The "Business Model" Of The World In The Church (part 1)
- overcomer41
- Mar 28
- 15 min read
1 Samuel 8:1-8 – Rejecting the Lordship of Jesus Christ. See the note below.
1 And it came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons judges over Israel.
2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in Beersheba.
3 His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah;
5 and they said to him, "Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations."
6 But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the Lord.
7 The Lord said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected [3988- “to reject, refuse, despise”] you, but they have rejected [3988] Me from being king over them. [i.e. rejected His lordship over them; see the Bible study Lordship]
8 "Like all the deeds [4639- “a deed, a work, pursuit, business, a product”; see the section below called The Business Of Church] which they have done since the day that I brought them up [5927- “to go up, to ascend, to climb, to rise”] from Egypt even to this day — in that they have forsaken [5800- “to leave, to loose, to forsake, to abandon, to let go, to apostatize”] Me and served other gods — so they are doing to you also.
NASU
In this passage, Israel demands a king other than God. They chose to not remain under His Lordship, His rule, or government over them. Instead, they wanted to become like the nations around them, led by a person. It would cost them dearly. This exact thing is occurring in the church today. We now look to the world for its “business model” on how we should operate (i.e. branding, marketing, meeting “consumers” needs, etc.) rather than God’s word for His way (see 1 Corinthians 14:20-40). This is a sure sign that, like the children of Israel, His people have rejected His lordship (i.e. supremacy, authority) over them.
There is a significant difference between the brand of the world and the brand of the Lord. Brand is defined as;
a type of product manufactured by a particular company under a particular name; to assign a brand name to; “a new brand of detergent”
an identifying mark burned on livestock or (formerly) criminals or slaves with a branding iron; to mark with a branding iron; “the brand on a sheep identifies it as mine” [It’s interesting that the example of branding sheep was used. See the Bible study The Distinguishing Mark for God’s identifying mark.]
From the article “Define Your Brand”;
Define Your Brand – Your brand is the image customers have of your business, so take the time to define it thoughtfully and early, before the market does it for you. That way, your company’s image will be what you intend it to be. It should be strategic and intentional. Discover how to get your business to stand out from its competitors [i.e. other local churches] in a positive way.
Define Your Unique Value Proposition – Clearly describe what it is you offer your customers. Explain why they should deal with you and what sets your business [church] apart from competitors [all the other local churches]. Is it caring customer service? Product quality? Reliability? Speed and convenience? [In the church: better programs, comfortable seating, non-confrontive preaching, inclusiveness for all sinners (without judgment or conviction of course), ad nauseam…] Don’t try to be all things to all people [hmmm, I think they missed this part]. Focus on what you do best and the value you bring to your customers [“consumer-driven” church]. Let that drive your core brand message.
Identify Your Target Markets – Thoroughly define your customer needs and how your business will satisfy them. Conduct market research if you need to [the “seeker-friendly” church; survey the neighborhoods to find out what they would like in a church]. Get to know your target markets and your customers’ needs and aspirations. Understand and convey clearly to customers how you can help meet their needs [again, the “consumer-driven” church].
Define Your Employer Brand – What sets you apart as an employer and community member? As a company, what is your mission? What are your core values? And how does that translate into a unique value proposition? How does it make you more attractive as an employer? For example, if you have a reputation as a great place for employees with families because of wide-ranging employee benefits and flexible work arrangements [the spiritual “family benefit” programs of man; see Psalm 103:1-5 for God’s “family benefit package”], that could help you attract and retain the best people. And that, in turn, can strengthen your overall brand.
Whose “Brand” Do We Seek?
So the question is, “Whose ‘brand’ do you and I seek after, the world’s, or the Lord’s?”
On 2-27-25 I heard this from the Lord while in prayer; “Oneness in Me, together with your brothers and sisters, will create a “brand” new thing on earth. It will be possible for mankind to do the improbable in these last days. Man will never be the same again once I pour out My Spirit on him…” When this came to me, I knew that the word “brand” was a play on words, which is why I placed quotation marks around it.
On 3-18-25 I heard this; “My trusted servants will be set on fire by My Spirit. Their burning will allow for My “brand” mark to be engraved on the hearts of those who repent.” (Again, see the Bible study The Distinguishing Mark.)
The “Business” Of Church
The Hebrew definition for “deeds” in 1 Samuel 8:8 above is, interestingly enough, “a deed, a work, pursuit, business, a product.”
