Famine in the Church
I'm reading an amazing book right now called The Divine Mentor. The author, Wayne Cordeiro, talks about a famine in the church today. Even though we in the church have a plethora of Christian books, events, seminars, on-line sermons, stacks of Bibles, etc. (last year we Americans spent 59 billion dollars on Christian products and programs), Cordeiro says we're suffering from spiritual malnutrition.
I hate to say it, but I think he's right.
What's the problem? Why the famine? Who should we blame? I'll leave those questions hanging so we all have something to think about.
I hate to say it, but I think he's right.
What's the problem? Why the famine? Who should we blame? I'll leave those questions hanging so we all have something to think about.
posted by Pastor Phil Print at 10:09 AM
6 Comments:
Spiritual laziness on people's part. Churches who are unwilling to create spiritual self-feeders. And no one holding anyone else accountable at both levels. All the Jesus junk distracts from the primary thing - studying God's Word. There is nothing specifically wrong with the Jesus junk, what is wrong is people use it at the neglect of the Source.
I haven't read this book of Cordeiro (yet) but I look forward to it.
mrclm, I love your phrase
"spiritual self-feeders". Could you unpack that a little more?
"One last musing about "deep teaching". The majority of those who want deep teaching have been Christians for "forever". They've been in numerous Bible studies, they have a bunch of Christian books and commentaries. My question: can't they feed themselves? Can't they pull their Bibles and commentaries out and do the work? I'm not trying to be critical...I'm just wondering. Lastly, just what constitutes deep teaching?"
You posted this a little while ago. I'd say this is the problem defined. Shepherds aren't teaching their flock. If "feeding" the sheep was important enough for Jesus to tell Peter to do it three times, it strikes me that it is important for the modern-day shepherds to do the same. Sound reasonable?
Yea, sounds reasonable. 2 comments: One, I think a lot of sheep need to be taught how to "self-feed" (there are certain principles to follow). Two, regardless of how "deep" the Shepherd is in his/her teaching, the sheep need more than one good meal a week. That's what the book I mentioned in the blog is all about.
I think of primary importance in spiritual self-feeding is a desire to spend time in God's Word. It is tempting, to pastors and everyone else, to want pre-digested material. There is nothing wrong with reading John Ortberg (I love him!) or Max Lucado, but we must first spend time with the Word, the only place God spoke directly to us. It is easy to be sucked into the Jesus junk culture, to put another bumper sticker on your car and buy the newest series on when the rapture will happen. None of that can replace our pursuit of what is to be our first love.
So the first step is to develop a hunger for God's Word. This is only done through prolonged exposure. The more often you are exposed, the more you want. I often return to the wisdom of Billy Graham, a man who read through the Bible more times than I could probably count. He was quoted late in his life about how he is constantly drawn to scripture because it teaches him something new.
Once we build that foundation, it is then time to add other things in, so you can begin to refine your understanding. Commentaries need to come a lot later in most people's spiritual growth than most might suspect. Being under a good teacher is far more important than any secondary resource. Someone who can exhibit good hermeneutics. , and someone who models faith well.
I think an important way spiritual self-feeders grow is the find people beyond them, and learn from them. They are humble enough to know that they don't know it all, and are willing to learn from people who have walked the same road. I think this plays out in other areas of life as well.
Ok, enough for now, this is becoming a post instead of just a comment. Sorry it took me a while to get back to this.
Big Chris
Scripture tells us that David was a man after his own heart.
I'd like to explore that a little.
The following list are some definitions to which the word "after" is descriptive:
In quest or pursuit of
Subsequent to and because of or regardless of
Following continually
In the style of or in imitation of
In honor or commemoration of
In conformity to;
Maybe another way in which to consider the question facing us is: What does one after God’s heart look like?
Let me submit that there is a relentlessness to the activities of the Kingdom of God and His righteousness that appears before those who are observing that our confession to be a Christ Follower matches up with our profession.
I would like to address the question laid out before us - "So what was there about David that God Himself declared he was a man after His own heart?"
While it may be true that our lives are composed of :
Highs and lows,
Victories and defeats,
Integrity and treachery,
Honor and dishonor,
Consistency and inconsistency,
Godliness and compromise,
Happiness and sadness,
Triumphs and failures,
High roads and low roads,
Mountain tops and valleys,
Excellence and mediocrity;
as Christ-followers, we should see a pattern developing in that it is like being on a roller coaster. Yes, we do have valleys along with the mountain peaks, but it should be a roller coaster ride which is going in one direction - up hill.
And we should be experiencing more Mountain peak adventures rather than valleys as we seek to live sanctified lives daily.
Randy Knowles
"What we do in life, echoes in eternity"
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