Telling It Like It Is: Does the Church Need a Rockstar Gospel?

When was the last time you watched a televangelist? How many can you name? Even Oprah has had half a dozen of them on her shows. Have you ever attended a Billy Graham crusade? Lots of music and big names. Thousands of people sobbing and swaying. America's churches have lasers, multiple drum kits, LOUD! music, and mosh pits. There are churches with kid's clubs that rival Great Adventure, and coffee shops that rival Starbucks, and book stores that rival Barnes & Noble. There are podcasts and overflow rooms and valet parking. Churches in America can get downright crazy! Is this what Jesus had in mind when He talked about the church? 

Well, Peter told a crowd of Jews they murdered their long-awaited Messiah, and after he was thrown into the klink for preaching, he returned to preach in the temple right after he was released. Paul and Barnabas rolled into someone else's 'hood and told them to throw their useless idols out! None of that sounds seeker-sensitive to me. How did they expect to appeal to the masses with that sort of behavior? I'm not saying today's churches in America have the amenities and activities they do just to entertain or woo the populous, but I am saying things appear to have been very different back then. And what were their results? Thousands were cut to the heart and continued living and serving together in a community of genuine believers. The apostles committed to obeying God and rejoiced in their persecution: it lit a fire in them and strengthened their resolve to preach Jesus wherever they went! Paul was stoned almost to death, miraculously and publicly raised to health, and walked sixty miles to the next city the following day. Talk about a testimony! No flea markets or guitar solos.

Maybe your church requires a basketball court or a budget for fireworks. Maybe your church needs to get back to really serving God and not only the neighborhood. We should worship in a way that brings us into the presence of the Living God, reverently and fearfully. Americans don't like to talk much about things like reverence or fear. Or humble -- we tend to really dislike humble. But all of those things are part of our relationship with our Father God, and with one another. The gospel needs to be preached in its entirety within the walls of our churches -- not just the "feel good" parts, but every part. We need to talk about things like sin and hell and repentance and sacrifice. We need to testify and, perhaps, even demonstrate that the road is not an easy road. It's important we don't hide or water down the message in an effort to make the gospel more palatable or attractive to the masses. The apostles certainly didn't.