This morning we had the privilege of hosting the monthly CB Cluster meeting for pastors who serve Conservative Baptist churches (hence the 'CB') in southeastern Massachusetts. We had about a dozen pastors in attendance along with a special guest: Manny Mill of Koinonia House National Ministries. This organization, which is thoroughly evangelical, is committed to "equipping the church to love our Christian neighbors coming out of prison."
Manny preached a passionate message to us pastors from Luke 10 on the story of the Good Samaritan. My heart was stirred greatly as Manny drove home the message of God's love for helpless and hurting sinners. Midway through the message, Manny quoted something that Chuck Colson wrote in his book, The Body. I'm not sure if this is verbatim, but the quote was essentially this: "Our churches in America have become a place of therapy rather than deliverance" -- i.e., place that offers self-help instead of salvation.
How has the Church of Jesus Christ developed such a mentality? Well, first, it should be said that some organizations that call themselves churches may not be true churches. They are certainly not Christ's church, for they are not hearing His voice and following Him (John 10:27). They profess to know Jesus, but on Judgment Day, Jesus will say to them "I never knew you" (Matt. 7:21-23).
On the other hand, there are churches that preach the gospel and point to Jesus Christ alone as Lord and Savior. But when it comes to the practical end of Christian living, they strip the gospel of its sufficiency. Certainly that is not their intention, but that is what they do. Or maybe I should say that is what WE do, when we mix worldly wisdom with heavenly wisdom.
This happens in large measure because of the 'GIGO' principle: Garbage in, garbage out. Christians are inundating their minds with T.V. trash. For instance, I'm amazed at how many believers are hooked on Oprah. What is she on for -- an hour a day every weekday? Imagine spending an hour a day in the Word and prayer simply to counteract the ill-effects of Oprah! Here's a video link that gives you a glimpse regarding Oprah's version of "Christianity":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW4LLwkgmqA
This brings to mind the following lyrics that the Christian contemporary band Casting Crowns includes in one of its songs:
What if the family turned to Jesus,
stopped asking Oprah what to do!
What if His people prayed?. . .
If we are going to offer the hurting the help they truly need, then we need to have minds and hearts that are shaped by God's truth and not dictated by television. I reject the notion that one can be a Spirit-filled Christian who spends five minutes in the Word and prayer and up to five hours in front of the TV per day.
My point is not to preach but to get down to the brass tacks of Christian living, growth and maturity. By and large, what we feed others is nothing more than a processed version of what we feed ourselves.
Do you agree or disagree? I look forward to reading your comments.
Manny preached a passionate message to us pastors from Luke 10 on the story of the Good Samaritan. My heart was stirred greatly as Manny drove home the message of God's love for helpless and hurting sinners. Midway through the message, Manny quoted something that Chuck Colson wrote in his book, The Body. I'm not sure if this is verbatim, but the quote was essentially this: "Our churches in America have become a place of therapy rather than deliverance" -- i.e., place that offers self-help instead of salvation.
How has the Church of Jesus Christ developed such a mentality? Well, first, it should be said that some organizations that call themselves churches may not be true churches. They are certainly not Christ's church, for they are not hearing His voice and following Him (John 10:27). They profess to know Jesus, but on Judgment Day, Jesus will say to them "I never knew you" (Matt. 7:21-23).
On the other hand, there are churches that preach the gospel and point to Jesus Christ alone as Lord and Savior. But when it comes to the practical end of Christian living, they strip the gospel of its sufficiency. Certainly that is not their intention, but that is what they do. Or maybe I should say that is what WE do, when we mix worldly wisdom with heavenly wisdom.
This happens in large measure because of the 'GIGO' principle: Garbage in, garbage out. Christians are inundating their minds with T.V. trash. For instance, I'm amazed at how many believers are hooked on Oprah. What is she on for -- an hour a day every weekday? Imagine spending an hour a day in the Word and prayer simply to counteract the ill-effects of Oprah! Here's a video link that gives you a glimpse regarding Oprah's version of "Christianity":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW4LLwkgmqA
This brings to mind the following lyrics that the Christian contemporary band Casting Crowns includes in one of its songs:
What if the family turned to Jesus,
stopped asking Oprah what to do!
What if His people prayed?. . .
If we are going to offer the hurting the help they truly need, then we need to have minds and hearts that are shaped by God's truth and not dictated by television. I reject the notion that one can be a Spirit-filled Christian who spends five minutes in the Word and prayer and up to five hours in front of the TV per day.
My point is not to preach but to get down to the brass tacks of Christian living, growth and maturity. By and large, what we feed others is nothing more than a processed version of what we feed ourselves.
Do you agree or disagree? I look forward to reading your comments.