Revival or Empty Religion?

Unfortunately, many people in the church today believe that there actually is revival taking place right now because of things like growing churches (mainly due to purpose-driven stuff, “feel good” sermons, easy believism, and slick marketing campaigns), and also because of things like Christian concerts where everyone’s so excited to “worship” together.

The whole Christian concert thing is a sore point with our family. My oldest daughter (now age 20) stopped attending Christian concerts after going to several large regional Creation Fest (pictured at right) sorts of things with friends during her high school years.

The commercialization of Christianity absolutely repulsed her. After paying a pretty large entrance fee, the festival goers then spent probably hundreds of dollars each on the vast array of “I Mosh for Jesus” and band T-shirts, bumper-stickers, CD’s, and other “Jesus junk” displayed throughout the festival grounds.

She was also incredibly disturbed by all the scantily clad girls jumping up and down and screaming, “Oh, that guitar player is so HOT!”

And then the exact same girls would be talking after the concert about what an awesome “worship” experience they’d had at the show. (”Yeah, but what were they worshiping?” my daughter found herself wondering. I think the answer is that they were worshiping the hot guy … and the music … and the “experience”, but not Jesus.)

My daughter heard so many people at the various festivals comment about the “revival” that they see sweeping America. They seemed to feel that the size of the crowds at festivals and the enthusiasm of the “worshipers” were the absolute proofs of revival.

But my daughter came away from the festivals with exactly the opposite appraisal of the state of modern Christianity.

She decided that the modern Church is now so apostate that the average church-goer and young (or old!) concert “worshiper” wouldn’t recognize true worship … or true repentance … or true revival … or true faith if those things reached up and bit ‘em in the rear.

And I’ve gotta say that I agree with her view of the modern Church.

“Ed”