Above All...
“He took the fall and thought of me above all.”
However well intentioned the author of this lyrics is, it is still a frightening reflection of the man-centeredness of many churches in America today. So many of us have grown up in churches that have taught us that the cross of Jesus Christ was all for us. He died for us alone. He came to lift us up out of darkness and raise us up high and serve us whatever we need and want. The problem with all of these statements is not that they are completely false. It is that they are incomplete. Yes, Jesus came to die for us that we might have life (Jn. 3:16, Rom. 3:25, 1 John 4:10, Gal. 3:13). But we miss the point if we think Jesus died so that we can be served by Him in this life and the next.
“Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.” 1 Peter 3:18
“Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth, …whom I created for my glory.” Isaiah 43:6-7
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
It is becoming more and more apparent to me lately that the American Church needs a revival. We have lost the grip on the true meaning of our purpose as individual believers and as the Church of Jesus. Everywhere I look I see conferences, seminars, sermon series, and books that communicate in “cool” and “emerging” ways, they reel people in and think that they are successful. Of course they’re successful! If someone stands in front of a crowd week after week and tells them that Jesus, life, the universe is all about them and what they want, they will certainly be "successful."
Some one once said that a prophet was hated in his home town (Jesus: Mk. 6:4, Lk. 4:24).
So what is the answer? The same answer that it has always been. The cross. Preach the cross. Preach the cross. Preach the cross. Stop the gimmicks, stop the pragmatism, stop the worldliness. Preach the cross. When we truly dive into God’s word we see only the cross. Our lives will be consumed by the preeminence of Jesus. We will want nothing more than to reject ourselves and experience the joy that is found in giving Him glory above all.
However well intentioned the author of this lyrics is, it is still a frightening reflection of the man-centeredness of many churches in America today. So many of us have grown up in churches that have taught us that the cross of Jesus Christ was all for us. He died for us alone. He came to lift us up out of darkness and raise us up high and serve us whatever we need and want. The problem with all of these statements is not that they are completely false. It is that they are incomplete. Yes, Jesus came to die for us that we might have life (Jn. 3:16, Rom. 3:25, 1 John 4:10, Gal. 3:13). But we miss the point if we think Jesus died so that we can be served by Him in this life and the next.
“Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.” 1 Peter 3:18
“Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth, …whom I created for my glory.” Isaiah 43:6-7
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
It is becoming more and more apparent to me lately that the American Church needs a revival. We have lost the grip on the true meaning of our purpose as individual believers and as the Church of Jesus. Everywhere I look I see conferences, seminars, sermon series, and books that communicate in “cool” and “emerging” ways, they reel people in and think that they are successful. Of course they’re successful! If someone stands in front of a crowd week after week and tells them that Jesus, life, the universe is all about them and what they want, they will certainly be "successful."
Some one once said that a prophet was hated in his home town (Jesus: Mk. 6:4, Lk. 4:24).
So what is the answer? The same answer that it has always been. The cross. Preach the cross. Preach the cross. Preach the cross. Stop the gimmicks, stop the pragmatism, stop the worldliness. Preach the cross. When we truly dive into God’s word we see only the cross. Our lives will be consumed by the preeminence of Jesus. We will want nothing more than to reject ourselves and experience the joy that is found in giving Him glory above all.
posted by Kevin at 8:33 AM
3 Comments:
When did it become the norm to teach from the pulpit about how to be good parents, good citizens, good neighbors, physically healthy, etc., etc. instead of teaching Jesus Christ crucified, buried and raised? These are all good things and biblical but shouldn't they be taught in a discipling atmosphere rather than from the pulpit? It's pretty hard to teach an unbeliever to "love your neighbor as yourself" if you haven't first taught them to "love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind".
don't want to be nitpicky, but the pulpit ought to be a discipling atmosphere. there is no delineation.
what pastors ought to proclaim is the full counsel of God. Then there wouldn't be any things we don't talk about, because we would just talk about anything that the Bible talked about.
I think "nitpicky" was aimed at me not you Kevin...what I was communicating is that I think a lot of the time we put the cart before the horse. The sermons I hear "suppose" that the audience are believers and in a standard Sunday morning setting I seriously doubt (yes I'm being judgmental and I can confess this on Friday)that is always the case. It seems to me that before we can "disciple" folks they ought to be believin' folk and that's the point of discipleship. Can discipleship occur from the pulpit...yes, but in the context of teaching believers. I'm just the lay guy and ya'll are the preacher boys so go ahead and correct me...I can take it! Blessings my brothers.
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