Modern contemporary churches across the world are using gimmicks, pop psychology, and entertainment complete with lights, smoke, big screens, pop music to attract 94% of the people already attending church somewhere else. Then we have leadership seminars worldwide measuring church success by numbers, cash, and assets and if your church doesn't measure up to this definition of success you're a failure. Well if this is so great then why are top mega pastors, marriages coming unglued, having multiple affairs, and committing suicide? Why are over 1000 pastors a month leaving the ministry? Something is wrong here.
After 35 years of working in this field I've learned a few things, maybe it's not much, however here goes: (1) Entertainment is a cheap substitute for the Holy Spirit! It's what a dead church has to resort to when it has nothing else to offer. Take away the show- lose the the crowd! Worship and entertainment are not the same thing. (2). Consumerism feeds the self life. People looking to get fed instead of winning others to Christ, discipling them and teaching them to feed themselves are consumers - takers who want it all to be about them. We don't go to church to get fed. We feed ourselves at home reading and studying God's word, praying and worshipping daily long before we gather together as the church. We don't go to church- we are the church wherever we are. (3) Being a follower of Jesus, being a disciple of Him, is a lifestyle not an event. Just saying cause I'm concerned that too many people are not followers of Jesus. They've become groupies of the latest Dove award winners. Billboard charts has become the new goal and measure of effectiveness for worship leaders and teams.
John Wimber once wrote, "I'm concerned the Church has become more of a theatre experience, rather than a meeting place for people to encounter & interact with God. People don't need more entertainment; they need to encounter the King."
Too often, even in the liturgical traditions worship has been been described as theatre. I've been around this mess for a long time. I've opted out because a dead church has nothing more to offer than entertainment... And it's evidence is coming out little by little all across the world. It's time to get back to the simplicity of Gods Word and to call for the restoration of an authentic New Testament church - filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit and attentive to building a biblical mindset. (Not ashamed of "speaking in tongues" and exercising all the gifts of the Holy Spirit either). 98% of GenY has never heard the Gospel. 88 % of GenX Has never encountered the power of God. Something's wrong with this picture and I'm called to help those who have not heard and so are you. Matthew 28:18-20. I'll leave the entertainment business up to the entrainment business and concentrate helping the church be the church Jesus imagined without the smoke and mirrors. Hey guys... Wake up ISIS is coming to a city near you and your smoke and mirrors are going to get unplugged when the electrical grid goes down. Time to win the world to Christ!
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