If you have not heard the term, the “social gospel” modifies the gospel of Christ to try to make it more appealing to man. This is nothing new. The church at Corinth combined social activities with the work of the church, and they were rebuked for it (I Cor. 11:22). Is there anything wrong with Christians being social? Of course not. But when you make it a work of the church, you have erred.

Many religious groups organize “trunk and treat” events for kids. The appeal to both the members of the group and the broader community is obvious – the community enjoys a free event, and the church makes contact with new people. Churches also attempt this by organizing camps and building gyms and recreation halls.

Many people are attracted to fun and frolic. Churches must keep offering these things to keep them though. Moreover, churches must keep making their events bigger and better to compete with the other churches offering fun. Where is the gospel amid all this? This sounds just like what got Israel in trouble. They wanted to be like the other nations and demanded a king (I Sam. 8:5). This did not go over well because they were rejecting God as their true ruler (verse 7).

Some churches do not use social activities to create openings to teach the gospel. They might only use them to get their own members together. If that is the case, these activities are problematically being used to maintain members rather than the gospel (Eph. 4:11-12).

People have always made compromises in the name of “good intentions.” The problem is, good intentions without Biblical support is nothing more than glorified rebellion.  When people start to reason, “What’s the harm?” they have forgotten the most import question, “What does God say?” Whether attracting new members using social activities or only offering them to existing ones, churches are substituting fun for the gospel. May we respect the Lord and what He has said by making sure we have Biblical authority for everything that we do.

Chuck

Things people think the church is

Imagine going to a mechanic and asking him to perform open heart surgery on you. This seems odd to you because you know what a mechanic does and does not do. There is a similar issue with the church that Jesus built (Matt. 16:18; Acts 20:28). Everyone has expectations for the church, but not all of these expectations are Biblical. Here is a list for us to consider:

The church is not in the money-making business

Local bodies of Christians (a church) must take care of their financial obligations via free-will offerings when gathered on the first day of the week (I Cor. 16:1-2). However, many religious sects think they are authorized to solicit funds from any person at any time by any means. I have seen “church” websites asking for donations. They also sell T-shirts and other merchandise to raise money. Religious groups also set up pre-schools, chicken dinners and yard sales with the intent to generate revenue. We should not be surprised that “churches” that are run like businesses and spend so much time focused on money are not following their spiritual head – Christ (Col. 1:18).

The church is not a social club

Christians truly enjoy being with one another, and this is not a bad thing. They are to have social interaction (Acts 2:46). If you do not enjoy being around your brothers and sisters while on earth, why would you want to spend eternity with them in heaven?  Yet many religious groups think the local church should focus on social matters rather than spiritual ones. I Corinthians 11:22 will help illustrate the difference. This is where brethren were told that if they wanted to have a feast and gather socially, they should gather and eat at home rather than doing so as an official act of the church. Despite this instruction, many religious sects today use church funds to plan senior citizen trips, youth lock-ins and sports leagues. When so many people do not discern between spiritual and social activities, we should not be surprised that people expect the church to serve as a social club.

The church is not in the entertainment business

This is not a repeat of the last point, although it is related. Worship of God should not become a theatrical production. Many churches use light shows, bands, loud music and other forms of entertainment during worship. These things might make worship more pleasing for “man”, but this means that the worship is no longer about God and His Son. True worship is for the Lord (John 4:24). You cannot expect God to approve of worship just because it makes you feel good (Gen. 4:1-4; Matt. 15:7-9).  Some people defend this behavior by pointing to the results – the large crowds that often attend these sorts of worship services. This argument misses the point. The gospel should be the only tool we need to reach people (Rom. 1:16). The power is in the gospel, not in the man who helps deliver it (I Cor. 2:1-5).

The church is not whatever you want it to be

Many people think that they can attend the church of their choice because they think that Christ will accept whatever makes them happy.  This thinking does not reflect the Jesus we read about in the Bible. We need to remember the church belongs to Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:22-23). People who start churches today based on any other pattern or influence are not following Him. Our Lord is the one who has ALL authority, meaning that the church does not have any authority. It does not matter what the “church” says – it only matters what Christ has said (II John 9).

You can justify where you attend by saying, “I get so much from where I attend.” But what does the Lord get? He demands faithfulness (Col. 3:17).                                               

Chuck