wants become the idol of his heart. -->"Baby boomers and Generation X are discovering traditional faith, but they want it their way. ‘In the new millennium, there will be a growing gap between personal spirituality and religious institutions." The Bible teaches that one’s "faith comes by hearing" the word of God, not by hearing one’s "inner self."(Rom. 10:17) A faith for "Baby boomers and Generation X" that is "their way" is obviously not God’s way! Again, this points to the fact that people want to salve their consciences by doing something they think will be "for" God, but they want to do what they want, not what God says! Such has and never will be worship acceptable to God! The author of the article concludes with a note about the Church at Brook Hills: "The theatrical lighting and sound system make church-going a sensory experience.(emphasis mine—p.a.o.) ‘There’s not a church room on the planet like it,’ Ousley said. ‘It was made for diversity, creativity and technology.’" "Sensory" means "relating to the senses." We know there are five senses: touch, taste, smell, hearing, and seeing. They all belong to the physical body. True worship, however, is a spiritual exercise. "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth."(John 4:24) Again, the appeal of such megachurches is to the physical, not spiritual, to what makes us feel good, rather than what pleases God. Such is not acceptable worship at all. While it is proper to condemn these practices as unauthorized, it does not justify our making worship dull and lifeless. Within the parameters of Biblical authority, our worship to God should be joyful, enthusiastic, and edifying. It can and should be, but let us always remember worship is directed to God and in a manner He prescribes, not simply what sounds or looks good to us. --p.a.o. |