Are We Really Biblical?
What does it mean to “believe the Bible?” We say we do. At least most of us as Baptists say that we do, but do we really believe it?
I heard a story many years ago about a farming community that was in the midst of a drought. It had not rained for weeks, and the crops were in danger. Most of the residents attended a small church on the top of a knoll and walked there on Sunday mornings. At the conclusion of a sermon on faith, the pastor announced that he would meet the congregation back in the afternoon to pray for rain. Almost the whole membership showed up and crowded into the small building. As the pastor stood at the front, he noticed one small boy sitting in the front row. There was a big smile on his face, but there was something else different about him. Of all those who attended, he was the only one who brought an umbrella. Who believed?
Words are so cheap. We can say we believe anything, but it is what we live that we really believe. If we believe the Bible, we obey it!
I am so afraid that tradition and personal preferences have usurped much of our Biblicism! We have become accustomed to certain things for so long that we have come to accept them as Biblical. They aren’t necessarily bad things; they just aren’t what the Bible teaches! They’re tradition, and the church has always been prone to fall into tradition.
One of those traditions is what we use to determine if church is “done right.” For some, it is formality, architecture, worship style, the songs we sing… the color of the carpet or the kinds of musical instruments we use. If it fits your model, it’s “church!” Or, to put it another way, if it feels good to you, it’s “Biblical.” But, when Jesus talked about what ought to capture the church’s attention, He didn’t talk about the barn. He talked about the fields. “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (John 4:35)
Church is “done rightly” when we are fulfilling the Great Commission. A Biblical world view will put you in the fields reaping the harvest, not just sitting around the barn discussing whether or not you should wear a tie to Sunday services! I recall Jesus saying, “What profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul...” (Matthew 16:26) And, I wonder, what profit is it to any of us if we get our way… feel comfortable, “feel” Biblical while thousands of people go to hell… including our own grandchildren!
We say we believe the Bible, but I wonder how much time we spend reading it. And, when we do read it, are we trying to prove a point or are we patiently listening for the Author to reveal what He wants, what He wants done, and how He wants it done? He has a purpose, a plan, and a program for us. Is that what we really want to understand… and, what we are determined to live?
God help us to be truly Biblical!
I heard a story many years ago about a farming community that was in the midst of a drought. It had not rained for weeks, and the crops were in danger. Most of the residents attended a small church on the top of a knoll and walked there on Sunday mornings. At the conclusion of a sermon on faith, the pastor announced that he would meet the congregation back in the afternoon to pray for rain. Almost the whole membership showed up and crowded into the small building. As the pastor stood at the front, he noticed one small boy sitting in the front row. There was a big smile on his face, but there was something else different about him. Of all those who attended, he was the only one who brought an umbrella. Who believed?
Words are so cheap. We can say we believe anything, but it is what we live that we really believe. If we believe the Bible, we obey it!
I am so afraid that tradition and personal preferences have usurped much of our Biblicism! We have become accustomed to certain things for so long that we have come to accept them as Biblical. They aren’t necessarily bad things; they just aren’t what the Bible teaches! They’re tradition, and the church has always been prone to fall into tradition.
One of those traditions is what we use to determine if church is “done right.” For some, it is formality, architecture, worship style, the songs we sing… the color of the carpet or the kinds of musical instruments we use. If it fits your model, it’s “church!” Or, to put it another way, if it feels good to you, it’s “Biblical.” But, when Jesus talked about what ought to capture the church’s attention, He didn’t talk about the barn. He talked about the fields. “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (John 4:35)
Church is “done rightly” when we are fulfilling the Great Commission. A Biblical world view will put you in the fields reaping the harvest, not just sitting around the barn discussing whether or not you should wear a tie to Sunday services! I recall Jesus saying, “What profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul...” (Matthew 16:26) And, I wonder, what profit is it to any of us if we get our way… feel comfortable, “feel” Biblical while thousands of people go to hell… including our own grandchildren!
We say we believe the Bible, but I wonder how much time we spend reading it. And, when we do read it, are we trying to prove a point or are we patiently listening for the Author to reveal what He wants, what He wants done, and how He wants it done? He has a purpose, a plan, and a program for us. Is that what we really want to understand… and, what we are determined to live?
God help us to be truly Biblical!