As the Institutional Church in America struggles an underground Church emerges in the shadow of a recent men’s conference hosted by the James River Church. For context see Mark Discoll Kicked Off Stage for Calling This Out and This Christian Conference Brought a Stripper to Perform.
The recent event, debacle, at the James River Church’s Men’s Conference highlights the fruit of much of the Church in America that has majored on entertainment. It’s great for megachurches if you measure growth by ticket sales and or attendance and terrible when it comes to discipleship and discernment. There is a judgment unfolding in America and it began in the Church.
I only mention a couple of recent examples but the truth is, God has been at work cleansing house for a long time, only it is not through celebrity but through the unknown. Unfortunately, much of America has been groomed to be entertained, but I submit to you, this is not the real story.
There is an underground movement that has been moving back into homes, house churches, real community, with discipleship, focus on God’s word, and using all the gifts; apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to EQUIP THE SAINTS FOR THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY (Ephesians 4:11-15).
But you don’t hardly ever see or hear any of this. Why? Because their focus is not…. entertainment…. nor building a successful ministry or church. Their focus are on the things that heaven uses to define success rather than the metrics men love. It has far more to do with love working through faith, the character Christ displayed and the cross applied daily in their own lives than it does with a big building used to draw large crowds to be entertained.