From the article “The Church Is Not A Business” (https://search.app/6D2iEfbDai6F2uqP9);
(I highly recommend reading the entire article.)
“I used to be a salesman. I sold a lot of different stuff… Really successful companies cater their goods and services to a target, key, core demographic.
People assured me that my experience as a salesman would be beneficial in my pastoral ministry. I heard it a lot. They said there was a lot of overlap between pastors and salespeople. But when I open my Bible and read about Christ’s church, I see a beautiful design that is so much different from a business.
After just a few years in ministry I came to a shocking conclusion. I told others that I served with about it. I was alarmed that my day-to-day activities looked more like a CEO of a business than the shepherd of a flock. This bothered me because of what I read in the Bible [see John 2:13-16]…
The Bible teaches that Christ is the head of the church. Every member is vital...
…when we look to what we see modeled on every corner, we see leadership modeled on worldly models [we’ll talk more on this “Business Model” right below]. We see churches modeled, not on the Scriptures, but on successful businesses and on the Roman system of administration which came long before…
In the business-church model the pastor is the head of the church. Many members are expendable. The crowd of spectators participate by being counted in attendance or contribution numbers. There is a wide separation between the leaders and the congregation. Connection between the members is often minimal, too. The suffering of many makes little to no impact upon the rest of the congregation. People come and go, often without anyone noticing. When they are noticed it is by the finance team or the ushers because they see the numbers are off…
The church is not called to conform their services to the preferences of the people. Instead, the people are called to be conformed by the grace of God into the image of Christ…
The church doesn’t offer services. The church serves. People aren’t called to consume. They are called to repent, believe, and follow Christ. They are called to freely give what they have freely received.
The Bible describes the church as a body, not a business. The business of the body is to make faithful disciples not happy customers. Catering our product to the preferences of our customers may be good business but it has no place in the church (2 Timothy 4:1-4)…”
From the article “The ‘Business Model’ Of The Church,” by Dr. Gary M. Golan (2005)
(To read the article in its entirety, which, again, I highly recommend, go to: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://revfrankhughesjr.org/images/church_growth_business-model-church.pdf);
Introduction: The modern church growth movement seeks to retool the church into a “business model.”
At first thought, most church people think this is a healthy viewpoint because the church conducts the business by handling money, the function of officers, voting, conducting as a corporation, filing legal papers and conducting monthly business meetings in a better way. However, the modern church growth movement's "business model" incorporates this along with much more.
George Barna states “it is time for the church to adopt a whole new paradigm for understanding itself, a model borrowed from the contemporary business world. Like it or not, the church is not only in a market but is itself a business. It has a product to sell, relationship to Jesus and other; its core product is the message of salvation, and each local church is a franchise. The church's pastors will be judged not by their teaching and counseling but their ability to run the church smoothly and efficiently as it were a business. And like any secular business, the church must show a profit, which is to say it must achieve success in penetrating and servicing its market.”
David Wells writes, “George Barna's strategy for revamping the church involves a combination of the technique of big business and the ethos of the recovery group. He argues that the traditional church must free itself from an addition to smallness and then avail itself of the same techniques that marketers use to discover what product will most likely sell in a given area.”
[In Genesis 19:15-25, Lot and his family escaped the judgment of God on Sodom and Gomorrah by going to a “small” town named Zoar (tso’ar “little, insignificance”), that his “soul might live” (v.20). Zechariah 4:10 says, “For who has despised the day of small things [“young, small, insignificant, unimportant”]? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel — these are the eyes of the Lord which range to and fro throughout the earth.”]
What has driven some churches to adopt the business model for the church?
The church is seen in competition with the other religious groups…
The church and her ministry is seen as ineffective in a modern world…
The church is seen as dying out or so small it is not successful.
“George Barna's philosophy is that the traditional church must free itself from an addition to smallness. In order to become a successful megachurch, the church must adopt a business marketing model that meets the consumer's needs…”
The church communicates a negative method of personal evangelism…
What is the outcome of the church as a business model?
The church will have a large number attending, but will have a constant turn over.
“David Wells writes, ‘The consumer, like the marketer, is now making fresh calculations all the time. And so it is that the churches that have adopted the strategy of marketing themselves have effectively installed revolving doors. The pews may be full, but never with the same people from week to week. People keep entering, lured by the church's attractions or just to check out the wares, but then they move on because they feel their needs, real or otherwise, are not being met.’”
