Friday, February 15, 2013

The Blessings and Cursings of Experiences


THE BLESSINGS AND CURSINGS 
OF EXPERIENCES

Our lives are filled with all kinds of experiences. Who can forget your first date, or your high school graduation, or seeing your first born child? Or who can forget being in an automobile accident, or watching as a loved one dies, or seeing a president shot? Our minds are literally packed with memories of events throughout our lives. Sometimes we even remember things we had long since forgotten. As you get older you will have that experience, believe me.

But then there are things that we learn that are factually true. We have never had the experience of walking on the Moon however we have learned about the Apollo space project. We never met George Washington but we know he was the first American president. We have never seen a cell but we have learned about them. So we are also filled with knowledge about which we have no personal experience.

But even though we have never seen a cell we still believe they exist. Why? Because we take the word of a teacher. Yes, we take that by faith. Some facts require greater faith while others seem reasonable. It is all a mixture of experience and facts. We trust that teacher, and our parents trust them as well, and so we just assume everything they teach is true. There are only a handful of people who have ever really seen a cell, so in effect we all are basing our faith on them.

But what if a teacher stands up and proclaims that there is no such thing as a cell, and that he has a new and more enlightened approach to physiology? What if that teacher says that we are made up of little particles that can be weaned away from their need of water, and that if we learn how we can eventually live forever just by gaining the knowledge of how to train these particles? But how does he know this? Because he has experienced it and he has redefined medical terms which offer a more expansive approach to the human body. In fact, this teacher acknowledges the input from doctors, but he strongly and persuasively directs everyone to move away from doctors since they are the knowledge of the past.

That sounds pretty goofy, right? How could we believe anyone could swallow that kind of craziness? But, sadly, that is exactly what is now happening in the Christian church including the evangelical wing. We now have well spoken men with some evangelical credentials standing before unbelievers and believers alike and teaching that what we have come to believe about Jesus, about salvation, and about the written revelation called the Word of God must be approached with a fresh insight. Men who call themselves emergent, and dominionists, and prophetic ministries, and latter rain, and manifest sons of God, and many other alluring titles are dismantling the faith by a clever amalgam of Scripture and experience.

Now anyone who has had no spiritual experience with Christ is either unsaved or has been trained to never have one. I, by God's amazing grace, have had many. I am sure some of you reading this have had some experiences as well. Have you been absolutely broken during a prayer meeting? Have you been in a public place and suddenly heard the inaudible voice of God in your heart? Have you been guided by the Spirit away from a situation you did not realize was there? Have you ever been worshiping the Lord Jesus and for some reason you are overwhelmed? I am sure most of us have had those gifts of God’s grace. But listen to Peter.

I Pet.1: 16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.



Just what is Peter saying here? He affirms that he had heard the voice of the Father blessing Christ Jesus as the Son of God. And he also affirms that they were eyewitness of His glory. Yea and amen! But he also says that in spite of those amazing experiences, we have a more sure word from God. Yes, Scripture is God’s final Word regardless of what experiences He may also give us by His grace. And the Scriptures are not unlocked by a select and private few. They are for every believer!
But no personal experience must ever find its way into what we believe. And every experience must be found completely within the teachings and parameters of God's written Word. And no one has any fresh revelation. All of us can have a fresh awakening and depth to the truths already revealed, but anything new is deception. So how do you get people to believe lies? How can normally intelligent people including people who know God’s Word succumb to such a colossal deception?

It begins with an open heart. Yes, a heart that is open to something new, and a mind that is not completely grounded in God’s Word. So when a person opens their heart and mind to someone teaching things that go against God’s Word, then deception has taken root. And so many times people are so shallow in the Word that they are not only susceptible to error, but they are seeking it. They desire something new and something that makes them feel first and think later. I am not suggesting our faith is without passion or emotion. But I am suggesting that when people are ignorant of the Word then they allow their emotions to identify truth rather than their study of the Word. Believers should experience tears and brokenness and joy and repentance and a myriad of emotions and personal experiences, however those experiences must emanate from Biblical truth rather than create it.

