I sat in a church and listened to a sermon that made my soul cringe. By stretching my imagination, I vaguely understood the basis on which the speaker built his message...but it wasn't biblical. There were pieces of Scripture scattered through the message, but the message wasn't built on Scripture. There's a huge difference. We can teach and live by our own standards and find isolated verses to support us. Or we can teach and live on a firm foundation of God's standards.I looked around the room. In addition to my own family visiting for the day, there were hundreds of people, some who might be cringing along with me but some who were soaking all words spoken as absolute truth. After all, this is a man of God. He leads the church. His teaching is pure, right?
The only pure teaching is God's Word. That's not to say we shouldn't listen to other teachers. God gifts people to teach us, helping clarify and emphasize God's Word, creating connections among verses and into our daily lives. But we must acknowledge teachers are human. When I facilitate small groups, I prepare with dependence on God. I attempt to set myself aside and let God guide my preparations and then speak through me in words and actions. Yet I still get in the way. I bring my experiences, relationships, and baggage with me. God often uses all of that to help me live out His Word and reflect him, but I often allow all of it to get in the way.
God gifts people to teach us, but he also gives us discernment. Discernment is not only intended to use when we're living everyday life, choosing between right and wrong. We need to take discernment into the church walls and choose what's biblical and unbiblical about what's being taught, verbally and nonverbally, within the church. When we read a book, even with the word "Christian" in the description, we need to discern. Don't accept something because it "sounds" Christian. Accept it because it's consistent with God's Word.
Consider your weekly routine of teachings, entertainment, reading, or anything that you absorb. How active are you in the learning process? Where do you need to actively discern?
What is the ratio of time you spend directly in God's Word in comparison to other teachings?
O Lord, listen to my cry; give me the discerning mind you promised. - Psalm 119:169 (NLT)