What's the problem with the church as a “business model”?
The church has made “social need” sovereign rather than God.
The church has become “worldly.”
“David Wells states, ‘The contemporary marketing of the church, by contrast, seems to be aggressively committed to a vivid this-worldliness operating under the guise of a dedication to the virtue of meeting people's needs. A business is in the market simply to sell its products; it doesn't ask consumers to surrender themselves to the product. The church, on the other hand, does call for such surrender. It is not merely marketing a product…’”
Merchandising The Holy Spirit
In John 2:13-25, Jesus confronts the “money-changers” in the temple. He said to those who were selling doves (the dove is a picture of the Holy Spirit in Matthew 3:16), “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.” This is a picture of the church “merchandising” the Holy Spirit.
Merchandising (from Oxford Languages):
the activity of promoting the sale of goods, especially by their presentation in retail outlets
branded products used to promote a particular movie, popular music group, etc., or linked to a particular fictional character
Excerpts from the article, “What Is Merchandising?”; (https://www.shopify.com/blog/what-is-merchandising)
“Merchandising is everything you do to promote and sell your products once the potential customer is in your store [in your church]. When we talk about merchandise, we are talking about products available for sale, typically in a retail setting.
Since the sales process often starts with the eyes [appealing to the flesh], retail merchandising typically involves presenting products in a visually favorable light, to try and encourage purchases.”
Benefits of merchandising
Some small business owners hire professional visual merchandisers to come in and spruce up their displays and selling floor, finding that the cost is well worth it [in the church, make your sanctuary more exciting, appealing to the “fleshly” senses like the world’s places of entertainment]. But merchandising goes beyond just moving inventory around, to space planning and product staging. Effective merchandising yields:
Higher sales [Many of the leaders of the “mega-churches” have become multi-millionaires by selling their “products.”]
Faster inventory turnover
Buyers who spend more time in the store
More satisfied customers
Increased customer loyalty [In the church, loyalty to a “religious brand,” rather than Christ. Their slogan is usually along the lines of, “Come and see my church,” when it should be, “Come and see Jesus.”]
Stores that present products that customers are frequently looking for in a pleasing display, or tucked away neatly, will find those same customers returning for more on a regular basis. [The goal of the so-called “seeker-friendly” church. Make them feel “happy” and “accepted” by appealing to their flesh, while never directly confronting sin in their lives, thereby “loving” them into hell.]
See Revelation, chapters 17-18 about the “Babylon the great, the Mother of harlots and the abominations of the earth,” – “Come out of her [Babylon the harlot] My people, so that you do not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues.” (Rev. 18:4) Also see the section below titled, “Becoming One With Christ, Or The Harlot Church.”
Becoming One With Christ, Or The Harlot Church
“If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas.”
1 Corinthians 6:16-20 – When connected with a prostitute you become “one” with her. If you remain in a harlot church, you will never become “one” with Christ (Bride and Groom). You must totally separate from them; “Come out from their midst and be separate” (2 Cor. 6:14-18) in order to be welcomed/received by the Lord at His return for His Bride. Without “leaving,” there will be no “cleaving.” Without separation, there will be no arrival.
Revelation 18:1-8 – Come out of the harlot church (i.e. Babylon) or you will receive of her plagues.
From the article, “The Question That Changed My Life”;
While referring to the body of Christ becoming business-like in its operating;
“When the body becomes a business, isn’t that a prostitute?”… YES, IT IS!!!
Turning Back To Egypt
Numbers 14:1-4 – At the end of this chapter, the Lord declared to Moses, “How long will this wicked community [5712- “a congregation, an assembly”] grumble against Me?” Because of this, they would all die in the wilderness, except for Joshua and Caleb. Acts 7:38 refers to the “church/congregation in the wilderness.” The Greek word for “church/congregation,” depending on what version you’re looking at, is ekklesia. It’s defined as “the called-out assembly of Christians.” In like manner, many grumbling Christians today will die before receiving the promised land in Christ. Because of their unbelief (Numbers 14:11), after believing (Exodus 14:31) they will not enter into the final rest of the Lord (Hebrews 3-4).
1 That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud.
2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, "If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert!
3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?"
