Mega Church Exposed! #1

Being faithful to the Scriptures is costly.  Having been inspired by the Lord, (1 Tim 3:16) the Scripture shows us what we are to be and do as believers.  As I have written many times, we see that the Lord instructed believers to 'Do this....' when they meet together to remember Christ.  Paul is clear in 1 Corinthians 11 that the ekklesia gathering had enough wine to get drunk and food to gorge oneself.  Many churches see 1 Corinthians as a masterpiece for explaining the gifts but refuse to apply the context in which this took place. I stand on the evidence that Jesus said a small group meeting in a family environment with the Lord's Supper as a full meal is 'church.'  

The big idea here was that 'family' could be glued together by love via the intimacy of eating together.  So reducing the Lord's Supper to a cracker and a sip of juice is not OK even if 'your heart is right.'  We are not dealing with 'right' or 'wrong' either.  The historical church is the right place to be for the majority of believers who are not strong enough to meet outside structures and systems.  People leave church for one of two reasons.  You are either being led out by the Lord or you have not had your own selfish desires met.  The two can look awfully similar!  I left the ministry because the leadership were running the church based upon man's wisdom, business plans where money was the core driver of all things.  There was a vision that was based upon some idea that the poor communities on the doorstep would come to the church.  The reality was that the more social or sterling currency you had, you were more likely sat towards the front seats of the church.  So my inner need was not being met but it was based upon Scripture not my own ends.

Although branded as forward thinking and contemporary, they actually kept hundreds of people in spiritual infancy.  By leading people to follow church leaders they reduce the followship (yes, I mean followship) of Christ alone.  This results in people anchoring into a vision, mission, idea or project.  Over time they get consumed with that activity because 'plugging into the vision' somehow makes you an obedient child of God.  When someone is active in mission it appeals to a Western mindset.  That mindset goes like this:

"Productivity is evidence for effectiveness."

We go to work and we get paid.  We put effort in and see results.  The biscuit factory churns out biscuits!  So when we are involved in something that helps win the lost for example, the assumption is that 'we are productive.'  If someone gets a Degree in Engineering they will go on and become an engineer.  Day to day they wouldn't go back to their University notes.  They are qualified.... they are DOING IT... why return to that which qualified you?  Believers do this when they are involved in mission but the Lord's calling doesn't work the same way.

The Lord's calling involves a sustained anchoring into himself in order to succeed.  The Lord being your source and centre of all your life, continually, is to be perfected before the Lord sends you.  This is how I know many who are busy in mission are responding to need not the Lord.  Many stop seeking out biblical truth when tasked.  They end the search for the Lord's will because 'obviously' it is to help XYZ community... the ones with the biggest need.  To be clear, I am absolutely in favour of meeting social need, I just don't think this is always a calling from God.  As well as helping communities, ethic groups or the poor etc we should be seeking beyond that for what 'God's plan is for me.'  Instead, big churches disempower people by saying the meeting of needs in a community is their life calling.

I heard recently about a City church who got some homeless people and treated them to a meal at a hotel. Their efforts got them into the paper.  I don't understand how feeding homeless people overpriced food at a hotel helps them.  I hope that this was not just a stunt to get attention because it certainly offers zero help long term to people in need.  These types of things get believers into thinking they are 'changing communities.'

Sigh.

SO why pick on Mega Churches? I like the idea that people get saved, hundreds, maybe thousands but it's not always what is happening.  Usually a church opens and it has some more 'dynamic this and that' to suit what people are looking for.  Generally a twist on winning the lost, a contemporary presentation and a vision that makes you proud to share the 'Gospel.'  They are places you wouldn't be ashamed to take your neighbours.   The seats usually get filled with transfer growth from other churches who don't offer the shine or the volume.  Then people do get saved which is always a plus in any context...BUT... they are then led into a Christian servitude that gives the impression they were saved to serve the church (for the church is God's instrument on earth right?).  Wrong!  It's all mixed up!

The idea is that individuals are engaging a vibrant relationship with the Risen, Glorified Lord.  Then they come together already pursuing the connection with the Lord.  In this way, people already in tune with the Lord can be gifts to the rest of the Body.  Each are mutually encouraged by this.  The mentality of Mega Church is that the church connects you to the Lord. In this way people get dependant on the meeting because they have been taught this is where they get blessed.  People arrive to receive not be the givers!

I could go on as their is much to say.

Thank you Jesus you saved me twice!  Once from Sin and Death and secondly from the Historical Church.

Gary Ward