Monday, July 03, 2006

Spiritual junkie juice...

The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains proves that he no brain of his own."- CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON

I find it interesting that Theology stirs up a once quiet nest of sleeping vipers. You see, today we don't teach very much theology or doctrine in our churches and I understand why. If you don't we can all gather together and have a mix of various theologies, philosophies, and various aberrant doctrines all smashed together like our mommies warm and toasty casserole.

As long as we don't point towards one way...we all seem to get along fairly well. But soon as you start really addressing biblical doctrine people start getting all unsettled, fidgety and slightly nervous. People don't want you to mess with their ideas of God even if they might be historically unbiblical. But to be honest most people don't even know what doctrines they even agree with. We are a hodge podge of Oprah, Dr. Phil, contemporary christian music and books, coffee table theology and various miss matched beliefs born out of grandma's church or our church hopping transient lifestyle. Most christians are A.D.D. when it comes to finding a church family...they can't stay put long enough to form much of a systematic theology. In fact most churches no longer teach much about doctrine but really just give us doses of spiritual junkie juice to get us through the week with a good spiritual high.

Most conversations can't wade to deep into the historical religious past because hardly anyone reads anymore. We can talk politics, ipods, sports, movies, music and about sex but when it comes to theology or history...we are ideological ignoramuses...midgets of the mind. I know that is harsh but come on let's be honest...study to show thyself approved?
Please...I hear just pass the remote, give me a potluck, a movie night or a 3 point ditty more than let's study the word.

I repent of such mindless christianity. What ever happened to love the Lord your God with your...MIND?

When did following Jesus get boiled down to feeling holy ghost goose-bumps, hugs and kisses and melodic hand waving? We need men and women who can speak to the issues that our culture is wrestling with and forgetting to wrestle with. Some truths are simply being ignored to our own poverty. Many Biblical truths are hard to unravel and surly won't be addressed sufficiently in a 30 minute heart rub on Sunday morning between cheerios and Pizza Hut.

Don't insult me with your paper thin sermonizing...I need meat as well and milk to face the battles that rage against my mind and heart. I require full course meals to strengthen my inner man to wrestle against the flesh, the world and the devil. Quit allowing this culture to determine the depth of God's river that should flow out of the pulpits again. Don't let X-Box set the mental comprehension limits. Our culture can't be the thermostat of the church when it comes to setting the bar for the saints of God.

It may be a thermometer but please...please...please...preach the word in season and out!

2 comments:

Michael McMullen said...

Dude! No freakin' way! That is exactly the message we got on the last night of camp meeting. EXACTLY! Preach it bro! That's truth right there.

Anonymous said...

Easy bro! Don't try and get between me and my Oreos! ~Matt