Skip to main content

The Real Issue

There are many issues that and topics that come up in churches today. The Churches of Christ have their own set of issues and hot button topics just like any other tradition. Some of these are issues we share with the larger Christian world while others are issues all our own. Regardless, these are the things that get people riled up and that everyone wants to talk about. 

Unfortunately, we aren't very good at talking about them. Every time a flashy issue arises, so do the polemics. People pick their side and the fight begins.

The problem isn't the issues. In fact part of the problem is that we believe that the hot button issues of our time are the real issue. They aren't. The real issue is that we don't seek God anymore.

Too often what we want in life isn't God but moral superiority. We want to say "I'm right, you're wrong." By chasing that kind of superiority we lose sight of that which is truly superior; God.

In the end it doesn't matter who wins the trivial debates of our time. If we do not seek God at all times, then any "victory" we might achieve is pyrrhic at best. Even if there is a truly right answer, if we are not constantly seeking after God then what is the point?

Our lives must be rooted in prayer, worship, Bible study, and the life of the church. Outside of this there can be no true growth. God must be our focus, no matter the issues that come our way. Our lives must flow from the character and nature of God.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Be Kind

This last Sunday I was asked to preach and I struggled for a while with what to preach on. It's always difficult when you are filling in and everyone else knows you are filling in. You don't want to overlap too much with the current sermon series, but you also don't want your topic to be so unrelated to what's been going on that it has no impact.  I found inspiration simply from scrolling on Facebook. People, and it seems especially Christians, are mean.  Now of course not all Christians are rude and combative, but there are a shocking number who are. We argue in Facebook comments, send hateful messages, and generally act just like the world. This extends beyond the realm of social media and into our day-to-day interactions with so many. The Sunday lunch crowd at restaurants is infamously the worst tipping and most disrespectful, and these are mostly Christians who have just come from church. We need to be kind. Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit, but it is one we often ...

Augustine of Hippo: Historical Friday

We pause our overview of the history of Christianity to talk about an extremely influential figure, whether we realize it or not. Augustine of Hippo, so called because he lived in the town of Hippo Regius, has had a tremendous amount of influence on Christianity in the western world. Many of the theological conversations we have in our churches today have been directly shaped by this man. Many of the terms and ideas we throw around originated with Augustine.  Today we are going to look at SOME of the ideas that Augustine has shaped. In reality this man has touched in some way or another every aspect of Christian thought. If I had to choose the most influential people on Christianity outside of Jesus and the Apostles, Augustine might very well be number one alongside Martin Luther. Before we get into the theological ideas, a brief biography is in order. Brief Biography Augustine's story is actually very interesting, one I cannot hope to do justice here. If you are intereste...

Justice

Our view of justice is narrow and limited. Typically when we, as Christians, talk about justice we are really only referring to punishing wrongdoers for their crimes. While that is certainly a part of justice that isn't the only thing. In the Bible justice consists of much more. Consider the book of Amos, one of the minor prophets and therefore a book that most Christians barely touch. Amos is announcing judgment against the nation of Israel for their infidelity to their covenant with God. What do you think is the most repeated indictment against Israel? Interestingly it's not idolatry, sexual immorality, or war although these things are mentioned. The primary sin of in Amos is Israel's neglect of the poor and their oppression of the needy. Over and over again Amos declares that judgment is coming to Israel because of their treatment of those less fortunate. The poor are trampled and the needy are crushed. There is no justice in the land. Biblical justice includes both crim...