Today's Devotional

March 2, 2005

Subject:  Paying To Go To Church?

Matthew 14:14 - "And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick." 

This is the passage of the feeding of the 5,000.  It's important to note that, not only did many get healed that day, but they got dinner to go along with it.  It's like the "church" giving out the physical bread of life along with the spiritual bread of life.  What a contrast to what's happening in many churches today.

A friend told me yesterday about a prominent televangelist who just came to town and packed out the arena with people from everywhere.  I was quite shocked when I was also told that they charged an admission fee and then took up a collection inside during the service.  I guess we could've expected it to come to this.  With many preachers today talking about how God wants us all to be millionaires while extolling the virtues of a "cadillac" or "mercedes-benz" faith, it was only a matter of time before we took on the character of the world at the door of the church.  Where will lost people now go looking for a salvation that is free, or relatively free after the cost of a ticket?  

Imagine Jesus during one of his messages, a young man attempts to push past the disciples to come into a room from which Jesus is preaching His message.  Can't you just see Peter checking the young man for admission or a ticket to hear His message?  I doubt it.  Jesus would've rebuked them on the spot for that action.  

I think we as believers need to look hard at what we're saying to the world.  I'm sure there are a million explanations for why this church "needed" to charge an admission fee, but I only have one for why they shouldn't.  We are The Church!  Let's stay set apart.

Carlen