FAST FOOD RELIGION

We all know what we are talking about when we talk about fast food. In most cases it is food prepared by others to a set formula and which has very little nutritional value. Its main purpose is to fill you up as cheaply as possible without you having to put in any effort in its preparation and cooking. If you are eating out it is delivered to you on a plate or tray. If you are eating in home, all you need is a microwave or oven to heat it up.

Fast foods generally have little value to you in respect of your overall health and well being. A healthy meal needs thought, time purchasing the right ingredients, preparation and then cooking to get the best nutritional value out of them.

In the New Testament Church, they spent their time dishing up healthy Christianity. The fast food variety was virtually non-existent. They spent time with each other on a daily basis (fresh); they spent time teaching each other; they spent time praying together; and they spent time eating together.

You might say they lived in each other’s pockets. As a result no one was in need because if anyone had a need, the church met it with funds from other members who were not in need.

Fast forward to today and you primarily have a church that functions on fast food religion. Most of what we do is organised to get us in and out as quick as possible. The meeting starts at the dot of 11am and finished on the dot of 12am.

If the preacher dares to go over for five minutes he is greeted with people consulting their watches and heavy breathing (sort of).

We then go home and eat our non fast food lunch (on Sundays we have time to prepare the food) and are never seen again until 11am the following Sunday. The church may have a midweek prayer meeting with about 10 in attendance (if you are lucky).

If there is a good social programme going, you will get a few attending those gatherings.

The church of the New Testament changed the world in 30 years. The church of today couldn’t change a nappy (diaper).

Fast food religion is the flavour of the month today. Either a short and sweet meeting that doesn’t demand too much, or a jump up and down bless me club that will satisfy my taste buds so that I will be convinced to come to more jump up and down meetings that will satisfy my taste buds.

In neither meeting, will you see anyone taking up their cross and following Jesus. They would rather take up their McChristian Burger with French fries, eat it in the allotted time and then go on their way. If you have time, you will treat yourself to a McChristian Sundae which is OK as it is after all…Sunday.

What the leadership of most churches haven’t discovered is that fast food religion is killing off Christianity. They would rather produce consumers who like their brand of religion rather than dedicated disciples who change the world. What you end up with is Christians who are fed a second rate diet of McChristian Burgers instead of being offered a hunger satisfying T bone