When you join a Facebook group, there are rules to that group, within nearly every group I am in, whether it is religious, for weight lifting or diet, or for science fiction, or whatever else, one of the very first rules is something about no promotion of your products.
It is considered both unethical and impolite to join a group that is established and slowly built and nurtured around something other than you, and then use that group as a platform to promote your own business, your talents, your name, your book, your course, your whatever.
Yet, people regularly turn up at churches – people who are supposed to be disciples of Jesus – and the very first week, start handing out pamphlets, manuscripts, inviting people to their church, their Bible College, selling their fibre, shampoo, their MLM insurance schemes! It’s just as unethical and just as impolite. It is a failure to respect why the people have come to church.
No-one came to church last weekend hoping to get a free copy of your book, an invite to your course or Bible College, a new insurance policy or a free sample of your amazing herbal shake.
They came to worship the Lord, fellowship with the saints, listen to the preacher (the one they came to hear, not your secret message in the car park) and have a nice cup of tea and coffee, and a biscuit. To interrupt that is to fail to understand that Jesus only has one mission on earth – to build His church, and it is a definite case of you thinking far, far, far, far, far more highly of yourself than you ought.
If you are somewhere as a guest, act like a guest. Selah.
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