The Church of the Marketplace II

I. Introduction: The free market principles are a cornerstone of American society. In order to be successful businesses must find what people want and deliver it to them at a profit. Many churches have followed this trend—offering what the public wants in order to build up their attendance. The temptation to please men has always been a danger for the church.

[!NOTE] Primary Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:4-13

II. Desire for respectability and popularity

A. We all want to be liked and respected

B. It is a part of our social nature However, many will sacrifice their convictions and do things that are shameful in order to fit in with others. Acceptance becomes more important than principles.

C. The church is also at risk for there are change agents who want to alter the worship and biblical teachings to gain respectability

D. Some do not want the worship to look backward or old-fashioned Some do not want to be embarrassed by “narrow” teaching They want to fit in with the broader religious world not make waves.

E. Popularity and numbers should never be the church’s goal

III. God’s people have always been in the minority – a very small minority

A. The ancient world was destroyed for wickedness but only eight were saved

B. The populations of Sodom and Gomorrah were depraved

C. Only Lot, his wife, and his daughters were saved Genesis 19:9 – the people resented Lot’s opposition to their lives

D. The majority of those who left the captivity in Egypt would not invade the land of Canaan like God commanded. Out of those million or so people only Joshua and Caleb were able to go to the Promised Land.

E. Israel became exceedingly wicked so that God took them into captivity but preserved a very small but faithful remnant.

F. Matthew 7:13-14 – Narrow road leads to life and few find it

IV. Change for crowds

A. The church of the marketplace changes its worship and doctrines to be acceptable and entertaining to the people of the world and to get large crowds

B. The primary question is not “what pleases God” but “what do people want?”

C. The mega-churches that have sprung up in recent years based their worship on door-to-door surveys of people who were not going to church anywhere and molding a church to fit their desires Their church was founded around the desires of those who cared little about worshipping God in the first place. This approach is like parents asking children what they think should be the diet of the household: candy, Mc Donalds, and pizza may be tasty but not good for them and eventually they will get sick and die on such a diet. People who must be appeased in order to come to worship will follow fads freely and leave when the novelty has worn off.

D. It is always a failure to try to please others instead of pleasing God

E. Though we would like to see many people worship, our desire should not to have big numbers but that what numbers are here are faithful to God’s will.

F. Must not be jealous of other religious groups but jealous for God’s approval1 Thessalonians 2:4 – pleasing men and not God The popular religious world of the first century rejected Jesus and the early church; instead of altering the word or changing the church, Jesus and the apostles “turned the world upside down” by changing men and women with the gospel. Matthew 10:34-38 – Christ is divisive but we must be on His side Luke 6:26 – “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets.” We want God to speak well of us.

V. What is not discussed

A. We are not talking about honest Christians reasoning from the word to determine what is the worship and the work of the church.

B. We are talking about those who have long ago said that the doctrines of the Bible are irrelevant to modern issues and that there is no absolute truth

C. Brethren studying the Bible to determine if a position or practice is authorized still recognize the authority of the Bible. Brethren who study issues to determine if our position or practice is based on scripture or tradition are trying to determine what God wants and how we must follow His will—these are not the subject of this study. These brethren recognize that good men and women have disagreed about certain issues and want to be sure of what God’s will is and follow it. The danger to the church is not those who study God’s word and call for changes to conform to His world but those who care little for God’s authority and want change to follow the latest fads or to be rebellious—those are the change agents. A change agent is not one trying to determine the truth because he recognizes the authority of gospel and wants to live consistent with it.

D. Al Diestelcamp: very conservative: “Unfinished Work of Restoration”

VI. There is a church of the marketplace; a church that will alter its doctrine and practices for mass appeal. It does not oppose much because it would appear mean-spirited, insensitive, and narrow. It replaces almighty God with a weak ineffective idol of a God who accepts everything, demands little, and expects nothing. God is an ornament for their lives and the patron of their humanistic causes. Their Jesus is a savior but not a judge. He calls them to repentance but allows them to practice what they are unwilling to give up. Pleasing and entertaining man is the object of the worship. The church exists to serve man’s needs. God is invited to the assembly which talks and sings of Him, but is not allowed to make stringent demands of the people.

VII. The Lord’s church is a unique body of believers called out of the darkness of the world, called to reformation and transformation, following the Lord’s will not their own whims.

VIII. Church of the Marketplace II