This leads me to something a friend said the other day. She was pointing out that we each need to get revelation for ourselves. We can't rely on our pastor's revelation (although that is helpful, I'm not discounting that), or our friend's, but the truth of God's Word has to come alive to each and every one of us, in order to be effective in our lives. She compared it to eating someone else's food, after they had already eaten it--you don't get any nourishment from it, they already did! That is gross, but really good. Think about the baby bird sitting there with it's mouth open wide, waiting for the mommy bird to chew up the worm and spit it into it's mouth. Many of us go to church that way, saying, "feed me, feed me, chew on it for me, half digest it, and then give it to me." Sermons at church should be a springboard for your own study, NOT your sole nourishment. If so, you are eating someone else's food. They got the full nourishment from it, you are getting a by-product.
Homeschooling has taught me this well, the person doing the research is the person doing the learning. Many times we homeschool moms do a lot of research to teach our kids a lesson and we learn a lot, but the kids don't really. I have learned that it is much better to lead my kids through research, so that they themselves are the ones learning. This is the same with us and church. The pastor is doing the study, getting the revelation, and then passing it on to us. It is easily forgotten if we do not apply it, use it, study it further.
It's time to get to work.
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This is so good! Gross illustration, but maybe I'll remember it. :)
Our Pastor has said, for the longest time, "Don't take what _I_ say as 'Gospel'. _YOU_ research it. See if I got it all. Maybe I didn't. Don't just swallow what someone says, and go by their perspective. Ask, what does the BIBLE say about...?"
So, my way of thinking is this: If you want to be "satiated" [totally satisfied, fulfilled, accepting without question] with someONE ELSE'S study, and not apply yourself, as the exhortation in 2 Timothy 2:15 directs us, then, that's all you'll have to stand on. You'll only know what God spoke to so-and-so about such-and-such. That's sandy ground to stand on, in storms that come our way. "Leftovers" are okay, but a continual diet of them not only is boring, they're plain nasty!! [How long do YOU like to eat the same soup? I can do it for a while, but, if I'm on a 3rd WEEK of it... Shudder!]
In some cultures, people did pre-chew [not predigest] food for others, mothers did that for their children before there were inventions of grinders, blenders, juicers, etc. It is one thing to _nurture_ someone, while they're young. It is completely another, as and adult, to sit at whom ever's pulpit, Sunday after Sunday, never doing ANY Bible study, and calling it great and fulfilling. To me, that's idiotically LAZY and slothful! [It's also discouraging for the ministering church! See Hebrews 5:11-13]
My way of thinking has been that the congregational whole [the service-singing, message, etc] is kind of a "side dish" to where my own Bible time, and worship time at home "ought" to be.
I understand that, in the 'ebb and flow' of life, there might be times where that corporate church time, has been the 'meat and potatoes' for our walk. HOWEVER, I believe that it ought not be the continual case.
Our hearts ought, like Mary [Lazarus's sister], to long to sit at the feet of Jesus, in our quiet place. To learn from HIM, to have our Teacher, the Holy Spirit speak to us and teach whatever we may lack knowledge of.
Through out the past 5 years, of working crazy schedules, not being able to get to certain services because of whatever; it has been a total place of rest in my heart, to know that God was leading AND teaching me... RIGHT IN LINE with what was taught at church--even though I hadn't been there! :D
This has been good "food for thought", Shannon! Bon Appetit!
Amen! Sandy. Every word. :)
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