Consumer Christianity

In a recent sermon entitled “Growing Weary and Losing Heart,” Stuart Briscoe said the following compelling statements:

I am convinced that contemporary American culture militates against discipleship.

The biggest hindrance is materialism in which things are viewed as necessary within American culture . . . but they are not necessary at all for discipleship but in the way.

The Christian journal Leadership recently featured an online article about this very topic, which is well worth reading, along with the response comments.

Are we ‘shopping’ for church?

Is our faith just one more thing that we’ve ‘bought’, and can just as easily sell or throw away?

Have we substituted the life of discipleship – apprenticeship to the master teacher, Jesus Christ – for the life of instant gratification through materialism?

God help us, if we have.