awhile back i posted briefly concerning video churches. ed stetzer has posted his thoughts on these “franchise”/mcchurches (it was also an article in “outreach“) and then he also posted geoff surratt’s response to his questions. i tend to agree with stezer’s thoughts on the matter more than surratt’s.
i know quite a few people who swear by the mcchurches that they are a part of. they always tell me about all the new believers that are coming about as a result of the their video church. of course, my problem is that i don’t know any of these new believers. all the people i know in these franchise churches are old believers who came to the video church from other established churches. i know it’s not a scientific poll but this experience definitely effects how i view these mcchurches.
i don’t think that most of my friends who are not CHRISTians care who andy stanley is and therefore wouldn’t go to a church just because there was a video of his sermon going on there. i haven’t specifically asked them about this so i’m really just guessing here. of course, i’m also guessing this based on the fact that none of my firneds who are not CHRISTians have ever been interested in going to any big CHRISTian conferences where there are big time CHRISTian speakers. it’s my friends who are CHRISTians that wantto go to those conferences, usually because of the big time CHRISTian speakers. so i still feel like my guess is pretty good.
i don’t have any of this mcchurch thing all figured out. about all i know is that it’s not something that i believe would help me to connect with GOD, though it obviously is for others.
For those not already paying attention to these ministries, the thought process must be like this:
Man thinking while clicking through the channels. “Oh, Charles Stanley’s son Andy took over his tv show.”
He clicks some more and shouts to the kitchen. “Hey Martha, remember that Osteen fellow that was preaching on TV? He has a son named Joel.”
After a minute on TBN “Martha! Did you know that kid from Growing Pains is Paul and Jan Crouch’s son? I never knew that. Wow!”
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Now a serious thought:
The bigger your primary weekly “church event” is, the harder it is for the church to practice the one another commands of the New Testament.
Serve one another with the gifts each person has received: 1 Peter 4:10
Serve one another in love: Gal. 5:13
Be kind to each other: 1 Thes. 5:15
Care for one another: 1 Cor. 12:25
Bear the burdens one for another: Gal. 6:1
Wash one another’s feet as a sign of humble servanthood: John 13:14
Work with one another: 1 Cor. 3:9; 2Cor. 6:1
Teach one another: Col. 3:16
Instruct one another: Rom. 14:14
Encourage one another: Col. 3:16; Heb. 10:25
Exhort one another: Heb. 3:13
Speak the truth to one another: Eph. 4:25
Lay down our lives one for another: 1 John 3:16
Spur one another to love and good deeds: Heb. 10:24
Edify one another: 1 Thes. 4:18 y 5:1, 11
Edify one another, gathering together each one with a hymn, word of instruction, revelation, tongue or its interpretation: 1 Cor. 14:26
Confess our sins one to another: James 5:16
Pray for one another: James 5:16
Love one another: Jn 13:34-35; 5:12, 17; Rom 12:10; 1 Thes 4:9; 1 Jn 3:11,14, 23; 4:7,11,12; 2 Jn 1:5; 1 Pet 1:22
Love one another to fulfill the law: Rom. 13:8
Increase our love one for another: 2 Thes. 1:3
Abound in love for another: 1 Thes. 3:12
Love each other deeply, to cover a multitude of sins: 1 Peter 4:8
Have fellowship one with another: 1 John 1:7
Forgive one another: Eph. 3:13; 4:32; Col. 3:13
Greet one another with a holy kiss : Rom 16:16; 1 Cor 16:20; 2 Cor 13:12; 1 Peter 5:14
Wait for one another to break bread: 1 Cor. 11:33
Bear one another’s sufferings: 1 Cor. 12:26
Honor one another: Rom. 12:10
Be of one mind one with another: 2 Cor. 13:11; Rom. 12:16; 15:5
Do not criticize one another: Rom. 14:13
Do not speak bad one of another: James 4:11; 5:9
Submit to one another: Eph. 5:21
Be clothed with humility toward one another: 1 Peter 5:5
Have patience one with another: Eph. 4:2
Live in peace one with another: Matt. 9:50
Receive one another with hospitality: Rom. 15:7; 1 Peter. 4:9
Glorify God together: Rom. 15:6