What is it that the church is selling? If that question seems bizarre then so should the practices of so many churches, because it appears that they approach ministry just like the commercial world. For a retail business to grow and expand there are several elements that it must balance. They must have a product that people want, they must offer that product at a price people are willing to pay, their stores ought to have an environment that is conducive to sales and attractive to customers, and they need a good marketing strategy. If a company balances all of these things well, you can expect them to attract lots of customers, make a good profit, and potentially expand their brand. But do these things all transfer to the church? There are many who think so, and they take such “marketing” practices to such an extreme that Christ is simply lost in the process.
Well, let’s examine if the church has a product to sell. Is God for sale? Surely, God is not for sale. Is it the Gospel – Is the Gospel for sale? Not according to 2Cor. 2:17 – “For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.” The Gospel is clearly meant to be declared and delivered and not sold. Thus it is not a product, but rather a gift. But, I’d argue that much of American Evangelicalism does indeed view the Gospel as a product – And understanding this distinction explains so much of what they do.
It starts at the top: As businesses hire celebrities to push their products, many “churches” favor flashy and charismatic individuals to push theirs as well – These “celebrity-pastors” are so often nothing more than expert salesmen who have perfected the art of coercion and appeal. They tell the story of Christ like a television commercial – “It will bring you joy, and prosperity, and healing, and salvation – Come and get Jesus, it will be the best purchase of your life… And we have a bite-size version for your kids too!” The problem with all of this becomes apparent when we consider that when the world sells a product, they customize it to suit their customer base. They alter it to better affix it to the customer’s desires. Sometimes, the price of the product is reduced so that more customers will purchase it. And at other times the product is altered to save on costs to the seller (which diminishes the product’s quality – And it is hoped that the customers won’t notice).
Of course, the Gospel cannot be changed or altered; to change it would be to make it something other than what it actually is. Additionally, you cannot lower the cost of the Gospel – It is a free gift to those who repent and surrender by faith to the claims of that Gospel. Herein lies the rub. In order to “sell” the Gospel to more customers the claims of obedience that are demanded are left out – They only market the message on the grounds of its positive side effects. This has been done so broadly that many today do not believe that there is an obedience demanded in the Gospel message at all, but only faith. O how many Scriptures would refute such a notion (2Cor. 2:9, Jn. 3:36, 14:21, 15:10; Jam. 2:14-26, etc.). In view of the weight of the Scriptures, this “cheap” version of the Gospel turns out to be no Gospel at all!
But, even more, there are actually no customers for the real Gospel. The reason for this is: Customers self-determine what their needs are. The Gospel runs against the grain of what everyone in their unrepentant state desires for themselves. “Spiritual” customers, with a fallen nature, may be desirous of some soothing therapy, or interested in some self-help technique, and possibly even some moral-living instruction (so long as they remain sovereign and can choose the lesson). But they do not want a message that condemns them in their sins, that magnifies the holiness of God, that demands their submission to Him, and calls them to deny themselves to follow after Him. There is no market for a “product” like that.
The conclusion of the matter is this: The Gospel is not a product! It is neither subject to alteration to fit the appetites of men, nor available at a reduced price – The Gospel must be proclaimed in its full glory. And when the Gospel is proclaimed as it should be, the Spirit of God will apply it according to the will of God. Rather than the Gospel being adjusted to suit men, the Spirit will actually transform men to be suitable to the Gospel! This is their only hope. With this in mind, all other attempts to modify it and to surround it with flashy promotion and niceties are shown to be powerless and errant. All those who are promoting a diluted or diminished Gospel are heretics, and their ministries should be avoided with extreme prejudice. O that the church could see through the malaise of trendy marketing and past the alluring catch-phrases. O that the church would expel such messengers and methodologies, and pursue fidelity to the true Gospel and the Lord.
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