We live in an entertainment culture.
We go to the gym to exercise, step onto a treadmill and have a TV screen facing us to watch. But most don’t watch – they have their own private entertainment in their own headphones. Or perhaps you prefer an aerobics class — so you exercise there to the loud beat of the instructor’s favorite “get up and go” music.
The average person watches four hours of television per day (28 hours per week). In addition to that, the average person spends 17 hours per week surfing the Internet. Together that’s a full-time job! A full-time job being entertained.
I have an iPod — when I checked recently, it had 2237 songs on it (and 346 photos). In actuality, most of those mp3 files are sermons; it would take me almost three weeks to listen to just the podcast sermons (a little over 500) never mind the 1700 other songs and sermons that will take an additional four weeks or so. (So if you can’t find me for the next 7 weeks, you know where I am — and please yank those earbuds out of my ears!)
The average teenager sends something approaching 3000 texts per month, which I am told is actually quite a nominal amount in many teen circles.
We believe in discretionary time, recreational vehicles and increasingly larger flat screen televisions. In 2004, Americans spent more than $700 billion on recreational products and services — more than the entire Gross National Product of Canada!
And this mindset has infiltrated the church as well. Now people often select a church not on Biblical criteria but on entertainment value — so sermons are replaced by drama, dance, musical productions, and video clips. People are tempted to go to church to be entertained rather than be the church and serve one another.
Because of this desire to be entertained and served, a clear understanding of the responsibility of the members of the church is so important. And that is still another reason why we have set as one of our core values the truth that “we believe in every member ministry.” Every member of the church body is a minister, gifted by God and equipped by the church to serve in the church for the glory of God.
The church is not a place for “professionals,” “professionalism,” or “entertainment.” It is a place where all God’s people gather to exercise their gifts towards each other for the benefit of each other. And as they serve together, they will love one another, honor one another, accept one another, submit to one another, not judge one another, not lie to one another or be jealous of one another, but will encourage one another.
When the church of God is filled with redeemed people all using their spiritual gifts and graciously and obediently ministering to one another in the context of healthy and growing relationships and fellowship, then that church will be a healthy and vibrant church.
Words of Grace 