Lights. Music. A good speech. Announcements. Video. Say hi to a few people. A nap. Football. Is this what your Sundays look like? Are you a consumer Christian? What does the rest of your week look like? Alarm clock. Get the kids ready for school. Commute. Meetings. Procrastination. Productivity. Watch the clock. Commute. Homework. TV. Social media. Consumer Christians take their faith just like any other part of their life.
What did you hear at church this weekend? Do you even remember? We can have a short-term memory when it comes to what we are consuming. Do you remember everything you ate last week or purchased over the course of the past month? Our short-term memory helps businesses sell more to us, but it does not help us grow in our faith or spread the Gospel to others.
I know this is not true of everyone, but the church in America has generally become a culture of consumer Christians. We go to a building on the weekend to get fed and attend small groups during the week to get more biblical food. We read inspirational books and listen to positive and encouraging K-Love, but how many of us have taken the instructions of our Savior to heart. How many of us are acting on what Jesus Christ has told us to do?
Jesus never told us to get fat on the Scripture and keep it all to ourselves. The Bible doesn’t say to believe in Christ and then go right back to our daily grind. We are to confess with our mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe He was raised from the dead in order to be saved (Romans 10:9). There is action there in opening our mouths and professing our faith.
With all authority, Jesus gives the charge to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to do what He has commanded (Matthew 28:18-20). He didn’t say “Great! You’re saved. Good job. See you in heaven.” Jesus commanded His disciples to make more disciples, baptize them, and teach them to go and do the same. That means that we have all been commanded to make disciples. No one is called to be a consumer Christian. We are all called to share our faith and grow The Church.
There is nothing wrong with going to church and small groups. It is important to study The Word of God and worship with other believers. Those things are not what being a Christian is about. Being a Christian is about coming along side of others and discipling them, teaching them to do the same in order to bring glory to God. It starts with a relationship with Jesus, and continues through bringing others into that relationship as well. Rather than getting spiritually fat as consumer Christians, we need to feed the hungry and make disciples.