4 And they said to each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt."
NIV
Acts 7:37-39 – This is part of Stephen’s defense before the Sanhedrin. At the end, he was stoned by them.
37 "This is that Moses who told the Israelites, 'God will send you a prophet like me from your own people.'
38 He was in the assembly in the desert, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to us.
39 "But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.
NIV
Jer. 42 – Once led out of Egypt miraculously by God, the children of Israel wanted to go back to Egypt when called upon to trust His lead (i.e. lordship over them) in the wilderness. God said if they did, they would die.
Genesis 19:26 – Lot’s wife looked back at the place God was judging because her heart was still attached to it. She was then turned into a pillar of salt. Also see Luke 17:32.
Raised Up With Christ
1 Samuel 8:8 – “I brought them up…” [“to go up, to ascend, to climb, to rise”; see Isaiah 1:1-4 below]
When you surrender your life to Jesus as your Lord and Savior, He raises you up with Him so that you are seated with Him in the “third heaven,” as Paul called it (2 Corinthians 12:1-4). Sin, without repentance, causes a Christian to, once again, be under the power of the devil. It creates a crack in our armor that he can use for his advantage.
(From the Bible study Hearing God Through A Clear Channel.)
“When we sin as Christians against the will of God, we lower ourselves back under the devil’s reign (i.e. ‘the prince of the power of the air’ in the ‘second-heaven’) where he can then rightfully rule over us. By remaining in this place of rebellion, the Christian becomes ‘slow of heart’ (i.e. hard-hearted, dullness of heart), slow to believe the truth. Without understanding their critical need to repent so as to be preserved in the time of the Lord’s wrath, they will partake of the great apostasy (i.e. defection from the truth) that will occur among the Lord’s ‘sons of disobedience’ (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
As Paul declared, when we walk according to the world’s ways rather than the will of the Lord, the devil is the one who then becomes ‘alive and active’ in our midst. We now see this in the majority of the churches in America. Knowing the time of the coming again of Christ is near, the devil will be very active in his object of deceiving many in the church whose hearts have become dulled through continued rebellion. The Holy Spirit has warned us that the Lord’s return will be in conjunction ‘with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.’ (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10)
This is why guarding our hearts through obedience to Christ is essential, after we turn to Him, and in particular in this present darkness right before His return. Repentance, when necessary, is the key to maintaining one’s spiritual eyesight. When we sin against God, walking in the course of this world, rather than by the Spirit, we lower ourselves back down to the place where the devil has been given the right of power over us. In this place is where strongholds of the devil are established within us, causing us to not see clearly as we ought to within the spiritual, unseen realm. Victory in spiritual warfare is not possible in this realm when we continue in rebellion against the Lord’s will.”
Isaiah 1:1-4 – Rebelling against the Lordship of Christ. See the note below.
1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
2 Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; for the LORD speaks, "Sons I have reared [1431- “to become strong, to cause to grow (up), to make powerful, to magnify”] and brought up [7311- “to be raised, exalted, to be high, to lift up”], but they have revolted [6586- “to transgress, rebel, apostatize”] against me.
3 "An ox knows its owner, and a donkey its master's manger, but Israel does not know, My people do not understand."
4 Alas, sinful nation, people weighed down with iniquity, offspring [2233- “seed, descendants, children”] of evildoers [7489- “to be bad, evil, to spoil, fig. to make (or be) good for nothing”], sons who act corruptly [7843- “to destroy, to spoil, to ruin, to pervert”]! They have abandoned [5800- “to leave, to loose, to forsake, to let go, to apostatize”] the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away from Him.
(NAS)
God cries out through the prophet against His own people whom He “reared and brought up” (i.e. “Christians” today) but have rebelled against His Lordship over them. This can be said of an individual and a nation. The majority of the institutional church in America has done the same thing. They have loosed themselves from God’s ways and commands, doing their own thing, their own way, with an arrogant, apostate heart. (See the Bible study Binding And Loosing.) Jesus spoke of this very thing in His rebuke of the hypocritical Pharisees and the teachers of the law;
“Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ You have let go [863- “to send away, to let go, to give up, keep no longer”] of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.’ And he said to them: ‘You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!’”
(Mark 7:6-9/NIV)
Through acceptance of the “business model” of the world, the church has committed the same sin. By letting go of “the commands of God,” trading them for the “traditions of men,” they have loosed themselves from God with an apostate heart...
(continued in part 2...)
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