One of the things that I often see, which troubles me, is that people within the Church have an unrealistically high opinion of their knowledge, discernment, and understanding.
This is not a matter of pointing out a speck in someone else's eye, while neglecting the log in my own eye.
Rev 3:17: "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—"
First, we see that the opinion that the Laodicean church has of itself is this: "I have need of nothing."
"I have need of nothing."
Yet, the true state of the Laodicean church swung to the opposite extreme: they were wretched, miserable, and blind (among other things).
***
I remember that when I lived in New York, I attended a church that was "off," but it took me time to figure out what was wrong, as nothing on the surface indicated that something was wrong.
In said church, the teaching was expository; the sermons were exegetically sound; the topic matter had some degree of depth. Yet something was "off"...
I finally learned why I perceived a lack of power in this church: everything was a facade.
The sermons were excellent, but I finally learned that ALL of the material came straight from the Pastor's seminary days, notes and all, while it was adapted for today's every day life.
The church was tiny, as it clearly wasn't blessed by God. Yet the leadership in the church saw it differently: "We're tiny because our work is exegetically sound; we're the remnant; therefore, those seeking to have their ears tickled don't want to come here." Since then, I have come across this pattern several times.
How do you overcome a false sense of confidence and worth?
***
I recently had to tear someone down, although I don't like tearing people down. For years, I have encouraged this person to study, that they might have the ability to verbalize and reason like an adult (1 John 2:13-14).
My exhortations went unheeded.
This believer's fruit is that of a baby, yet they've been saved for decades. This weekend, I tore the bandaid off; I knocked them down:
"It means nothing that you perceive in your spirit that a teaching is off! You cannot verbalize anything (Hebrews 5:14); you operate on what you perceive in your spirit. An infant can discern who is his mother, but he cannot verbalize anything, other than to cry when he is taken out of his mother's arms. So is it with you, yet you view the "check" in your spirit as a sign of maturity (compared to those who're spiritually lifeless), when the reality is that you're no different than a baby who cries when he is taken from his mother's arms!"
***
The last church there was constant contention between myself and others. I can't recall a time when it was said that I was operating in an unbiblical fashion; it was usually: "(we have our traditions), and you, not native to the South, do not understand how and why we operate this way."
The church was not operating and teaching as it ought; the teaching was exegetically correct, but it's longtime members were ignorant of even basic matters; the church wasn't blessed by God, and remained small, yet the reasoning came thus: "we're the remnant, we don't tickle ears, that's why we're small."
What's my concern?
Like Sampson, the Lord departed him, yet he did not know. Thus has the church wandered off the track, yet it does not know (Hosea 7:9).
The church and it's members will soon come under heavy fire, yet it's headed for an epic battle, yet it cannot discern it's true state, nor does it know it's way back (Ps 11:3).
All of it comes because people have an overestimated view of themselves.
I don't like knocking people down. How do you go about ministering to people and situations, to a people that do not discern their true state?
One of the things that I often see, which troubles me, is that people within the Church have an unrealistically high opinion of their knowledge, discernment, and understanding.
This is not a matter of pointing out a speck in someone else's eye, while neglecting the log in my own eye.
Rev 3:17: "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—"
First, we see that the opinion that the Laodicean church has of itself is this: "I have need of nothing."
"I have need of nothing."
Yet, the true state of the Laodicean church swung to the opposite extreme: they were wretched, miserable, and blind (among other things).
***
I remember that when I lived in New York, I attended a church that was "off," but it took me time to figure out what was wrong, as nothing on the surface indicated that something was wrong.
In said church, the teaching was expository; the sermons were exegetically sound; the topic matter had some degree of depth. Yet something was "off"...
I finally learned why I perceived a lack of power in this church: everything was a facade.
The sermons were excellent, but I finally learned that ALL of the material came straight from the Pastor's seminary days, notes and all, while it was adapted for today's every day life.
The church was tiny, as it clearly wasn't blessed by God. Yet the leadership in the church saw it differently: "We're tiny because our work is exegetically sound; we're the remnant; therefore, those seeking to have their ears tickled don't want to come here." Since then, I have come across this pattern several times.
How do you overcome a false sense of confidence and worth?
***
I recently had to tear someone down, although I don't like tearing people down. For years, I have encouraged this person to study, that they might have the ability to verbalize and reason like an adult (1 John 2:13-14).
My exhortations went unheeded.
This believer's fruit is that of a baby, yet they've been saved for decades. This weekend, I tore the bandaid off; I knocked them down:
"It means nothing that you perceive in your spirit that a teaching is off! You cannot verbalize anything (Hebrews 5:14); you operate on what you perceive in your spirit. An infant can discern who is his mother, but he cannot verbalize anything, other than to cry when he is taken out of his mother's arms. So is it with you, yet you view the "check" in your spirit as a sign of maturity (compared to those who're spiritually lifeless), when the reality is that you're no different than a baby who cries when he is taken from his mother's arms!"
***
The last church there was constant contention between myself and others. I can't recall a time when it was said that I was operating in an unbiblical fashion; it was usually: "(we have our traditions), and you, not native to the South, do not understand how and why we operate this way."
The church was not operating and teaching as it ought; the teaching was exegetically correct, but it's longtime members were ignorant of even basic matters; the church wasn't blessed by God, and remained small, yet the reasoning came thus: "we're the remnant, we don't tickle ears, that's why we're small."
What's my concern?
Like Sampson, the Lord departed him, yet he did not know. Thus has the church wandered off the track, yet it does not know (Hosea 7:9).
The church and it's members will soon come under heavy fire, yet it's headed for an epic battle, yet it cannot discern it's true state, nor does it know it's way back (Ps 11:3).
All of it comes because people have an overestimated view of themselves.
I don't like knocking people down. How do you go about ministering to people and situations, to a people that do not discern their true state?
Here's are examples of "knocking someone down" (making someone assess their true spiritual condition):
Hebrews 5:12: "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food."
1 Corinthians 3:1-3: And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?
But that isn't my purpose; my purpose is to come up with a way to overcome their stiff necked, ignorant, self reliant, dispositions, such that they can be equipped, discipled, and useful for God's work.
******
Here's an actual example of something that transpired:
Bill O'Reilly (Fox News) wrote a book on the life and death of Jesus.
Bill O'Reilly said that Jesus was murdered because He didn't pay His taxes.
Many Christians are viewers of Fox News, thus O'Reilly's activities spilled over into the church (the body of Christ).
Many believers were/are ill equipped to refute O'Reilly's assumption that Jesus was murdered because He didn't pay His taxes.
My concern is that individuals could regularly attend church services week after week, think they're being well fed, yet they're ignorant of even the basic fundamentals of our faith. This is not good. If O'Reilly can confuse them, what do you think a trained Jehovah's Witness might do?
If you regularly attend a "good, Bible teaching, church," yet you're ill equipped on the fundamentals, it makes me wonder what your Pastor is doing?
And...as I have enumerated in posts prior, people who've been churched for a long time don't like to be corrected.
This is a serious matter.