There’s a reason why all the mega churches at Christmas time all seem to have the same messages, they’re buying prepackaged Laodicean ‘sermon kits’ from apostates

Have you ever wondered why so many of the ‘big churches’ all kind of look the same, the pastors all kind of dress the same, and their sermon series absolutely all look and sound the same? What if I told you that these Laodicean pulpit pretenders, far from being Bible preachers, are buying their sermons, outlines, stage decorations and everything else they need in prepackaged kits made available from people like Andy Stanley, Craig Rochelle, Rick Warren and a few others.

“For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.” Acts 20:29 (KJB)

Whenever I go on YouTube, I see videos of church after church offering what looks like the exact same sermon series entitled ‘Christmas At The Movies’, where in a desperate attempt to stay relevant, they preach messages on Hollywood movies where they attempt to pull the gospel out of films like ‘Diehard’, ‘Elf’, and many others. These churches put on a lavish spectacle that draws them in by the hundreds of thousands, entertaining them with the world followed by a lukewarm ‘gospel invitation’ at the end. This is not a church service, this is worldly entertainment, and the worst part, it’s not even original, the pastors are purchasing premade sermon kits. So why do I write this on Christmas Eve? For a few reasons.

1). It trains people to want entertainment instead of sound doctrine

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2 Timothy 4:2-4 (KJB)

Paul says that in the last days before the Rapture of the Church, Bible preaching and doctrine would be missing from the pulpits, and that people would want to have their ears tickled instead. These Laodicean fake preachers are only too happy to step and fill the void with garish end times spectacles that look like the world and sound like the world.

2). It breeds shallow and selective teaching instead of giving you the whole counsel of God

“For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” Acts 20:27-30 (KJB)

While it makes for an occasionally interesting illustration, attempting to ‘find the gospel’ in the movies and in secular culture, it brings in not only Hollywood but with it a relative and humanist perspective creating something that is weak, deceptive and ultimately not the gospel once delivered to the saints. For example, there may be some unintentional gospel references in a movie like ‘Diehard’, which then leads people to go and watch ‘Diehard’, where they will be exposed to filthy language, a variety of sins and bad behavior, with the Name of the Lord constantly taken in vain.

3). It commercializes the pulpit

“And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” 2 Peter 2:3 (KJB)

Prepackaged series are usually a product—graphics kits, scripts, small-group material, merch, and licensing which turns the church into a brand. It crosses the line from ministry to marketing. If people applaud when the pastor comes out, that’s not preaching that’s a production.

In conclusion, think about the following. If you attend one of these churches, are you satisfied knowing that everything coming out of the preacher’s mouth he got, not from personal study time in his Bible, but from a marketing company? People who do that are not preachers in the biblical sense, they are actors following a script that they purchased with money to get a desired reaction from you. This is not finding the gospel in Hollywood, this is giving you Hollywood instead of the gospel.

Find yourself a small, old-fashioned church that believes the King James Bible, sings the old hymns of Zion from a handheld paper hymnal, and the pastor preaches doctrinal truth from a wooden pulpit. The Church was never meant to be the place for pizza parties and movie nights, it was never meant to provide programs to keep your kids busy. The Church was created by the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross, to preach and teach the words of God as He has preserved them, for the salvation of lost souls and the building up of the body of Christ. Find yourself a church like that.

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The post If You’ve Ever Wondered Why So Many Laodicean Churches Have The Same Holiday-Themed Messages It’s Because They’re Buying Prepackaged Sermons appeared first on Now The End Begins.