Tuesday, March 4, 2008
"You're an idiot"- Title of "sermon"
An assignment for my theatre class was to attend a local church, synagogue, or mosque. I really wish I could have/would have said that it was against my religion to go to a church building. But Bekah and I went to a late service at Feeling Place anyway. I figured it would be bad, but I honestly was not prepared for it. Yes, they had the lights, the background, million-dollar structure, and the seeker-friendly-ness, but what got me was the emotion of it all. It would have been so easy to get caught up in it. I didn't sing the songs, or even really listen to the "sermon", I just watched the people. "All the devotion was emotion." Standing there, I saw just how easy it was to completely throw yourself into the hyped-up worship service, and from there you would be open to just about anything, including one of the dumbest "sermons" you could possibly imagine. Thousands of people sit under that EVERY Sunday morning, and it doesn't seem like I am doing anything to help rescue them from such a vain existence. The only difference from me and them, is that God had the mercy to open my eyes to see what I was fighting against. And He gave me and is continuing to give me the strength to fight the structure, the rebellion, the emotion…the anti-Christ in myself. And since I have freely received, then why does it seem that I am not freely giving, even to the sheep with blinders???
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Oh sister,
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you are talking about. I was brought out of that. And yet, what have I been doing to take off the blinders? Sometimes, a problem people can tend to fall into, is saying that anyone in the "system" is a false convert. But that is not true. There are sheep in there. Another thing people can get caught up on is the "building" rather than the actual apostasy of the pyramid system. Not ALL who meet in a building are in that system, although finding such is rare here in the USA. But while the extra bricks and mortar may or may not be a form of poor stewardship by the flock that meets there (assuming that everyone that meets there already owns a building of some sort i.e. a home or what not)the building is not the root of the problem. It is the pride based system that has consumed many American "churches". And while we cannot spend our days simply scolding the system, we cannot forget the sheep inside. We have to show them the Truth in all love and humility, remembering that we were once bound in that system of complacency ourselves. But we are set free! AMEN! Seek out the brethren. Reach out to the lost. Be obedient to God's call. And be earnest in prayer.
I love your Blair Wingo quote by the way. I can relate to that all too well. "All my devotion was emotion." How disgustingly true, and yet sometimes, I fear that I may fall into that again all on my own, no "system" necessary. That is why the brethren is so important. And so is staying in the Word and examining ourselves, and being open when others examine us too. I can only picture what the service you attended was like. I imagine it was a lot like the old steeple house I use to attend. But take that experience, and let it fill you with love for those that are your brothers and sisters inside. And be even that much more grateful to Jesus Christ for delivering you from that state of complacency.
Praying for you sister!
Hey, this is Robert. I wanted to encourage you to be a light to those who are stuck in the structure of the modern church. Remember, God had to bring us out of Egypt also. We are to love them and show them the truth. Although, not many shall heed the scripture, but that's ok. Christ is the one that reveals truth, not us, we are simply the tools He uses to speak. Just look at all the different preachers that were a part of the institutional church. Leonard Ravenhill, A.W. Tozer, John MacArthur, John Piper, Charles Spurgeon, etc. God works in both, and has sheep, and sadly goats, in both also. Stay encouraged, stay focused on Christ. Hebrews 12:1-2...
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