Throughout my childhood and teenage years my family and I immigrated to several different countries on two continents. As a result, I have visited different churches from different national, cultural denominational and linguistic backgrounds over the years. But in all the travels and relocations I can honestly say that I have only experienced one or two churches like the one just mentioned. Some churches seemed stale and dry. Others seemed to follow a tightly controlled program or schedule. In one church, the congregants were leaving while communion was still being served….it was communion without a community! Still others seemed flashy or showy. Some were loud but not much else. Some seemed more geared toward providing students with an education. Others seemed to be more like marketplaces, selling various wares.
Why is this so manifest today? After all, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever [1] and the Lord God does not change [2]. Why is this so manifest in our time? After all, the real meaning of the word church is the ‘body’ or those ‘called out’. And we know from Scripture that there is only one body: one real church, of which Christ is the head [3, 4, 5, 6, and 7]. The more I began to think about this, the more I began to notice this in churches. The more I noticed it in churches, the more I began to see that they all had a common denominator, and the more I became aware that something seemed wrong: that something seemed out of sort.
How many times have you seen money-hungry preachers? Jesus became poor for our sakes [8]. Why is this aspect of the example that Jesus left for us not being followed today? How many times do you hear of peddling preachers selling overpriced Bibles or bracelets, miracle potions, and other products that promise to bless you with riches, success, or even good luck? Does Jesus give license for such greed, idolatry, craftiness, and flattery? Even criminals and sinners know that this is not the way. Why is there so much sexual perversion in the pulpit and sexual abuse toward children? For certain, this is not the apostles’ teaching [9]. All too frequently there are churches advertising on billboards and in printed media for plant sales, bake sales, and yard sales. I see church placards advertising for church feasts and church festivals. One such church even offered raffles and beer! I just could not believe my eyes! If I had stared at it any longer, I might have driven off the road into eternity!
Perhaps these churches are sincerely trying to draw a crowd in to hear the gospel. Yet the scriptures say that when Jesus is lifted up, all mankind will be drawn to him [10]. The one time I did visit such a church yard sale, I never heard any gospel being preached. I found myself in a marketplace like atmosphere rummaging through other people’s used stuff and old attic toys and paintings. I walked away having bought a religious publication. To my dismay, the inside-cover of this quarterly, “The Free Grace Broadcaster, clearly stated that it is offered to anyone in the USA free of charge!
I very recently visited a diner and, to my amazement, the placemat was an advertisement for a major festival through a major, mainstream denomination. As God is my witness, this church-sponsored festival advertized the following points: a nominal admission fee for adults; a petting zoo; a magic show; carnival rides; fireworks; a sweepstakes drawing with tickets that cost a $100 donation each; cooking demonstrations; live music; a dancing troop; an arts & crafts fair; and free shuttle buses to the festival grounds. The sweepstakes prizes ranged from luxury cars to motorsports vehicles, computers and electronics, appliances, travel vouchers, tools, designer handbags, to a basket of cheer! I felt compelled to keep the placemat as a warning and a reminder for myself.
Activities! Activities! Activities! The churches are packed with activities by people, for people, for their satisfaction, pleasure and entertainment, but rarely any longer for God or for others. This is the common denomination. This is shameful but true and this is surely becoming more prolific with time. Recently, I saw a church advertise that it is accepting food donations for its pantry to feed the poor. A very short time later, that wooden signpost had been burnt down, presumably by vandals. In my travels, I no longer see churches advertising Jesus Christ and his gospel, the good news of salvation from sin and Judgment Day. I cannot remember the last time I was handed a gospel tract by a stranger; I cannot remember the last time someone came up to me to talk to me about Jesus. How did this come to be? What on earth happened to the church?
|