God's words vs. My Words

I'm not a big fan of topical preaching.  I do feel like there are times when topical preaching is appropriate.  Sometimes a guest preacher doesn't have the time to expound on an entire passage of scripture and needs to pick a topic and speak on it.  Other times a preacher needs to address a specific event or happening and a topical message is the best way to approach it.  So while I do think there are times where topical preaching is more than appropriate, I think topical preaching can also be dangerous and ineffective.

The most obvious danger is a preacher being married to the topic as opposed to the scriptures.  Contrary to what many believe, not every word spoken by a clergy member is gospel and not every message presented from a pulpit is of God.  Many current day scriptural misinterpretations are rooted in topical preaching, strengthened through tradition, and justified with bible verses taken out of context.  This often happens because a preacher, tied to a topic, bends the Word of God to conform to his topic as opposed to transforming his thinking to fall in line with the scriptures.

I say that topical preaching can also be ineffective because it can hinder the work of The Spirit.  The Word of God is eternal (Psalms 119:89) but our lives are fleeting (1 Peter 1:24-25).  So when we try to support our temporary ideas and ideals with God's everlasting truth we disadvantageously constrict God's truth's to our experience.  What I mean by that is that the word of God has the ability to separate us from our most carnal misconceptions (Hebrews 4:12).  When preached, read, or studied, a passage of scripture can affect a congregation of believers in a multitude of ways.  Topical preaching dilutes the Spirit's work providing understanding as a means to application.

I discussed this once with a church elder who agreed with me, but said that topical preaching was necessary because most people in church have a disconnect between a preached message and applying that message to their lives.  I understood the point he was attempting to make, but I still disagreed that it justified topical preaching.  I still believe that to be the work of The Spirit, even if it doesn't happen on the preacher's time table.  Moreover, the scriptures are written in such a way that the words can be interpreted differently based on life experience.  Any of us who have studied have been marveled at God showing us something new in a passage of scripture we've already read.

With that said, I will begin using this blog to study complete passages of scripture in their context.  I will begin with the book of Acts.  It is my prayer that readers will feel confident to leave observations, questions, and answers in the comments field.  It is my prayer that no one feel intimidated and that we will all see this as a venture to learn.  Hopefully, this will allow us to sharpen our iron with the iron of others.

As I said, we will be starting in the book of Acts.  May God bless our journey.  

 

The Thin Line Between Love and Hate

For most Spiritual Bloggers, blogging is often inspired by a personal reaction to something in an Institutional Church.  I'm not naive enough to try to say that all Spiritual Bloggers have noble intentions.  Many "Spiritual Blogs" attempt to promote ideas and ideals that are in direct contrast to the Bible and the Teachings of Christ.  For most Spiritual Bloggers however, blogs are a labor of love to voice something that is either rejected or marginalized from the pulpit.  This makes Spiritual Blogs reactionary and narrowly focused.  Most Spiritual Blogs have two or three platform ideals that their author relates everything to.  That narrow focus, and repetition of platform can lead to "Blogger Bitterness".  This blog is no exception.  Most of my blog entries to date have have tied back to one of two passages of scripture.

2 Timothy 2:15 

Paul tells Timothy to study to show himself approved unto God.  Many Christians today don't study.  We mistakenly substitute the word "study" with the phrase "attend church".  For those who study, many study with no regard to God's approval.  Some study with the intent of burdening those have not studied.  Other's study for the approval of clergy or other church members.  But many bypass study and choose simply to "Attend church to show themselves approved unto others."  

Paul continues to say, "a workman need not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth."  So many Christians today rely on someone else to rightly divide the word of truth; to the point where many don't know what the truth is.  The bible tells us to test every Spirit, yet there are churches full of congregations that don't see fit to test.  Not just that, there are churches filled with individuals telling us not to test men believed to be "Men of God."  

My experience with followers who refuse to test, and leaders who believe themselves to be above spiritual questioning was a significant factor in me creating the blog.

Mark 7:1-22

This passage is the most glaring example of what happens when spirituality and religion collide.  Religious leaders of the time devoted their lives to the Jewish Law; scriptures that were geared around Jesus' coming. Met face to face with Jesus, they did not attempt to be more like him, they asked him why he had not conformed to their traditions.  These leaders had the audacity to see God in human form and ask Him why he was not meeting their standards.  They attempted to judge him based on the traditions of the elders.

As unbelievable as it sounds, many Christians adhere more to traditions and religious customs than to understand Jesus' message.  Above I mentioned Christians who are unwilling to test leadership.  In the same vein there are Christians who are unwilling to examine traditions.  In my first post I discussed examining our traditions to examine both their roots and their usefulness.  

In doing this blog I've walked away from a few ideas because they did not fit into either of my platforms; most notably a blog on the dangers of topical preaching.  I had to kill that entry because all of my blogs entries were mini topical sermons.   

In the way I encourage others to examine themselves and their traditions I have examined my blog.  I realized that it was limited by my two platforms and I will be transforming it from statements on a topic to a study of scripture. 

Blogger Challenge

I challenge other bloggers to examine their blogs.  I challenge them to test and ensure that their blogs lead others to the love of God and not to hate of modern day practices.  While it is easy to grow frustrated; ensure that your blog devotes itself to teaching who God is as opposed to defining itself by what is not.  Ensure that your blog is and continues to be a Labor of Love for God's called and not a labor of vengeance or other unsatisfactory motives.

Going forward this blog will adopt a different format.  Each entry will study a passage of scripture without regard to topic.  I will simply speak on the passage of scripture and not attempt to direct or impede the work of The Spirit.  

EDIT:  After discussing this entry with a friend I revamp my blogger challenge.  We all study and grow at different rates and excel in different areas.  My convictions about my own blog may not extend to other bloggers.  Therefore, my revised blogger challenge is simply to speak what God has laid on your heart for the betterment of His Kingdom.