Exemplar Coaching

Live by Design, Not by Default.

CoffeeChat 61 – Audience

Edition  61

Audience

Last Edition Recap
How have you applied the last edition to your life?
Opening Prayer
Loving God, as we gather now, humble us and remind us that we are here to worship You; You are to be placed above all things. You are God. Amen.
Introduction
The greatest concert you’ve ever attended. The lights dim. Anticipation builds. The performer emerges. Every movement practiced, every note rehearsed, every moment designed for one purpose: please the audience. You paid for excellence, you expect excellence. 
Now flip it. Sunday morning. Church doors open. Worshippers enter. But who’s the audience and who’s performing? We’ve gotten it backwards. We sit in pews expecting to be entertained, critiquing the sermon’s quality, evaluating the worship band’s performance, rating the service like a show. When disappointed, we church-hop like changing channels, seeking better entertainment. But here’s the truth we’ve forgotten: God is the audience. We are the performers. Every Sunday, every day, every moment—we’re on stage performing for an Audience of One. 
The question isn’t “How was church today?” but “How was your performance?” Performers spend loads of time preparing and practicing to deliver sterling performances. What about you? Your worship started the moment you accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour, and it must never end. Not a weekly show you attend but a daily performance you give. Isaiah warned: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Lip service without heart performance. Attending without participating. Consuming without contributing. 
When churches have more Christians in the audience than people serving, it’s a sign of an unhealthy church. We’ve become spiritual consumers instead of spiritual contributors, critics instead of participants, audience instead of cast.
Chat Point 1
  1. What are some of the greatest shows/performances/concerts you’ve ever attended?
  2. What made those events so memorable for you—the excellence, atmosphere, or experience?
  3. How important is it for a performer to plan and practice before performing?
  4. What happens when a performance is terrible versus delivering a great performance?
  5. Who do you think is the real audience in church—the congregation or God?
Read
Isaiah 29:13, Psalm 86:9, Psalm 68:24-26, 32-35
Key Focus
Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Chat Point 2
  1. What typically happens in your church when the service isn’t flawless or the preacher is “below average”?
  2. Do you expect your minister to do all the work while you watch?
  3. How are you proactively offering yourself in worship and service to your local church?
  4. What happens to churches when people are more entertainment-focused than God-focused?
  5. How can your group help your local church become stronger rather than just consuming its services?
Final Thought
True or False: When churches have more Christians in the audience than people serving, it’s a sign of an unhealthy church? True. Painfully true. It’s not God’s job to ensure you have a wonderful church experience. Jesus didn’t die so you could be entertained. Your response to His sacrifice is to deliver a life of wonderful worship and service to the God who forgave you. True worship quickly loses the need for personal church-entertainment and focuses fully on the Audience of One. 
Think of your typical Sunday complaints: service too long, music not my style, preacher boring, asking for money again, begging for volunteers again. All audience complaints. 
Now think like a performer: How can I serve better? Where am I needed? What can I contribute? How can my performance honour God? The shift changes everything. Performers don’t show up late. They don’t skip rehearsals. They don’t refuse to participate because they don’t like the song selection. They don’t quit when it gets hard. They practice, prepare, perfect—all for the audience’s pleasure. 
Psalm 86:9 declares: “All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.” Worship isn’t what happens to you; it’s what you bring. Not what you receive but what you give. Not entertainment you consume but glory you produce. Your worship and service don’t start and end on Sunday. They started when you accepted Christ and must never end. Every day, you’re on stage. Every moment, God watches. Every action, a performance. The question is: Are you giving God a standing ovation performance or barely showing up?
My Action
What key insight or learning from this session resonates most with me, and what do I sense God is inviting me to do in response?
Shared Prayer
What are your prayer requests?​
Closing Prayer
Sovereign King, thank You for giving us the privilege to worship and serve You; may our lives give You the value You deserve. Amen.
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In-Between Chats: Personal Reflection
  1. How can you be less church-entertainment focused and more God-focused this week?
  2. How can you help your local church become healthy by moving from audience to performer?
  3. What specific ministry or service can you commit to instead of waiting for others to volunteer?
Edition Writer: Rev Kevin Zondagh

Methodist Minister, Personal Development Specialist, Life Coach, Relationship Coach and Executive Coach. Founder and Owner of Exemplar Coaching Pty Ltd and CoffeeChatConnect. "We should have the desire to custom design the only life we have. After-all, we buy designer everything. How much more should we Live by Design, not by default?"