The messages I heard
Sunday in Sunday school and in the church service have melded together in my
thinking this week. In Sunday school we’ve been talking about idols, which can
be anything that we allow to take priority over God, and can even include good
things. And the sermon
was on the Christian practices that should point us to God but can sometimes
lose their primary purpose.
I think a lot of church goers have made an idol of Christian
practices and have entirely lost sight of loving God. It seems more obvious in
the Catholic Church, where members are careful to attend mass, go to confession,
and say their rosary, but may not have any clear understanding of Jesus as
their Savior. However, Protestants can fall into the same trap. How many Bible
scholars can quote chapter and verse but have no love for God and others? Some
have called seminaries “Pharisee factories.” I think it was Mark Driscoll* who
gave an example of a pastors conference he spoke at when he was fairly new in
ministry, and some of the older ministers there confessed that they were only
preaching because it was the only job they knew. They’d never really known God
for themselves and didn’t believe the things they preached.
Bringing it a little closer to home, how many even in our
churches can quote the “Sunday school answer” to most questions and are
satisfied with that level of knowledge? They don’t care to dig deeper, apply
their knowledge, or wrestle with the hard questions of life. It seems that only
God can impart a desire for more, and many times that desire comes when we are
broken from all our self-sufficiency and comfort. We aren’t likely to discard
our idols if we think they are working. As C.S. Lewis said, we’re far too
easily satisfied. If we’re comfortable with superficial knowledge and just
doing enough to “get by,” then why should we jump into deeper waters?
Do we really want to wrestle with God if we know we’ll end
up with a permanent limp like Jacob (Genesis 32)? Is it even possible to
convince the comfortable that brokenness is actually preferable? It is in brokenness
that we learn that God upholds us (Psalm 37:17); in emptiness that we find
fullness of joy at His side (Psalm 16:11); and in weakness we find His strength
(2 Corinthians 12:9). I don’t think you can appreciate the blessings of
brokenness if you haven’t been there yourself.
I love the following song by Sidewalk Prophets, “Keep Making
Me.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI1obeb3A9c Is this something that we dare to pray? God just might answer by tearing
down all our comfortable “Christian” idols!
*This blog was written before Mark Driscoll's downfall. I do not endorse him in any way.
