But what sort of shepherds are they who for fear of giving offense not only fail to prepare the sheep for the temptations that threaten, but even promise them worldly happiness? God himself made no such promise to this world. On the contrary, God foretold hardship upon hardship in this world until the end of time. And you want the Christian to be exempt from these troubles? Precisely because he is a Christian, he is destined to suffer more in this world.
For the Apostle says, All who desire to live a holy life in Christ will suffer persecution. But you, shepherd, seek what is yours and not what is Christ’s, you disregard what the Apostle says: All who want to live a holy life in Christ will suffer persecution. You say instead: “If you live a holy life in Christ, all good things will be yours in abundance. If you do not have children, you will embrace and nourish all men, and none of them shall die.” Is this the way you build up the believer? Take note of what you are doing and where you are placing him. You have built him on sand. The rains will come, the river will overflow and rush in, the winds will blow, and the elements will dash against that house of yours. It will fall, and its ruin will be great. Source revealed beneath the break
Except for the slightly off-kilter sentence structure and the long paragraphs that don't cater to the attention-deficit, this piece could have been written last week.
As leaders, as people who have lived long enough to have seen the tumult and vicissitudes of time, it is up to us to point at the river-bed and read to the landscape.
"That sand-bar is just barely above the water-level during the dry months of summer", "The barren rocky shore on the outside of the curve was scrubbed to the bedrock by logs carried in the floods", The branches wedged between the forks in the trees were put there by high-waters", "The corrugations in the ground are ox-bows and channels cut when the water over-flowed the banks" and on, and on, and on.
The river is not a puzzle that can be twisted into submission with logic or with clever words. It is a history lesson waiting to be read by the humble.
Don't go looking for trouble. Those who do usually find it in much larger quantities than they are prepared for.
Deflect trouble when possible. The reed bends and survives the storm while the oak topples.
If trouble knocks on your door and refuses to go away. Be prepared to make trouble suffer but also be prepared for the aftermath of standing up to trouble.
Hat-tip to Coyote Ken for calling my attention to this sermon.
St Augustine of Hippo circa 400 A.D.
Full sermon HERE
ERJ, beyond just the truth of the sermon, one of the great losses that the Protestant/Evangelical church underwent was the loss of Church writings of the past. So much really good and thoughtful writing.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised that "Prosperity Theology" was an issue 1600 years ago.
DeleteA conversion that is based on a promise of earthly compensation is not a conversion but a transaction.
Paul wrote about ichy ears seeking what they want to hear. So peace and prosperity "gospel " started early.
DeleteSatan roams the world seeking to destroy the message of Christ.
Michael
All we need to be warned and armed against contemporary threats is contained in Scripture. Commentary and exegesis is helpful, but we had better know the Source and measure everything else against that Standard.
ReplyDeleteAmen
DeleteYou have clearly the reason why I much prefer reading the Holy Bible instead of listening to men, no matter how esteemed their words.
Well I dunno, Joe. You're probably right as far as ya go. My fear is as the wanks are putting it on Blab: "if you don't stand up today against the evil taking root... your kids won't be able to tomorrow..."
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot of "cuck christianity" going on out there where they flap off a few verses of scripture that proves God approves of their craven natures, they sit on their hands and they get carried off with the world, spouting scripture all the way. Next thing ya know, you have rainbow flags on your church and pedos in the Vatican.
Not saying that about anyone here of course, but that maybe some are missing this analogy by a mile. Rock holds fast, regardless of the weather. Are we? Are we the sand, or the rock? As circumstances get ever more dire, that line between the two gets ever thinner.
We can be both sand and rock for we waver. God has warned us about this.
Delete(You wouldn't give warning to he not in danger. You wouldn't warn one in Kansas of an approaching tsunami.)
God warns us to not be deceived, to be discerning, to prove all things; hold fast to that which is good. Because we are in danger. Even though seeking Him, we are in danger. We are willing to fervently follow the Christ yet waylaid by our sinful nature. Or, simply he who roams the world seeking those to devour
What did St Augustine mean by ''worldly happiness''? Aren't the blessings of Deuteronomy 28 a form of ''worldly happiness''? And what of Deuteronomy 30? That has yet to be fulfilled. Isn't that promise still good?
ReplyDelete"Worldly happiness" is a slippery thing.
DeleteConsider that in 1960 even the rich did not have air conditioning or a single color TV but now even the poorest have AC and multiple TVs, including ones they can carry in their pockets (smartphones). Are the "poor people" happy in the worldly sense even though they have been abundantly bless and are now richer than the millionaire of 1960?
Nope. They are not.
My reading of Deut 28 etc. is that God is promising "enough" not "more than you neighbor has".
Is the promise still good? Hard to tell since we are not meeting the condition of cleaving to His commandments. As a society, we opted out.
Unfortunately, you are correct; our society has definitely opted out. Many Christians too.
DeleteHow many Christians know that the Ten Commandments are more literally the Ten Words (עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים)? How many Christians know that the two tablets of stone included ALL of the Words of God not just the Ten Words?
Consider these laws: Sharia Law also says "Do not steal.'' If you do, they will cut off your hand. The California State Code also says "Do not steal.'' But if the total value is less than $950, they will not prosecute you. The details matter. Different details, different laws.
Christians may love the Ten Commandments, but too many of them have have forgotten the details.
Is the current ''tumult'' because society has no regard for His commandments? Or because Christians don't? Anyhow, just my two cents.