The Eternal Purpose Track \ Ekklesia: Expressing Christ’s life together

9 – Consumer Christianity

Session Overview

Though one of the greatest challenges in Paul’s day was legalism—trying to be justified and sanctified through obedience to the Law—we have different challenges today. Some of the greatest threats to God’s eternal purpose for the church are: Hyper-grace; legalism in the Messianic movement; the prosperity gospel; and an addiction to signs and wonders in the Charismatic movement. However, I think one of the most underrated yet threatening challenges is the institutional, organized concept of church that was passed down to us from Constantine in 325 A.D. The result: The church has become sedated, passive, and fat by a form of spiritual consumerism that is not found in the New Testament. In Paul’s day, he had to confront 1,300 years of legalism so that the church could live by the Spirit together as one body. In our day, we have to confront 1,700 years of consumerism, so that the church can live by the Spirit together as one body. This message looks at the challenge of consumer Christianity and identifies four areas that identify whether one is a consumer Christian.

Bryan Kessler