In the book of Acts, Luke records the events of Peter’s sermon on Pentecost (Acts 2:14-41), ending it with the description of the first “megachurch” being formed. “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:41, ESV). Three thousand people came to know the Lord that day and were baptized. Three thousand! That’s a lot of people by today’s standards, and even more so by the standards of some 2,000 years ago when it occurred. I currently serve in a church where, while I don’t know the membership roll numbers, the regular Sunday attendance is just below 100 people in a very culturally diverse town (the diversity is, praise God, well represented in those who worship with us). So, going to a megachurch overnight would be something crazy and we would be taken off guard.

However, here, in this blog post, I am going to be writing about another “megachurch,” one that has millions of attendees (annually). In this particular “church,” one sees regular/repeat attenders, however, there are many “converts,” per se, or those who are visiting for their first time. This church is open seven days a week, and, as far as I know, is open every day of the year. What church is this, might you ask? Is it Joel O’Steen’s church attendance multiplied by every serves they have then by 52 Sundays per year? No. Is it T.D. Jakes’ The Potter’s House? No. This church is….Walt Disney World (WDW).

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are two things that I want to state up front before I go any further:

Our local churches are supposed to be places of community, where we gather together to encourage, to edify, to help, to love, and to enjoy each other’s fellowship. Just after the salvation and baptism of 3,000 persons in Luke 2:41, Luke pens these following observations:

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:42–47, ESV)

Now, why am I combing my title, “The Church of Broken Dreams” with the most magical place on earth, Disney World (DW)? Because too often, we, the consumers (of which often consist of church going, Bible believing, evangelical Christians and their pastors) make it that way, like a church. Too often do people go on a trip to Disney World to try to make things better, to try to replace community of encouragement with a few days of escaping the real world for a fantasy world where they can have fun, create great memories, all the while trying to escape things back home. Or, too often do people go to Disney because they feel that creating those memories and spending that family time is far more important than doing something like going to church.

Main Street USA, Magic Kingdom, May 11, 2016.

When, in all reality, the best place for Christiansto go is to church. For Community. For encouragement. For edification. For Help. For Love. For fellowship. In reality, the most magical place on earth, the place where “dreams come true” for Christians is church. Sunday school, small groups, your local body of Christ should all be that place for followers of Christ.

Too often, over the past three days (and I’m sure I’ll see it tomorrow at Epcot, too) have I seen people not enjoying themselves, just feigning the excitement, going through the motions because it is what is expected of them in the happiest place on earth. I mean, who wouldn’t be excited going to Disney, right? Well, I can only imagine a lot of people. However, as a Christian, this should not be surprising to anyone, and it is not surprising to me. The “church” that is WDW is faithfully attended by millions (some 17.2 million) each year. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are many faithful Christians who are lumped into that number, but there is no known socioeconomic breakdowns of who visits Disney on a regular basis that include religious preferences. So, when a non-Christian makes a decision to worship the gods of entertainment, tithing via the price of tickets and everything else that goes along with it (hotel room, rental cars, flight costs, etc.), it should be of no surprise.

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.” (Psalm 14:1–3, ESV)

Paul so eloquently writes to the church in Rome:

“as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”” (Romans 3:10–18, ESV)

So, honestly, as a Christian, when we see an unregenerate person committing such wantonly blatant idolatry, we really should not be surprised. Really.

Now, in all fairness, Walt Disney World is not the only megachurch of this type. You have Universal Studios, Six Flags, countless movie theaters and theater chains, and many other types of entertainment around the world that fit the bill. I think I could even through IKEA in there, honestly. I mean, I know people who go there because they think it’s fun and they regularly pay their tithe by buying their products.

The reason I address this is, because while on this vacation, I have seen how remarkably similar the marketing practices of many, many local churches have become more and more like those of Disney (and other places, I’m sure). This morning, when we got to The Magic Kingdom before the park officially opened, as always, there is a short song and dance bit, a little less than 10 minutes long, that went along with the official daily opening of the park. Then, everyone would go in, rushing to the attraction that they wanted to go to first (For me and my family, it was Buzz Lightyear and Space Mountain, later in the day, those lines are LONG!). When we went to Hollywood Studios, we got there early so our two oldest could participate in the Star Wars Jedi Training Academy thing they have, and wow, the dedication of some of the parents to get their kids to this was scary, how they yelled at their kids to hurry up. Disney and the various parks therein have no life-or-death connotations built into them. None. At. All. Trust me, I’ve been to every park at WDW, some which aren’t open any more, multiple times. (Okay, the one river water park did, as someone apparently got a flesh eating bacteria and that’s why it closed, but that’s beside the point). Disney, Universal, Six Flags, and others all have no eternal value.

But going to church does.

Doing the work that God has commanded us to do does.

So, let me pose this question: If WDW and what they do and how they advertise and brand themselves has no direct eternal consequences, why do local churches often do the same, branding themselves along the same lines, with a good song and dance routine, promising a great sermon series that will make them feel better about something that’s going wrong in their lives, or might be, or may in the future? (Sorry, Disney, but you’re at the forefront of my mind because I’m vacationing here as I write this! I really do enjoy your parks and everything).

The answer to that question, for me, is that I really don’t know for sure. We have moved so far away from the Biblical truths and sound doctrines on which our faith is founded upon: The death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus the Christ. I have seen first-hand when churches and ministries start to put their “faith” in numbers and tithes versus placing their faith and trust in the God who CREATED THE WORLD AND EVERYTHING IN IT! I have seen churches stop growing because the congregation is afraid to spend money out of fear (not stewardship). I have seen ministries lose reputation and good people when they began to start to count on the state and the money they received from foster children as the place of their faith and trust instead of the Lord God who created the money that they so badly craved.

““You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20:3–6, ESV)

We need to return to the true nature of the church, preaching the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus the Christ, our Lord, to whom every knee shall bow. We need not preach a feel-good sermon, lest we lead people down the wide road to destruction. We need to preach the Gospel, the repentance of sin and the atoning work of Christ on the Cross. And, we need to market it as such: Church is a place where lives are changed, not a country club spa with a cross on the door. Church is a place where disciples are made, multiplied, and more churches are planted, not a place where toes are tickled or backs are scratched (not that they are bad, but they are when that’s all that happens). Church is a place where everyone, regenerate and unregenerate alike, will be made to feel uncomfortable, however, they will be uncomfortable for the sake of the Cross and that Good News that comes with It.

Our God is a jealous God, so much so, that it’s recorded in Exodus as a proper name, “(for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),” (Exodus 34:14, ESV). We need to seek after God, and after Him and His wisdom FIRST (Matthew 6:33-34; James 1:5-6), and we need to reach that sea of people who place their faith and trust in so many wrong things, and, Lord willing, make them a part of the one community, the Church, that truly counts beyond this life, stretching into eternity.