The Apple Newton is a forgotten, often maligned, example of Apple getting it wrong. Debuted in 1993 it was the first Personal Digital Assistant. You could write notes (it had handwriting recognition), print, email, and even send faxes from this tablet. Yet it never really caught on, in part because it was large with a short battery life. So it was more of a curiousity than a full throated tool. Thus, it was pulled from the market.

That is a common practice for businesses who want to succeed. When a product isn’t selling, it is often redesigned, improved, or simply replaced by something that does sell. In this way manufacturers respond to their audience—the consumer. The manufacturer who responds quickly with a product the consumer wants will succeed. The manufacturer who insists on selling something no one buys will go out of business.

Sadly, many churches follow this same practice. Over my 14 years of Pastoral ministry I’ve been to all manner of conferences about church growth. From worship styles, to sticky ministry, to building plans, these conferences promise to attract new families, keep old families and help the church grow. They do so by following the market. They ask what people want in a church and try to help you provide those desires. Sounds good, right? But what if the congregation isn’t the audience?

Now, when Apple or Microsoft or Amazon adapt to the consumer it is a good thing. They have identified their audience and they are tailoring business to meet that audience’s needs. But they have to rightly identify their audience. If Apple misidentifies their audience, they will build the wrong products and won’t stay in business too long. Imagine a $500 Apple Watch tailored for the unemployed. So Apple, and any business, must invest the time in identifying their audience.

So must the church. But not the way we have been. Like Apple, we do demographic studies about the key target audience for our religious goods and service. The problem is this: the church’s audience is not the consumer of religious goods and services. The Church’s audience is God. Consider Sunday morning worship. Despite the complaints of disgruntled churchgoers, the congregation is not the audience for Sunday morning worship. We play a role, but we are not the audience. The audience is God. When we misidentify our audience, when we fall for the consumer demand model, we neither worship God nor encourage one another.

We don’t worship God because we have made the service about the congregation. We are not concerned about whether the music is Christ-centered or if the Preaching honors Him. We aren’t concerned whether the prayers, the benediction, or even passing the peace will point hearts toward Christ. We become consumed with ‘did they like it?’ and ‘will they come back?’

In turn that fails to encourage the flock. As I look at the New Testament, it seems to me that our modern conceptions of worship, many of which stand or fall on personal preferences, are quite shallow. Peter and John worship after they’ve been beaten, yet we can’t worship if the song is more than a few years old. Paul worships in prison, yet we can’t worship if the sermon is too long. Steven worships as he is being murdered, yet we cannot worship if the music doesn’t ‘speak to me.’

Apparently worship is not something that music gives me. Worship is not something that only happens in ideal settings. Worship is not dependent upon my comfort. Worship is the overflow of my joy in Christ. When that joy overflows, I worship with bad music, boring preaching, and monotone prayers. But if that joy is not overflowing then even the best music, preaching, and prayers can only entertain. But when worship is built upon the demands of the religious consumer, he never learns to really worship. Moreover, as we adapt our styles to suit their demands we also reinforce the same selfish conception of worship.

Now, we should not ignore the concerns of the flock. We should carefully listen to every concern. The brother or sister who indicates something is wrong with our worship may have valuable insight. Perhaps we’ve unwittingly ruined worship by making it about the musicians, the elders, the pastors or even the setting. Maybe we’re unintentionally drawing hearts and minds onto ourselves instead of our Lord. In such cases we need to hear that feedback, repent and alter course. But when the concerns are selfish, we have a duty to teach them to really worship.