Sam Adams Churches

     I saw an interesting advertisement today.  It was a delivery truck advertising Sam Adams Beer.  I don't drink beer, but I still thought it was a pretty good ad.  The statement on the side of the truck was "beer drinkers to do list" then underneath the title were pictures of all the different Sam Adams beers.  There was pale beer, and light beer, and dark beer and cherry wheat beer and all kinds of other beers that the brewers at Sam Adams places on the market.  I remember years ago when there were only a handful of beers that a person could buy.  Now the market is saturated with all kinds of beers for everyone's taste.

      Anyway, underneath the pictures of the various beers was a box that a person could check once he has tasted that particular beer.  Sam Adams was doing a good job of marketing their product.  However, sometimes outward appearances can be deceiving.  As I watched the beer truck come to a stop at the local store I expected to see the driver unload several different cases of Sam Adams beer.  After all the truck was advertising Sam Adams beer. 

     Much to my surprise the driver began loading on to his cart various other beers that were not the Sam Adams label.  I am not an expert on beers, but I can read labels.  I saw Miller light beer, I saw Busch beer, and I saw Budweiser beer being loaded from the Sam Adams truck.  Did the owner of this truck know about this sabatoge of their product?  Why would a company want to advertise one beer and then sell a completely different beer?  I was confused until I realized that the truck was not really a Sam Adams delivery truck but the delivery truck of a local bottling company.  In other words they delivered whatever was needed and Sam Adams paid to put their information on the truck.

     However, as I thought of the truck I began to wonder how many Sam Adams Churches there are in the world.  I know my mind often works in warped ways, but it made me think of how the church advertises or markets. I wonder if on the outside we advertise ourselves as one thing, but when we open ourselves up we reveal something other than what we say we are. 

     We advertise ourselves as a loving church, but when people attend they do not feel loved.  We advertise ourselves as a caring church but we do not show much care or concern for others.  We advertise ourselves as an exciting fellowship, but there is no excitement in the fellowship.  We advertise ourselves as a mission minded church, but we have little to do with missions.  I think you get the point.  We advertise one thing, but we actually reveal something else. 

The truth is what is said about the local church could also be said about individual Christians as well.  Think about the church where you attend.  Think about your own life.  Are you a Sam Adams Church or a Sam Adams Christian?