Better Than Show Business
I have never been much into show business. Looking back at my life, the most entertainment that I participated in was associated with band performances, most notably pep band and marching band in college. In my time in the college marching band, the biggest audience I ever helped entertain was at the 1994 Rose Bowl in which the Wisconsin Badgers beat the UCLA Bruins by a score of 21-16 in front of a crowd of 101,237. Even though I was only one of 16 tuba players in a band of 220, there was a thrill and an expectation to put on a good the best show for the audience. For the 15 minutes that we would spend in the big show, we spent a whole week in Pasadena, touring, practicing our routine, and performing at various pep rallies. And what did we do in that time outside of the show? As we used to say in band, “we drink a lot, we cuss a lot, and if you don’t like it then **** you!”. We said it as a joke, but it was all too true. Aside from the 15 minutes in the show, almost everyone in the band – including myself – lived reprobate lifestyles. It is sad to think that so many in all of show business live hours, days, weeks, and years of misery only to put on momentary shows for their audience.
Fortunately, we would never do that with God’s holy church, or would we? Is it not a business when churches spend the big bucks to perform and produce the music that will draw a big audience every week? Is it not a show when so many preachers entertain their audience with “your best life now” and so few prepare sinners for the eternal glories of salvation? Is it not a business when churches are more focused on maintaining their buildings and payrolls than on supporting widows, orphans, and missionaries? Is it not a show when preachers encourage their congregation to pray and study God’s word but fail to practice what they preach? How many preachers and church leaders put on a good show on Sunday, but live miserable, godless lives the rest of the week?
And watch out, it can happen in the pew as well. Are you born again and part of the body of Christ or do you merely go to church? Are you tithing what God has given to you or are you putting some money in the plate as though it was a cover charge? Are you leading your children in an eternal relationship with Jesus or just training them to sit still and look good for an hour during the show? Are you learning from the preaching of the word of God and changing or do you pick and choose which parts to obey? Is your Christianity a seven day a week walk with Jesus or is it a one day a week performance?
To be clear, God is worth every part and more of our business and worthy of the greatest show on earth. But show business is not what God wants from us. He wants something even better. And what could be better than show business?
“With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:6-8