With a feeling of motivation and conviction I will attempt to address the question as stated in the title of this article with regard to popular religion and many who are following thereafter.  It is no secret that there are many in this country today who call themselves Old Line Primitive Baptists who are departing, or have already departed from the biblical principles, practices and doctrines of the Bible.  Yet while they are departing at an alarming rate, they are being met by opposition.  There are those who still stand firm in the faith, as it was once delivered unto the saints, and as long as this earthly world remains there will be some that refuse to waiver concerning the truth. With this being said, I would like to direct this article to the topic at hand, feeding sheep or entertaining the worldly minded?

Although I have written many articles about the state of liberalism in the true church, in this article I would like to address the gross errors of the departure and reasons behind such a falling away.  Throughout this beautiful land of ours we see many religious orders and denominations.  Careful observation will reveal massive "worship centers," gymnasiums, theaters, campgrounds, retreats and the like, all of which are supposedly dedicated to "serving" the Lord.  These venues are dotted about the landscape and there is hardly an area in the country that doesn't have some sort of contemporary (liberal) organization that calls itself a church.  These organizations create a variety of lures to attract the fish (men) of the world.  Such places could hardly be considered failures by the world's standards, as they do play host to the largest congregations.  Simply drive by on a Sunday morning and view the crowds and it will confirm what I am writing. In our area alone many churches have multiple services each morning.  It is this so-called "prosperity and growth" that has caused many to fall away from the truth.

For any God-called minister to declare the truth as it is in Christ Jesus, and then see those who profess to love and believe in the Lord reject His doctrine, it is indeed upsetting.  Nonetheless it is not ours to open their eyes.  I have often lied awake at night pondering the questions as to why it is that many of those that I love dearly cannot and will not see beyond the errors of popular religion.  I know and realize that if they are ever blest to see and recognize these things that it will have to come by divine revelation.  In a greater sense however, this problem is much more tragic when it applies to a group of brethren of like faith who depart from the old paths.  The departure leads to unrest, division and loss of fellowship, it creates anger and leaves us in mourning.  All because of the desire to be more like the world.

This so-called prosperity and growth is rooted in the love of money or filthy lucre.  It is this very substance that drives many of the so-called churches of the world.  It is the desire to be more like them than leads others to departure.  It initially begins as a subtle toning down of testimony, discipline, doctrine and practice.  It eventually leads to a full-blown conversion into Arminianism and a constant plea to appeal to the masses.  And thus we are now facing the gross error of this departure!  Who is to be fed?  The common error, with the gross departures mentioned above, are rooted in one central agenda, appealing to the masses.  By doing so the congregation will increase and thus the offering plates will flow with cash.  If it sounds like I am describing a business, then you are starting to understand the mentality behind the system. My first contention is that nowhere in the Bible was the early church encouraged to amuse or entertain the masses.  After all, in order to appeal to the masses is this not what these contemporary organizations practice?  The sole purpose is to increase the congregation while "winning souls for Christ."  This gross error provokes them to build gymnasiums so sports-loving individuals will come to the worship center.  They invent new kinds of "worship" services to attract those who find preaching, praying and singing boring.  They allow, and promote, "come as you are" attire, so as not to bother anyone with the need to be appropriately dressed.  These many tolerances lead to the acceptance of individuals into membership who give no evidence of regeneration or spiritual birth, no respect for discipline and, most importantly, no desire for the word of God.  Therefore, if none of these elements are present what do these people hunger for, and what are they being fed?

The Lord instructed Peter to "feed my sheep," and every God-called minister since that time has felt the desire to obediently present his body in continuation of that same command. The Lord never left Peter with the task of sowing and reaping the "feed" for the sheep. Instead, He prepared a thoroughly furnished storehouse and thusly rains down the food to His hungering children as they journey as pilgrims through this barren land.  Like sheep in a pasture they graze for the sweetest and most nourishing food and do not desire the briars and husks of bitterness.  In lay-terms, a child of the King can only receive pure nourishment from the master's table.  Anything else is counterfeit.  When a God-called minister is blest to proclaim the gospel of our salvation, it is food for our weary soul and we can rejoice in another blessing from on high. In contrast however, the methods of popular religion deny the command to "feed my sheep" and it does so by concentrating on entertainment rather than feeding.

Before I go further, understand that the power to feed God's children comes only from God, for He is the only source, and if a member of the ministry is blest to feed one of the feeblest lambs it is by the blessing of a merciful God and to Him be all the glory.  Notice also that it is "sheep" that were to be fed.  Nothing
is said about feeding goats.  Apparently, the misguided believe that they are winning souls for Christ and that they have the power to transform a goat into a sheep. This leads many popular religionists to believe that the only way to get worldlings into the church is by appealing to their worldly lusts.  In fact they are
exactly correct in these assumptions.  The problem, however, is that the tool or instrument that you win them with is exactly what you win them to.  In other words, they aren't winning them to Christ by flowing them to come and compete in the new Baptist Basketball League, or by entertaining them with contemporary music, but they are making better basketball players and more informed music enthusiasts out of them. People love to be entertained and there are many methods of entertainment that appeal to the masses. All of these things however are pleasing and appealing to the flesh and not the spirit. These means, methods and inventions do not feed sheep. They never have and never will, nor will they transform a goat into a sheep. Elder Brian Moore