We live in a day and age when church sanctuaries look more like sports centers and worship is like a concert. Massive big screens with graphics replace altars and crosses, and a stage aptly is there for the life coachesque Pastor who will tell you the Good News and positive passages like “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly,” (John 10:10), and ignore, “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, distress, and suffering. But take courage; I have overcome the world!” (John 16:33). The transformation of churches began with the ill advised Seeker Friendly Movement that went to secular advisors in marketing and door to door to find out what would make people go to church, entertainment. The problem is church is not suppose to be entertainment! It is suppose to be the gathering of the ecclesia, the family of Christ to pray, worship, study the Scriptures, and remeber Christ’s death till he comed via Communion. It is a place where prophecies that may convict you should ring (1 Corinthians 14:29), where the hard teachings of Jesus should be delved into in study, and so much more. It is meant to be meeting of the faithful, not a sports event to seay the lukewarm with a light show! Church is for the believer, predominately! In the time of the apostles, the love feasts were for baptized believers, not a recruiting station for unsaved! Because you cannot be intimate and close if unbelievers are among you! The apostles went out to preach the gospel, on the steps of the Temple, and in cities in Greece, Rome, Spain, and etc. Our Lord Jesus said go forth to make disciples, “Go forth to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19, CSV), not build a building and invite them in to a show!
Church meetings are suppose to be for Christians! An outreach is fine, but the Sunday service is suppose to be for building up and edifying of the saints. Alas because the Church tries to serve Christ and Mammon, the prospect of making new coverts to fill the tithing coffers is to great to resist, so Sunday services can often feel more like Billy Graham crusades, gotta get souls to shore up the pastor and board’s retirement accounts!
I must admit that not all churches are neglectful of the congregants. There are those pastors trying to equip their brethren for tough times ahead, and so they are exempt from my critiques. I am thankful a remnant of clergy feel a burden to help their brothers and sisters in Christ grow in maturity. Alas in the West the Megachurch-Seeker-Friendly-Big-Screen-Sports-Center type churches are many, and I find them disgusting. All those bells and whistles are shallow! They may entertain, but do they equip? They may draw large crowds, but do they keep their crowns? (Keep the faith long term). They may look polished, but is there genuine piety? They have day care and youth programs, but do the leaders even know catechism and how to teach fundamentals of the faith? My nephew after going to one of these churches for years didn’t know who Jesus was! Its despicable! The youth need systematic theology, doxology, Christology, and Scriptural study!
The time has come to caste down the entertainment and equip yhe saints! To stop seeking Seeker Friendly Money and instead focus on the Servants of Christ and Faithful with church as it was, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, including The Lord’s Supper, and the prayers.” (Acts 2:42), and “Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, each one comes with a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. One will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you.
No more than two or three should speak in tongues. They must speak one at a time, and someone must interpret what they say. But if no one is present who can interpret, they must be silent in your church meeting and speak in tongues to God privately.
Let two or three people prophesy, and let the others evaluate what is said. But if someone is prophesying and another person receives a revelation from the Lord, the one who is speaking must stop. In this way, all who prophesy will have a turn to speak, one after the other, so that everyone will learn and be encouraged. Remember that people who prophesy are in control of their spirit and can take turns. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people.” (1 Corinthians 14:26-32). Amen.
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