Post Pandemic Preaching - Without A New Heart & A New Spirit, A Church is a Dead Church
Ezekiel 36:26 in the Tree of Life Version
[This is the 9th lesson of this series]
A widely read author and preacher wrote that a notable heresy has come into being throughout our evangelical Christian circle-the widely accepted concept that we humans can choose to accept Christ only because we need Him as Savior, and that we have the right to postpone our obedience to Him as long as we want to!
Postponing Obedience
I've never heard about this believer's right. And who accepted this? Delayed obedience? Really, we can do that purposely?
But it is easy to understand why it might be widely accepted. Many preachers have taught messages which their pew sitters' ears were aching to hear. These are along the theme of accept Christ this day and everything will be alright, like peddling a miracle product that is on sale, but only while supplies last.
But the truth is far from it, in fact it is quite the opposite -- accept Christ (God's grace) and become a pariah (an outcast). And for good reason, no student is above His/ Her Master. The world hated Christ, and they will do the same to His true followers. We are to be set apart from this world even though we are still very much on it. Salt heals, but stings wounds. Light reveals, but hurts the eyes.
Disciples
We ought to be students but we act as if we know more than the teacher (so like Peter, the sons of thunder and the rest of the original batch of students).
We ought to obey God given precepts, rather than legalistic human made rules and regulations. But as they say, old habits die hard.
The pew sitting group in every congregation are like bench warmers who show up in every game but never gets to be a starter or subbed in. The reasons are obvious. They are once a week Christians or worse, CEO Christians, Christmas and Easter Only Christians.
Religion
Humankind has made Christianity into a religion. They do not read the play book. They do not have a good coach, no trainer. They do not practice. And they expect participation trophies. Now this is one of the world's ways. Another is taking pride at being a self-sufficient, self-motivated, self-made man or woman, having a mindset of not needing God or anyone.
The rest of the world lives like this and sadly so do some who are in the congregation. They are Marthas without having her sister Mary's heart. God wants our (hardened) heart. Once we offer it to Him, He exchanges it for a heart of flesh and gives us a new spirit. Apart from Whom, we can do nothing.
In the New Living Translation
"And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.
[Next verse]
And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations."
The Spirit is of course The Holy Spirit. We cannot follow God without a new heart and a new spirit.
Marthas will brag about their "works" and then complain when others are not like them. The enemy covers all the bases and has a hand on both the bench warmers and the "star" players. We are safe when we let the Coach, The Spirit lead but the world (and the enemy) hates when this is the case. Easier to "postpone obedience" I guess. No, that one is in the enemy's playbook as well.
We ought to be students but we act as if we know more than the teacher (so like Peter, the sons of thunder and the rest of the original batch of students).
We ought to obey God given precepts, rather than legalistic human made rules and regulations. But as they say, old habits die hard.
The pew sitting group in every congregation are like bench warmers who show up in every game but never gets to be a starter or subbed in. The reasons are obvious. They are once a week Christians or worse, CEO Christians, Christmas and Easter Only Christians.
Religion
Humankind has made Christianity into a religion. They do not read the play book. They do not have a good coach, no trainer. They do not practice. And they expect participation trophies. Now this is one of the world's ways. Another is taking pride at being a self-sufficient, self-motivated, self-made man or woman, having a mindset of not needing God or anyone.
The rest of the world lives like this and sadly so do some who are in the congregation. They are Marthas without having her sister Mary's heart. God wants our (hardened) heart. Once we offer it to Him, He exchanges it for a heart of flesh and gives us a new spirit. Apart from Whom, we can do nothing.
In the New Living Translation
"And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.
[Next verse]
And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations."
The Spirit is of course The Holy Spirit. We cannot follow God without a new heart and a new spirit.
Marthas will brag about their "works" and then complain when others are not like them. The enemy covers all the bases and has a hand on both the bench warmers and the "star" players. We are safe when we let the Coach, The Spirit lead but the world (and the enemy) hates when this is the case. Easier to "postpone obedience" I guess. No, that one is in the enemy's playbook as well.
Comments
Post a Comment