In our world today of religious conglomerates, church has become big business. As we observe the electronic churches with their television personalities taking in their millions, we are tempted to ask, Is God for sale? Have we packaged religion in neat, syrupy sermons and wrapped it in emotionally draining songs to give it consumer appeal? Have we resorted to the gimmicks of Wall Street rather than the Golgotha inspired sacrifices of the New Testament? Have we allowed the search for mammon to hinder our search for souls? Hopefully, these questions represent the extreme and the religious landscape is not what it appears. Surely the manufacturers of high-powered religious showmanship are sincere even though their product is sometimes shallow and misleading. Surely the people of God will become less gullible when they realize that para-church never becomes the full body of Christ.
It would certainly be unkind and unnecessary to discount any good from these hyper salespeople of religion. Yet, it would be devastating if that were all we had. We must never forsake the assembling of ourselves together as a body of believers to minister to one another in a humble, sincere and Godly way. There is something quite profound when two or three are gathered together in His name and God is present.
