Why Entertainment in the Church Has Taken Over

I have been re-reading John MacArthur’s book, Ashamed of the Gospel, for the third time.  This book is by far one of his best books and it strikes hard at the modern church in the United States.  In fact, MacArthur’s book would just about ruin most of the churches in the area that I live as most of them have now turned toward pragmatism, seeker friendly, and “relevant” (which usually means worldly).

But behind MacArthur’s book is something else.  I agree with him 100% that the gospel is at stake and that most churches are compromising the gospel.  Oh they still talk about Jesus and they still mention salvation but they ignore sin, they ignore conviction, they ignore true repentance, they ignore baptism, they ignore serious discipleship (not studying a book published by a seeker church), and they avoid prayer.  Holiness is ignored.  Passion for Christ and His kingdom above all other things including self is ignored.  Reading the Bible through is ignored.  Serious study of the Bible is ignored.  So yes MacArthur is correct that the gospel is being corrupted and watered down by the seeker movement.

Yet it also struck me how entertainment has taken over the Church of God.  A.W. Tozer wrote,

For centuries the Church stood solidly against every form of worldly entertainment, recognizing it for what it was – a device for wasting time, a refuge from the disturbing voice of the conscience, a scheme to divert attention from moral accountability.  For this she got herself abused roundly by the sons of this world.  But of late she has become tired of the abuse and has given over the struggle.  She appears to have decided that is she cannot conquer the great god Entertainment she may as well join forces with him and make use she can of his powers.  So today we have the astonishing spectacle of millions of dollars being poured into the unholy job of providing earthly entertainment for the so-called sons of heaven.  Religious entertainment is in many places rapidly crowding out the serious things of God.  Many churches these days have become little more than poor theaters where fifth-rate “producers” peddle their shoddy wares with the full approval of evangelical leaders who can even quote a holy text in defense of their delinquency.  And hardly a man dares raise his voice against it.

So much of the Church is focused on this god of Entertainment.  The entire “service” is a show.  The music is both worldly and a show.  True worship of God is missing as now we substitute “music” for worship (Romans 12:1-2).  The entire “church service” is a show from beginning to end and its meant to entertain you.  Biblical, expository teaching is gone as the church now favors more entertainment than anything else.  The church, rather than being the “one another” church of the New Testament, is largely going from one entertaining event to the next.  Church signs promote one event after another.  The church, instead of seeking to make disciples and spar people from an eternal hell, is largely fixed on being a place of sure pleasure and joy and entertainment.

Where did this come from?  From an institutional view of the Church, the Church has to be promoting entertainment.  How else will they come?  With TV, movies, theaters, etc. competing with the business driven Church, the institutional church must then produce better plays, better music, more entertainment to keep the people coming back for me.  As John MacArthur called it, “Give me that show time religion.”  Prayer meetings are empty.  Fasting is abandoned.  Evangelism using the Law of God to confront sinners is completely ignored for its “offensive language such as sinners.”

From a house church view, the god of entertainment filling the institutional church shows the weakness of not following 1 Corinthians 14:26 and setting up a system of church that depends on money.  The house church doesn’t need money.  There are no salaries to meet, no budgets to keep, no buildings to maintain.  The elders who serve the house church are not paid professional staff.  They are biblical elders (1 Peter 5:1-4).  Therefore, the house church can continue to preach 2 Timothy 2:8-11 and call people to repent.  We are not here to entertain you.  We are only here for the people of God to come and be discipled and grow and go out and make more disciples (Hebrews 3:13; 10:23-25).  Our attitude is not “come and see” but “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19).  We do have fun with one another but our goal is not entertainment but to glorify Jesus alone and if few want this, so be it.  We are not in a business.  We are in a kingdom.

I once e-mailed a large seeker church to question them biblically why they do what they do.  The CEO-pastor wrote me back and said, “We are running 700 people on Sunday mornings.  How many do you have coming to your church?”  He answer is the answer the pragmatic church offers today.  The end results justify the means.  Who cares about prayer?  Who cares about depending on the power of the Holy Spirit to fall on the people and empower us to make disciples?  Who cares about preaching the gospel to the lost?  As long as 700 people are coming and as long as the church budget is being met, so be it.

But oh God have mercy on us and restore us back to the book of Acts!  Let us be found faithful to You alone!

© 2011, Matt. All rights reserved.