T H E S I S # 46
Many quality spiritual insights proceed from evangelical pulpits every sunday.
Luke 24:32 (NLT): They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road, and explained the Scriptures to us?”
When Lord Jesus speaks “our hearts burn within us”. Sometimes it is Him speaking through the pulpit person sunday morning. And sometimes not.
It would be relaxing if we could accept as true what every pulpit fellow declared. But we cannot. While some messages are high quality, others must be categorized as false teachings. To further complicate matters, false teachings contain some truth, and commendable teachings could include faulty perspectives.
1 Corinthians 14:29 (NLT): Let two or three people prophesy, and let the others evaluate what is said.
Evaluate. Judge. Examine. Check. Appraise.
A mature christian is a practiced evaluator. He learned a long time ago bad guys can say good things and good guys can say bad things. The naïve shout “Amen!” carelessly. We need to guard our hearts so impurities do not gain access. A false teaching, once rooted, is hard to extract.
One sunday the preacher gives an inspiring and accurate message, and we could assume the guy can be trusted. But not necessarily so. He could be like the friend we all have who switches from wise to dumb in a heartbeat. Or he could be like Peter….
Our Lord commended Peter when he declared, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” A few minutes later our Lord slammed Peter when he rebuked Jesus after Jesus spoke of His coming suffering in Jerusalem.
In us all is wise, and in us all is dumb. We got some things right and other things wrong. The humble acknowledges his inadequacy.
Lord Jesus speaks to His defective church through His defective church. His preference is to speak through all to all, but the way it is forbids it. Nonetheless He speaks through the system’s chosen to the degree he is open. Our place is to….
Evaluate. Judge. Examine. Check. Appraise.