Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Christianity Goes Hollywood

My last post was about The Industry of Christianity.  It's amazing how many folks are "in the ministry" for personal gain.  Whether there is a true calling or not doesn't matter if you employ the ministry for personal gain, or to build your own kingdom.  How do you know if one is employing the ministry for personal gain or to build their own kingdom?  Simple...this ministry is built around them!  It's that simple!  If this person were removed...the ministry would fall apart!  It is built on their personality.  It exalts their name and image.  Don't get me wrong.  Having a ministry named after you is not wrong.  What's wrong is when that ministry and everything about it exalts you or someone other than Jesus Christ.

Now...on to this post.  Christianity goes Hollywood!  What does this mean?  Here we go.  Much of ministry today is built on sensationalism...just like Hollywood.  What is sensationalism in ministry?  It is simply methodologies used in ministry (by man) to spice up things to make it look like God did it...just like Hollywood.  However, the motivation is to impress man in order to attract more people.  More people are attracted (by man) so BIG buildings are constructed.  When people see the BIG building they assume God has done it all.  And they assume the minister is some sort of super-minister, above and beyond the norm.  Why?  Because everything is Big!  The truth is God is not impressed at all with BIG.  He is impressed with simple trust and obedience.  God shows Himself BIG through ordinary people who couldn't do anything without Him (and they know it.).  This is NOT an attack on big ministries.  There are many big churches and ministries today (by man's standard) that are born of God and operate by faith in God.  And this world would be a worse place without them. 

Whatever happened to the pure moving of the Holy Spirit?  I'm not old fashion.  Most of you who know me know that I love the cutting edge.  I love change.  I love adapting, etc.  Whatever it takes to move and flow with God in an ever-changing culture.  But one thing that has not changed, and never will, is man's total dependence on our God to accomplish His will on this planet.  We seem to have forgotten that we desperately need Him just to gather with one another to worship Him!  The truth is...God is sensational!  How can He not be?  He is incredibly BIG and nothing is impossible for Him!  When He is allowed to be the God that He truly is, REAL stuff happens!  It doesn't matter if you swallow goldfish or balance spinning plates on sticks.  I truly believe that if we're not careful we can all be sucked into the "Hollywood" syndrome in serving God.  We can be intrigued (in the wrong ways) by flashing lights, cameras, audiences (they used to be congregations), shows (which used to be services or gatherings), props, and a host of other things we've employed to be relevant to our culture.  

Finally, why do you do what you do?  Is it because everyone else doe it?  Or because it is the latest "form"?  Just asking.  Whatever we do needs to be born of God.  Even if you are the ONLY one doing it.  

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