I'm don't watch televangelist. I frankly can't stomach the idea much less the individuals. It's completely unnatural. If we are following Christ then we should be in fellowship with his body. Plain and simple. We waste more time listening to some stranger preach some message – which is NOT the gospel of Jesus Christ - than we do listening to God ourselves i.e. reading our bibles and living it out among others. There is no interaction with the word or other believers. It is both unnatural and unhealthy. And so we have an obese church laying on the comfortable couch, slugging down alcohol free beers, making snacks during the commercials. We no longer engage in discussion because our skins have grown so thin. We no longer wrestle with the scriptures because our backs are weak. Thankfully we have no format for response because our reflexes have grown sluggish. And the atrophy of our souls has leeched into our excursions into reality. When (or if) we do attend a real meeting with real people we're not much more engaged. It's like going to the gym for the first time after high school graduation. “Hey it's only been 10 years. I'm still in pretty good shape. After all I used to play on the volleyball team.” But the format of most modern church services doesn't lend itself to interactive dialog either and so we've drifted. We no longer care much about doctrine, or theology. Since we have no real format for conversation we no longer think at all. We just consume and emote and drift...que sera sera. And then the message of the Cross, the reality of it's impact on our souls, the supernatural power of salvation becomes boring! We are actually bored with God. And more than that, since we have failed to keep our senses sharp – remember iron sharpens iron – by engaging with other believers intellectually, we are now both easily offended and offensive. We need to turn off the t.v., crack open our bibles, find other believers who will sand the burrs off our prickly selves, make a commitment to them (you may need to consult a dictionary for that one) and grow up. We have grown yes, but it's not more mature, we've just grown fat.
4 comments:
I love it! Your images are exact - we are a fat church. You have much truth in these statements, and like the letter to the church at Sardis, you're yelling "Wake up!!"
Hi Teri with one 'r'! Jessica gave me the link to your blog. Hope you don't mind my commenting. Is this like a third space?? I agree with you in part. I think it is awesome that you have such a special relationship with the Lord and go directly to the Bible. We all need to do that and to discern whatever we receive from any sourse.. even our own interpretation of what we think the Bible is saying. God has from time to time corrected me...when I had a less then full understanding of His word. That's why I also enjoy Bible studies. I love going to church...I get fed there, but often in church we don't have the give and take that is interactive in a Bible study. Some people rarely speak up at a Bible study..but that doesn't mean they aren't gleaning richness from the Lord, either.
Though I rarely turn on the TV...I have to disagree though about televangelists. Again..we need to discern what we receive. But I don't think we can assume that God isn't working through televangelists. I think it kind of negates that God uses various avenues to reach the lost, to spur the believer to a deeper walk with the Lord, to speak to people via His Holy Spirit through different people. He does that in day to day relationships...why not via TV? I also don't think we can generalize and say that anyone who watches the TV isn't seeking the Lord, isn't pressing in, isn't going to the Bible.
God calls people to do varied things...just because one person isn't called to watch or be a televangelist..we can't negate what God desires to do through those means. What reaches one person with the gospel might not reach another. We have an awesome God who pursues us. I'm so thankful for that.
Love ya
Christy
Christy, thanx for reading. I'm glad you rarely turn on the tv but I'm curious how you can defend televangelists then. Has there not been an extremely disproportionate amount of scandal among preachers of this kind. Sure there is some good...and I didn't say that anyone who watches tv isn't seeking the Lord. What I am saying is that we are become lazy and our laziness has dulled our senses, and made us into sheeple and is lulling us to sleep. I would be thrilled to know that there is a tv program out there that does not fleece the sheep for money, preach instead of teach, use the scriptures out of context and make a mockery of true salvation. We are supposed to be in fellowship with each other. The television just doesn't provide that. And your right about Bible Study, you don't have to be speaking to be learning and engaging. Well said.
Hi...no I don't watch a whole lot of TV...but from time to time I have watched various programs. I have been watching alot of GOD TV via internet lately... I have heard similar messages given in churches as some given on TV...the setting might be different, but just as we get fed varied foods in different churches..some good meat and some spoiled..it is the same via televangelists. What we do with the meals we receive wherever we receive it...kind of reflects where we are at, doesn't it? I've seen some church goers guilty of what you are saying about those who watch on TV. Guess the saying goes..don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.
As far as scandel....that can be true of leadership in any church. Afterall...if the enemy can trip up someone in leadership or in view of the world via TV/computer....then he has succeeded. But by the grace of God any of us can fall into sin that has far reaching affects. I just don't think God is above using any avenue to reach people where they are at. I just don't want to discredit God's work just because it is through a televangelist.
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