Consumer-Based Christianity

Too many people today are looking for a church that meets their personal preferences rather than meeting the Lord’s requirements. Instead of asking what Christ wants, people are asking:

• Do they have lots of activities for my children?
• Will I like this preacher better than others I’ve heard?
• Is the building big, beautiful, and modern?
• Is the worship entertaining and exciting?
• Will it make me feel good without requiring change?

Friends, these are the wrong questions. We should be seeking Christ’s criteria instead of our own. This does not mean Christians can never enjoy innocent fun or spend time together in fellowship. True Christians are devoted to encouraging one another (Heb. 10:24–25), but the primary focus must be faithfulness to Christ and making sure everything done is pleasing to Him. With that in mind, here are the kinds of questions we should be asking when looking for a church:

• Does this church follow the pattern of the church Christ established in the first century A.D.? (Matt. 16:18; Acts 2:42; 20:28; Rom. 16:16–17; Eph. 4:4; 5:23; 2 Thess. 2:15)

• Do they teach holiness and spiritual transformation, or do they emphasize comfort over conviction, making people feel comfortable in their sins? (Matt. 4:17; Acts 17:30; Rom. 12:1–2; Gal. 5:19-23; Titus 1:16; 2:11–12)

• Do they teach sound doctrine by rightly dividing the Word, or do they twist the Scriptures and pervert the Gospel? (Gal. 1:6–9; 2 Tim. 2:15–18; 2 Pet. 3:16)

• Do they understand we are not under the Old Law and must follow the New Testament Law of Christ? (Matt. 28:18–20; Gal. 6:2; Col. 2:14–17; Rom. 8:1–2; Heb. 7:12; 10:9; Jam. 1:22-25)

• Do they use Scriptural names that glorify God through Christ, or do they use manmade labels that promote division? (1 Cor. 1:10–13; Col. 3:17; 1 Pet. 4:11, 16)

• Do they follow the New Testament pattern of worship—singing, praying, preaching, giving, and partaking of the Lord’s Supper on the first day of every week? (Acts 2:42; 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:20; 16:2; Col. 3:16–17)

• Are they organized with qualified elders and deacons when possible? (Acts 14:23; Php. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3)

• Do they teach the full plan of salvation—hearing the Word (Rom. 10:17), believing (John 8:24), repenting (Acts 17:30), confessing faith in Christ to men (Matt. 10:32), being immersed in water for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:20–21), and remaining faithful (Rev. 2:10)?

• Do they have Biblical authority for all they do “in word or deed”? (Col. 3:17)

Those looking for a church that will keep them and their children entertained, meet all their personal preferences, and never challenge their lifestyle will find plenty of churches striving to meet those expectations. Those who are truly seeking the Lord’s church—the one He built, the one He bought, and the one He will save—must use His criteria, not their own, to be faithful members of His church and go to Heaven (Matt. 6:33; John 4:23–24; Eph. 4:4; 5:23; 2 John 9–11). Those who are truly searching should investigate the churches of Christ—congregations who love their neighbors but prioritize pleasing God over pleasing men (Matt. 6:33; 22:36–40; John 12:43; Rom. 16:16–17; Gal. 1:10).

True Christianity is not consumer-based. It is Creator-based. It is not about pleasing ourselves but pleasing our Creator.