The Dangers of Going Down to Egypt: Using Marketing Inappropriately

This is a guest post written by Armen Thomassian who is currently ministering to the Port Lincoln and Lock FPC’s of South Australia.

There is no doubt that there are many areas of outreach the Church of Jesus Christ can engage in that just wasn’t possible 150 years ago. The advance in technology over the 20th century in particular has brought many changes in the ability to communicate. But does that affect the Church?

The Great Commission of Christ to His Church was to communicate the gospel. Therefore, shouldn’t we look into the available technology to get the message of salvation spread further into the community where God has placed us, and even throughout the world? I believe so.

The introduction of radio, television and Internet technology, has opened up vast new doors of opportunity for the Church. We are no longer limited to getting the message across via face-to-face or printed communication, and while I definitely don’t recommend the giving up of the older methods, I believe the newer ones should be adopted by those who have the means to do so.

However, while I agree that radio, television and Internet technology should be used by the Church, I think we ought to be cautious in our approach, methods and motives for using these different mediums.

In Isaiah 31:1 we read,

“Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!”

In this verse we have the culmination of all that has been said in the previous chapter. Israel was under the threat of attack from the Assyrian army, so there was a question to be asked by Israel, “What shall we do?”

Should they surrender without a fight? Fight? Or go to Egypt for help? In the outward appearance, it would have seemed obvious to go for help. Egypt had all the equipment required to be able to fight against the Assyrian army and many were looking to go down that way. But God had forbidden it, and he sends the prophet to remind them of what He had said years beforehand,

“…the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.” (Deut 17:16)

Now the world in which we live in has many ‘methods’ of influencing people, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the marketing industry. The amount of appliances and products the average home in the ‘westernised’ world has that they don’t need is shocking, all because the marketing strategies of the manufacturers and product marketers via newspapers, magazines, billboards, radio, television and the internet, are designed to make us ‘feel’ like we need their product. The sad reality is that many of us fall for it hook, line and sinker.

What we ought to learn is that the world’s ‘methods’ ought not to be the methods of the Church. In their desperate effort to ‘revive’ the work of God, many church leaders have turned to the marketing strategies of the world, and they employ a language and image that is taught by the ‘worldly’ marketing experts. Just like some in Israel thought that they should go to Egypt for help, many church leaders have thought that they can adapt the methods of the world to save or give life to the church. But the warning from the prophet is solemn, “Woe to them…”

On this blog, our brother Cory uses the tagline, “redeeming marketing practices with biblical discernment.” The employment of the last few words here is vital. If our efforts to glorify God and reach the lost are not constructed from the word of God then I fear for the outcome. For instance, to use our God given gifts, talents, and abilities as a means, and with the motive to receive personal recognition, market your church or line your own pockets, is certainly forbidden by scripture, and is no doubt abominable in God’s sight. To market a church as more of a charity to help society, rather than a building set up primarily to honour and worship God is also an unbiblical motive.

There are certain spiritual means, which God has provided to protect and prosper His work and to substitute them with the methods of the flesh/world is to call a fearful judgement. We are never permitted to replace faith in God with a dependence upon human ability.

However, there are ‘types’ of marketing that benefit the work of God and when used correctly, they legitimately promote the gospel and glorify God. For example, mailing tracts and invitations, placing a church advertising banner on another Christian website, or placing an ad in the local newspaper or Christian magazine. All such means when used in a biblical manner (that is, your ad/invitation should not promote anything other than the gospel the church is seeking to preach) will give us confidence that God will bless our efforts. Why? Because we possess a clear conscience knowing that our motive was the glory of God alone!

God’s message to Israel was that by trusting in Him, they would survive any attack. Isaiah 30:15,

“For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength”

With so many attacks upon the Church of Christ, we must learn that using worldly methods to market and fill our churches is not the will or desire of God. I say again, we ought to be cautious of our approach, methods and motives for using these different mediums of communicating. If we are to use the modern mediums of communication, it must never be to promote our own name, gain recognition, seek for bigger numbers, increase our income, or to appear ‘hip’ or ‘cool’, it must always be for one reason only – spreading the gospel for the glory of God.

May God help us all to do just that; use technology to “preach Christ crucified” (1 Cor 1:23).

Armen Thomassian ministers to the Port Lincoln and Lock FPC’s of South Australia.