May 23, 2024 / Are you a Consumer Christian or a Disciple of Jesus?

Hey, Calvary Fremont –

Are you a Consumer Christian or a Disciple of Jesus? What’s the difference?

A Consumer asks, “Does this please me?” A Disciple asks, “Does this please God?” A Consumer asks, “What will I get out of it?” A Disciple asks, “What can I put into it?” A Consumer has their comfort in focus. A Disciple has God’s glory in focus. Consider this passage –

In those days I also saw that the Jews had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab. As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them was able to speak the language of Judah, but the language of his own people. Nehemiah 13:23-24

Unfortunately, it seems that with Consumer Christianity, half speak the language of the Marketplace and none is able to speak the language of Discipleship. Pastors have learned to address Christians as Consumers and not as Disciples. Let’s consider the Church Prayer Meeting – the least attended scheduled meeting of the church. A lot of pastors think that they have to ‘sell’ the Prayer Meeting to the congregation. (Please note that the word ‘sell’ is a Marketplace word.) A lot of pastors have learned how to speak Marketplace in the attempt to convince the Consumer Christian that it is in their best interest to come out and pray.

“You’ll be blessed if you come and pray.”

“You’ll meet God in a new and powerful way if you come and pray.”

“Your faith will grow as it is exercised in prayer.”

Notice the emphasis: here’s what you will get out of it; here’s how this will benefit you. On the other hand, the language of Discipleship calls the church to pray because God commands us to pray and to call on His name and fall on our face and intercede for the needs of the church, our city, our state, our nation, and all the nations.

It’s already a defeat for the Church in that Marketplace language is used in the first place. It also reveals a pastor’s assumption that this is the only language the people in his ministry will understand. Consumers have to be coaxed with promises. Disciples are ready to go. Consumers wonder how much it’s going to cost them. Disciples have already paid the price. A pastor shouldn’t have to sell the Church Prayer Meeting to the people!

Consumers want to be served; Disciples want to serve. Consumers need to be pampered; Disciples want to be challenged. Consumers want to pay as little as they can to get as much as they can; Disciples pay full price for whatever God has for them.

It is easy to fall into the trap of speaking to the Church as one speaks to Consumers. Consumer loyalty is a thing to be coveted, and so pastors appeal to the self interest of the Consumer and seek to convince them how their product, their church, will make them happy. Why would someone buy your product if it wasn’t in their best self-interest? It’s easy for pastors to see the people in the church as Consumers and not as Disciples. It’s easy to speak the language of the Marketplace and not the language of Discipleship. It’s commonplace to invite people to attend our church because of all the things we can do for you. We have to please you to keep you from going to the church down the street. We appeal to you as Consumers of religious products and not as Disciples of the Living God. God forgive us this nonsense.

To be continued…

Be blessed and stay healthy and follow Jesus – Pastor Tim