Trappings Of The World

[JimsHelpmeet]

I will never understand promoting wordly entertainment to boost your numbers. How about reaching people with the plain old Gospel? It works! The apostle Paul didn't use wordly trappings to preach. He had God's Word. Nothing more, nothing less. Today you have churches doing this:

 

http://www.cbs46.com/story/25343497/church-holds-fight-club-to-attract-members

 

This church is holding a fight club every Friday night to entice men to come. Whatever happened to good 'ol hymn singing and preaching and let the Holy Spirit do the rest of the work? Nothing wrong with healthy, competitive sport, but not in the house of God, please. 

[LindaR]

Whatever worldly means draws people to church, will keep those people in that church.  Take away the "gimicks" and the people will leave and find another church where they can be entertained by more "gimicks".  

 

Doesn't the Bible teach us not to be "conformed to this world" but to be "transformed by the renewing of our minds"? (Romans 12:2) 

[swathdiver]

When the walls of separation come down and the goats take over the local church, this is the end result.  The wannabe sheep think they know better than God.

[John81]

We've actually had a couple families start attending our church this year who were previously attending one of those entertainment churches. Both said they had been in a Baptist church that had been going in a bad direction and that's why they had first visited the entertainment church. While that entertainment church wasn't really what they were looking for, they got caught up in the excitement and how the people seemed alive and engaged. After about a year of attending the entertainment church they finally realized that's all they were getting, entertainment.

 

They longed for bold, solid Bible preaching, Sunday school, youth groups and Bible studies designed to draw folks to Christ rather than play. Their old Baptist church had only got worse during their year away so they started asking and looking around. They heard about our church and someone told them our church is "okay, but they mostly just preach and teach the Bible; they aren't as exciting as some other churches". Well, we take that as a compliment! The families looking for a church took that as a reason to visit us. They have been attending regularly for most of this year now and are involved and growing in the Lord.

[Pastor Scott Markle]

 They heard about our church and someone told them our church is "okay, but they mostly just preach and teach the Bible; they aren't as exciting as some other churches". Well, we take that as a compliment! 

 

Amen, and AMEN!

 

Draw a crowd and excite the masses -- Entertainment can certainly do this.  

TRANSFORM HEARTS AND LIVES SPIRITUALLY -- Entertainment is a complete failure at this.