Every Sunday a well-known radio station in our city airs 24 hours of Christian radio. As much as I love the stations effort to spread the Word through music and conversation, there is one segment I’m not too fond of. Every evening around 7 pm there are topics for discussion like: Is pre-marital sex a sin? Should pastors date? Should Christians go to Las Vegas? Is smoking a sin? The question(s) is asked and the discussion (or I should say the debate) begins.
It’s interesting listening to some responses as people try their best to articulate their theological position on the discussion for the evening. On the other hand, it’s disheartening listening to those who use philosophy, opinions, old wise fables, slang, and false teaching to express their belief and practice.
Paul warns Pastor Timothy of such an era of our day when he says:
As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions – 1 Timothy 1:3-7.
And then in chapter 4, he says;
Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth – 1 Timothy 4:1-3.
To keep from being lengthy, here’s the warning from both passages of scripture:
- There’s a warning against false teaching
- There’s a warning against devotion to myths and genealogies
- There’s a warning of promotion of speculations
- There’s a warning of wandering away into vain discussion
- There’s a warning of a desire to be teachers without understanding
The above list is identifiers of bad teaching leading to bad living. Here’s what bad teaching produces:
- Lying
- Forbidding to marry
- Abstaining from food that God created and should be received with thanksgiving
Teaching dictates our faith and practice. Practice should not dictate our faith and message. Here’s what I mean, we’re living in a time now where people are more apt to defend their practice rather than the message of Jesus Christ. And therefore, we justify our wrong in an effort to make what we’ve done and/or doing seem right. The tolerance level for many Christians is extremely high and we, just about, accept everything which leads to a compromise of the Gospel and a total disdain of God’s glory.
Many people will argue that conversations on spiritual issues are healthy. Maybe is my response. How do we define healthy conversations? What is the end result of healthy conversations? Who benefits from healthy conversations, the initiator, who wants to show off their biblical understanding of scripture? Or do we initiate these conversations to show how ignorant people are to biblical truths?
Whatever the case, I believe healthy conversations can only be healthy in the following principles:
I. Biblical Support: All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work – 2 Timothy 3:16-17. I believe that a conversation can’t be healthy without biblical support. As a Christ-follower, the Word of God guides my life in every area without exception. We may declare this to be true but our tendencies are to pick and choose which part of God’s Word to believe and live by. The Word of God is clear on it’s teaching for pre-marital relations (sex), homosexuality/lesbianism, alcoholism, gambling, dating (pastor or not), finances, debt, and so many more. However, to discover scriptures teaching on these topics require a biblical literacy that is lacking in our day and time.
For comedians, there are subjects that are almost too easy -- sure things that guarantee a laugh. For Jay Leno one late night, it was the Bible. During the taping of one of his television shows, Leno moved through his audience asking people what they knew about the Bible. "Name one of the Ten Commandments," he said.
"God helps those who help themselves?" someone ventured.
"Name one of the apostles," Leno told them. No one could.
Finally, he asked them to name the Beatles. Without hesitation, the answer came ringing from throughout the crowd: George, Paul, John and Ringo.
Leno wasn't spoofing the Bible that evening. He was spoofing our society, which claims a grounding in Judeo-Christian principles and yet -- according to a number of surveys -- is increasingly losing touch with the Scriptures of those faiths.
Only two of 10 people participating in a recent Gallup survey correctly identified who delivered the Sermon on the Mount, said David Eikenberry, youth pastor at Orchard View Congregational Church in Muskegon, Michigan. "Typically, people could name only three or four of the Ten Commandments," Eikenberry said. Even that, however, did place Gallup's respondents ahead of Leno's "Tonight Show" audience.
Rev. Willie Burrel, pastor of Christ Temple Church in Muskegon Heights and a teacher with Western Michigan Bible Institute, also noted a decline in biblical literacy. "In order to be a Bible reader, you have to be a practicing Christian," he said. "There are a lot of un-practicing Christians (Taken from Clayton Hardiman of Religion News Service)."
Healthy conversations are supported by scripture which leads to healthy living.
II. Accurate Interpretation: As biblical support is important in healthy conversations, accurate interpretation is equally important. A study principle should always be on the front lines to properly understand biblical truths: CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING! We cannot have healthy conversations without looking at a particular topic in light of what all scripture as to say about the topic of discussion. Often times, we strip scripture from it’s context and develop our doctrinal positions. Big mistake! Misinterpreting the Bible has created much confusion and problems over the years. Here are a few do’s and don’ts to avoid misinterpreting scripture:
Don’t
- Don’t approach scripture with your point of view
- Don’t build an understanding until you’ve thoroughly investigated scripture on the topic
- Don’t suppose you know it all
- Don’t take scripture out of it’s context
- Avoid superficial interpretation
- Don’t use your experiences to validate the truth of Scripture
- Don’t spiritualize Scripture – Be careful to not make the Bible say more than what’s already there
- Don’t symbolize Scripture – This is seen more in OT passages of scripture.
Do’s
- Pray first before you study
- Read
- Write
- Meditate- Listen for the voice of God
- Approach your study with humility
- Study for your growth not for judgment of others
- Take your time
- Ask questions when you don’t understand (ask God, your pastor, mature believers)
Accurate interpretation of Scripture makes for a healthy conversation.
III. Christ-Centered: A healthy conversation is pointing people to Christ for the answers. One of my favorite stories in Scripture is found in John 4, Jesus having a conversation with the Samaritan women at the well. I like this story because after hear conversation with Christ she ran into the city to tell others about Christ. In Mark 11 we read that when John heard about the works of Christ, he sent two of disciples. In Mark 5, we read that the woman with an issue of blood heard of Jesus and pressed through the crowd to touch the Him of His garment. Zacchaeus must have heard that Jesus was passing through Jericho in Luke 19 because it says that he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Him. I think you get the point, healthy conversations point people to Christ.
IV. Decision-making. A healthy conversation leads people to make a decision about their walk with God. I’ve listened to the conversations on Sunday evenings and they seem too indecisive. There was no clear line as to what to believe leading to how we should live for God. Often times it ends with the idea: “If that’s what you believe…” That’s a cop out and people will continue to do the same thing they’ve always done. I remember as a teenager, a friend of mine was having a party down the street from the house and I wanted to go. At the time I was ministering throughout the city of Los Angeles singing and preaching. My mentor, Bro B, told me I shouldn’t go to the party. I’m a teenager and wanted to hang out with my friends at the party. I like dancing and as far as I was concerned it’s cool to dance. In his mind it was not cool to dance or even be at the party because many of the people who were going to be there went to our church and know I’m a preacher as well as look up to me. He said; “Going to the party may taint their image of you and your voice will be silenced the next time you stand to minister through preaching or singing, don’t go!” My rebellion said I’m going to the party, like it or not. I didn’t see a problem with dancing. Nightfall came and off to the party I went. Man, I was having a ball until the music stopped…Clint, come to the DJs both, you’re Dad is here to pick you up! My… what….who…how! When I got the front there stood, Bro B. I got in the car and when we pulled into the driveway he laid into me with the longest lecture that seemed to last a lifetime. When finished he asked, “Do you understand and what is your decision now?” I didn’t understand all of that then but now I do. My grandfather would say to me; “Boy, make your mind up!” Healthy conversations should lead people to make their minds up to follow Christ in total devotion.
Let’s not lose sight of what a healthy conversation about Christ can do in the lives of others. In your next healthy conversation make sure you have biblical support, interpret Scripture accurately, point people to Christ, and then ask them, “Make your mind up!”
Remember it’s about kingdom building!
Hello,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the teaching.