The second conduit for deception is usually an alluring and articulate personality. So many of the unbiblical offshoots begin with and spread through a person of interest. Men like Rob Bell or Rick Warren or Joel Osteen whose style or personality or smile or even their spiritual journey is much of the focal point are used as conduits for deception. People desire to hear something positive and new and applicable to their needs and wants. And people desire someone with whom they can relate and who lifts their spirits. Most times that person seems to have spiritual insights and communicative venues with God not afforded the common man.

And when you come with an open heart, and when the preacher or teacher is already someone you trust to reveal truth to you, then not only will there be no discernment, but you have become fertile ground for bad seed. Millions of people present their hearts and minds as willing recipients of all kinds of falsehoods and smooth sounding words. And when you add the imagery and air brushed technology of television and creative printed material, well you have an assembly line of deception.

This culture is built upon creating and enhancing people’s personal experience. The movies, the television, the theme parks, the music, and the advertisements are geared toward people’s experience. If it makes us feel good we want it. And if it makes us feel good then it must be good. And that cultural principle has made its way into the church and has now created a process for arriving at truth which is fundamentally flawed and in fact constructed after man’s desires and not God’s Word. It begins subtly and eventually builds error upon error until the entire spiritual structure is a honeycomb of falsehoods and error and worthless cultural rhetoric.

Even our church services are constructed to elicit positive vibes and see people leave feeling blessed and good. Emotions are not a by-product, they are the only product. Everything is neatly coordinated in order to have a pleasant experience that fits nicely into a formatted timetable. And the evangelical church has become very adept at this kind of ecclesiastical pursuit. In almost every community you can find a Sunday gathering that suits your taste. It’s like a Baskin Robbins of all kinds of church flavors.

But all of this points to a fatal flaw. Deception is not stagnant. It flows with all kinds of energy and it creates many diabolical tributaries that build upon its original source, and as Jesus said of the Pharisee followers, it makes some people twice as fit for hell. You see, brothers and sisters, this is no doctrinal game. This kind of deception that is being embraced today has eternal consequences for millions of sinners. Some of these lost sinners are being told they are alright with God, while others are being shown a false and deadly door through which to walk. People run after men and their experience and refuse to diligently study God’s Word.

Yes, there are those whose doctrine is orthodox who are without emotion or pathos toward the Lord Jesus and their relationship with Him. But once again I am not against emotion and spiritual experience, but that can never be the standard of truth. Emotion and passion and spiritual experience must flow out of Biblical truth and a relentless desire to know Him more fully and obey Him more completely. And I might add this: If you are saved and walking with Christ and never have any personal experience or emotion directly associated with your life of obedience, prayer, and worship, then I suggest you have never really received a true vision of your sin, and you certainly have never received a full revelation of the Risen Christ! Stand fully upon His Word and bow before Him with a surrendered heart and the experience you receive will be unspeakable and full of glory. We do not need more truth since we have all truth. We need that truth to have all of us.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

2 Peter 1-16-20

Yosua said...

Good article. I agree except for this:

"And I might add this: If you are saved and walking with Christ and never have any personal experience or emotion directly associated with your life of obedience, prayer, and worship, then I suggest you have never really received a true vision of your sin, and you certainly have never received a full revelation of the Risen Christ! Stand fully upon His Word and bow before Him with a surrendered heart and the experience you receive will be unspeakable and full of glory."

I never receive that "experience" that is "unspeakable and fully of glory". Please don't cause people to become either desperate or jalous...

AnonymousNoMore said...

I know what it's like to be seeking in earnest and become mislead. Being revelations and a-ha moments are a joy in learning of our Father and Lord, it's common for me to read from different sources and teachings to expand my understanding. Having an open heart it is very easy to become entangled in teaching that is not of the gospel. Been there, done that.

I think in my situation, I did not look back to the gospel for confirmation of this new enlightenment and just took it and ran with it. Very dangerous ground with no "Warning!" or "Danger!" signs. These days it is especially easy to be swayed and have belief altered into a seemingly TRUE doctrine. Scarier part is once it is accepted as "the Truth" it is really hard to undue. Praise to God for his untangling of untruths, by whatever means it happens. For me, it was an internet posting warning of such teachings (probably one of your postings, Pastor Rick...)

