I want that show time religion and i want it now!
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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.
Sad observation: More resources is used to keep people in churches than getting them saved. -
You hit the nail on the head
Spirituality has now become affliated with the materialism it once abhor, and cries of moral decadence is supplanted by excuses such as changing moral values! -
Religion for profit sounds good. As long as the donation box is always full, everything should be ok.
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Mark 11:17
Then he taught them saying, "Is it not written: 'My house shall be called a house of prayerfor all peoples'? But you have made it a den of thieves." -
I agree with the article because I slant towards Calvinism.
Believers are to preach, the Holy Spirit convicts.
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It is quite sad but most Christians are Arminians.Originally posted by ventin: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.
Historically methodists and baptists and anglicans are Arminians. Charismatics are of course Arminians.
In short the average Christian today is Arminian!
Evangelicals are arminians, I read .. which means Ironside is arminian??
I dunno Catholics are what. But sometime they really sound Reformed to me. -
Arminian?
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ever been to one of those happy-clapper churches' "sermons" ? ....
scary isn't it ? ...
that's not religion, that's brainwashing .... and some of the "pastors" are certainly very good at it ..... -
I thought John Macauthur was the general who led the british in the battle of sea with the japanese and dorve alot of them out of the philipines?
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what do you mean by scary? Are you talking about those american big churches? I actually quite like their way of preeching, very interactive and can definitely keep one awakeOriginally posted by Fatum:ever been to one of those happy-clapper churches' "sermons" ? ....
scary isn't it ? ...
that's not religion, that's brainwashing .... and some of the "pastors" are certainly very good at it ..... -
That one is Douglas MacArthur.Originally posted by davidche:I thought John Macauthur was the general who led the british in the battle of sea with the japanese and dorve alot of them out of the philipines?
.. and he was American.
and there wasn't any british battle with the Jap .. their fleet was decimated after Prince of Wales and Repulse were sunk. -
Actually not all evangelicals are Arminians. It depends on who wrote the article Icy. The article you read is inacurrate. Many evangelicals i know are 4 point Calvinist.Originally posted by Icemoon:It is quite sad but most Christians are Arminians.
Historically methodists and baptists and anglicans are Arminians. Charismatics are of course Arminians.
In short the average Christian today is Arminian!
Evangelicals are arminians, I read .. which means Ironside is arminian??
I dunno Catholics are what. But sometime they really sound Reformed to me.
Some five pointers may not allow us to such a title saying: "you are not Calvinists, you don't believe in the five points of Calvinism."
But who cares we are not following Calvin, we follow what the Bible says.
Actually, the term Icy, is not Arminianism. The term is Ameralgianism.
Calvinism Ameralgianism Arminianism. -
Sorry but some Calvinist are just soo dogmatic. Some even say Calvinism is Christianity!!!!!!!!!!!!! -
how come no one supports Luther?Originally posted by Ironside:Sorry but some Calvinist are just soo dogmatic. Some even say Calvinism is Christianity!!!!!!!!!!!!! -
Originally posted by Ironside:
wah .. i never heard of the term before.
Actually not all evangelicals are Arminians. It depends on who wrote the article Icy. The article you read is inacurrate. Many evangelicals i know are 4 point Calvinist.
Some five pointers may not allow us to such a title saying: "you are not Calvinists, you don't believe in the five points of Calvinism."
But who cares we are not following Calvin, we follow what the Bible says.
Actually, the term Icy, is not Arminianism. The term is [b]Ameralgianism.
Calvinism Ameralgianism Arminianism.
[/b]
hey ask you ah .. I read someone John Piper is 7 points Calvinist? What does it mean? -
I don't know what's 7 point Calvinism.
it maybe some points that are not in TULIP that are added.
You see, TULIP has recieve criticism for the lack of evangelism in its tenets.
Many understand TULIP as Extreme Calvinism since in the T-U-L-I-P there is no offer of the gospel mentioned.
But TULIP is just a clever handle to somewhat define what Calvin taught. What will happen to the acronym if for instance you add Offer of the gospel there--TULIOP. TULOIP or etc.
Others have defined the letter P insubstantially. They would just say: letter P stands for Perseverance of the Saints.
Now if you are a new student studying Calvinism you would think that letter P just stands for that. When In fact letter P stands also for Preservation of God.
Now what would happen to the TULIP if we would add to that O and P?
TULOIPP or TULIOPP
just my two cents
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In fairness to Calvin he did taught preaching the gospel and the preservation of God.
You see if you just defined letter P as perseverance of the saints. it would mean that the security of the saved is just maintained by the work of men. But sound Calvinist have carefully placed in their tenets especially the letter P.
TULIP--LETTER P STANDS FOR-- Perseverance of the saints/ PRESERVATION OF GOD.
those whom God preserves perseveres.
sound doctrine...i embrace that.. -
P not predestination meh?Originally posted by Ironside:Others have defined the letter P insubstantially. They would just say: letter P stands for Perseverance of the Saints.
Now if you are a new student studying Calvinism you would think that letter P just stands for that. When In fact letter P stands also for Preservation of God. -
it is closely link to letter U. Unconditional election.Originally posted by Icemoon:P not predestination meh? -
Infighting within Calvinism is not our problem. Either way we still think it's wrong.Originally posted by Icemoon:It is quite sad but most Christians are Arminians.
Historically methodists and baptists and anglicans are Arminians. Charismatics are of course Arminians.
In short the average Christian today is Arminian!
Evangelicals are arminians, I read .. which means Ironside is arminian??
I dunno Catholics are what. But sometime they really sound Reformed to me. -
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1..2..3..Action...Camera roll! Hi you are on air! Testing testing 1..2..3..