Spiritual Amnesiacs – Part 3
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God…For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory [Colossians 3:1, 3-4].
Rather than push immature Christians into active duty, it might serve the Lord’s purpose better to put them through boot camp first. Let’s continue discussing our topic now.
In the text quoted at the start of this study, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in the city of Colosse. As he did in all his epistles, so too did Paul in his letter to the Colossians. He began with doctrinal teaching, with theological instruction about what it means to become a Christian and be a part of the Body of Christ, His Church.
After submitting the teaching portion of his letters to the churches, Paul finished them with practical instruction for living as a Christian. First we need to know who we are, you see, and then we need to realize what that means for us in day-to-day living. This bears a strong resemblance to Paul’s directions to church leaders in Ephesians 4, to which we made reference already.
Paul didn’t pounce on the young Christians like a ravenous lion, threatening to make them his lunch if they didn’t get busy serving Jesus! He instructed them as to what it means to be a Christian. Then he directed them as to how they were to conduct themselves in their daily living.
It will never suffice for actual Christian living, to install programs and activities in the church in order to draw in new pew-sitters. This contemporary approach to “church growth” is about as intelligent as attempting to have a family by purchasing a half-dozen mannequins, and then lecturing them to get busy and help out with the family responsibilities. Yea, that’ll work.
Indeed! It might be easier than getting along with a spouse, while suffering through the teenage years with real kids. But I bet you a barn full of cows the kids will never amount to much! Rearing kids and having a family is hard work. So too is rearing a congregation from birth through spiritual maturity.
When the emphasis is on first being born again and then getting busy for Jesus, spiritual amnesia follows almost automatically. It is like a baby in the crib. The little thing cries. So its diaper is changed and a nipple is stuffed in its mouth. The dear soul sucks himself full, gurgles and burps, then falls asleep. When nappy time is over, he repeats his routine: cry, diaper, nipple, gurgle, burp, sleep.
Can you imagine mom and dad rudely awakening the little tot from his sleep, then growling at him to stop lying in the crib. After all, he should get up and get busy helping out with the house cleaning and cutting the grass. He might only be 4 months old, but that’s no excuse!
Pardon my fun, but I can’t help myself. Sometimes we Christians are so outrageous in our thinking, it’s inexplicable! Especially when we have Bibles we can read in a cudzillion different translations. I hear a voice from heaven thundering, “Pick one up and read.” Novel thought anyway.
Let’s pause on that note and sleep on it. Oh, we might want to talk with Jesus about it before sleeping on it. Catch you again tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Rather than push immature Christians into active duty, it might serve the Lord’s purpose better to put them through boot camp first. Let’s continue discussing our topic now.
In the text quoted at the start of this study, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in the city of Colosse. As he did in all his epistles, so too did Paul in his letter to the Colossians. He began with doctrinal teaching, with theological instruction about what it means to become a Christian and be a part of the Body of Christ, His Church.
After submitting the teaching portion of his letters to the churches, Paul finished them with practical instruction for living as a Christian. First we need to know who we are, you see, and then we need to realize what that means for us in day-to-day living. This bears a strong resemblance to Paul’s directions to church leaders in Ephesians 4, to which we made reference already.
Paul didn’t pounce on the young Christians like a ravenous lion, threatening to make them his lunch if they didn’t get busy serving Jesus! He instructed them as to what it means to be a Christian. Then he directed them as to how they were to conduct themselves in their daily living.
It will never suffice for actual Christian living, to install programs and activities in the church in order to draw in new pew-sitters. This contemporary approach to “church growth” is about as intelligent as attempting to have a family by purchasing a half-dozen mannequins, and then lecturing them to get busy and help out with the family responsibilities. Yea, that’ll work.
Indeed! It might be easier than getting along with a spouse, while suffering through the teenage years with real kids. But I bet you a barn full of cows the kids will never amount to much! Rearing kids and having a family is hard work. So too is rearing a congregation from birth through spiritual maturity.
When the emphasis is on first being born again and then getting busy for Jesus, spiritual amnesia follows almost automatically. It is like a baby in the crib. The little thing cries. So its diaper is changed and a nipple is stuffed in its mouth. The dear soul sucks himself full, gurgles and burps, then falls asleep. When nappy time is over, he repeats his routine: cry, diaper, nipple, gurgle, burp, sleep.
Can you imagine mom and dad rudely awakening the little tot from his sleep, then growling at him to stop lying in the crib. After all, he should get up and get busy helping out with the house cleaning and cutting the grass. He might only be 4 months old, but that’s no excuse!
Pardon my fun, but I can’t help myself. Sometimes we Christians are so outrageous in our thinking, it’s inexplicable! Especially when we have Bibles we can read in a cudzillion different translations. I hear a voice from heaven thundering, “Pick one up and read.” Novel thought anyway.
Let’s pause on that note and sleep on it. Oh, we might want to talk with Jesus about it before sleeping on it. Catch you again tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
No comments have been added yet.