Thank you for your continued words of Caution! Warning! and Danger! in a time when these signs are cleverly covered by roadside debris and overgrowth of false teachings.

ANM

Cherie c. said...

To Yosua said:

Please see Scripture I was just reading in my Bible study below: The weeping is a grieved spirit Paul had while writing to the Philippians.

Philippians 3
18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

Also:

Philippians 4
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Where do you think honest, true, pure, lovely, good, virtue and praise comes from? We see and feel these things unless we have the Holy Spirit. Please read Acts 19, because this may (I said may) be you.

19 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,

2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.

4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

7 And all the men were about twelve.

I believe we can obtain a knowledge of the Bible and of Jesus and not receive the Holy Spirit. Sometimes I believe we must ask to receive Him.

"Please don't cause people to become either desperate or jealous" . Um...if we are not desperate for the Lord in our sinful condition, than what are we? We are dead in our sins. If we do not become jealous for what other believers have with the Lord, how then will we ever come to the Lord? Dear brothers and sisters, if we are not desperate to received Jesus and jealous for what He has to offer, then we must, and I say again, MUST examine ourselves. A strong Passion for Christ, is a strong Passion for life, and life everlasting. If I say I am not desperate at times for Jesus, I am a liar. When I read a post here from a brother or sister and see something in their walk with the Lord, I would be liar if I said I was not jealous. Not as the world see jealousy, but as the Word of God says; a longing to have what I see others have with the Lord. And to unbelievers we need to live a life according to the Word of God to evoke a Godly jealousy from the unbeliever, to help lead them to Christ.

That my friends is the Holy Spirit. If you do not understand what Pastor wrote in this post, then perhaps it best to examine ourselves, repent, and seek Him more. I know I need to seek Him more.

Love to all.

your sister in Christ Jesus,
Cherie c.

Cherie c. said...

One more thing:

Did you ever just sit whether it was at work, or on the front porch, or just before you got in your car and felt the deep joy of Knowing and Loving Christ?

Just to stand there and feel Him, I have to almost equate it to the first time you fell in love and you wanted to just bask in that feeling, only with Jesus that feeling never wains or gets old. I got home from work on Friday, and I found myself just sitting there in my driveway and allowing the Holy Spirit to give me this feeling and it made me cry so hard my face swelled. It has been a really hard couple of weeks, and I felt as if I was distant from the Lord, and this let me know, that I know, that I know that no matter how distant we feel He may be, He isn't. We walk away from Him, and the desperate need to be near Him is a good thing, not a bad thing. But the joy I felt was indescribable, and I was worried that one of my sons would ask me why I was crying only not to understand because I would not have explained it very well.

Thank you Lord for being there even when I think your aren't. Just waiting for us to turn back around and run to you again. a relationship with Jesus is like no other, especially an earthly relationship. Still can't truly explain what I mean, only if you have the Holy Spirit can you know what I mean. This of what I speak is not on an earthly level.

Love to all!

Cherie c.

Yosua said...

"Um...if we are not desperate for the Lord in our sinful condition, than what are we? We are dead in our sins. If we do not become jealous for what other believers have with the Lord, how then will we ever come to the Lord? Dear brothers and sisters, if we are not desperate to received Jesus and jealous for what He has to offer, then we must, and I say again, MUST examine ourselves. A strong Passion for Christ, is a strong Passion for life, and life everlasting. If I say I am not desperate at times for Jesus, I am a liar. When I read a post here from a brother or sister and see something in their walk with the Lord, I would be liar if I said I was not jealous. Not as the world see jealousy, but as the Word of God says; a longing to have what I see others have with the Lord. And to unbelievers we need to live a life according to the Word of God to evoke a Godly jealousy from the unbeliever, to help lead them to Christ."

Ok, I understand. I am just never happy with my relationship with God.. but I understand that it must be like this, always wanting more of God...
Thank you for remembering me of this.

Cherie c. said...

Hey Yosua,

If I have helped you in any way, Glory to God.

I pray you are there to remind me when I need to be reminded which some times is quite often. =D
God bless you.

your sister in Christ Jesus,
Cherie C.