Showtime?

This morning as I prepare my heart for corporate worship with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, I am reminded by this article of the type of worship services me and my wife have come out of recently and how important it is to join in a biblical worship service instead of the ever growing showtime religion that seems to be so popular today. Below is a quote from John MacArthur's article.

"Can the church fight apathy and materialism by feeding people's appetite for entertainment? Evidently many in the church believe the answer is yes, as church after church jumps on the show-business bandwagon. It is a troubling trend that is luring many otherwise orthodox churches away from biblical priorities.

Church buildings are being constructed like theatres. Instead of a pulpit, the focus is a stage. Some feature massive platforms that revolve or raise and lower, with colored lights and huge sound boards. Shepherds are giving way to media specialists, programming consultants, stage directors, special effects experts, and choreographers.

The idea is to give the audience what they want. Tailor the church service to whatever will draw a crowd. As a result, pastors are more like politicians than shepherds, looking to appeal to the public rather than leading and building the flock God gave them. The congregation is served a slick, professional show, where drama, pop music, and maybe a soft-sell sermon constitute the worship service. But the emphasis isn't on worship, it's on entertainment."

Excerpt taken from an article by John MacArthur titled "Gimme That Showtime Religion".