"I'm not being fed at my church..."

The following quote is from Steven Furtick of Elevation Church. It deals with the frustration many Christian leaders feel when trying to meet the ever-increasing demands of the people under their care. Certainly there are always those in need. But also, there are those who just need to grow up (Hebrews 5:11-14). Which are you? Maybe both. Wherever you find yourself, be warned: your reaction to this rant will be interesting! You may be offended. You may shout, "Amen!" You may think of someone who needs to hear it. Or, you may just be pricked in your own heart. But you'll definitely have a reaction.

OK, so here goes...

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Proverbs 26:15
The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
He is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

What a great picture of nominal, noncommittal church attendees! We all know that one of top 3 reasons people leave churches is the (infamous) claim:“I wasn’t getting fed there.”

Maybe you weren’t.

Or maybe the church set the table, presented the bread of life, and you were too stinking lazy to bring it back to your mouth, chew it, swallow, and digest it, like a big boy.

You know, I don’t mind helping my 2 year old eat his Easy Mac. But if he can’t pick up a fork and bring the food to his mouth by age 20, we have a problem.

Churches are filled with those who have known Christ for decades, and still need a bib, a high chair, and want Daddy to do “open wide, here comes the airplane” tricks with the fork before shoving it into their mouths.

I try to serve up the Word, hot and fresh every single Sunday. But if you refuse to apply it, study your Bible and pray some during the week, join a small group and dig deeper with others…If you refuse to bring it back to your mouth, I can’t help you.

Get your own fork, and learn to feed yourself. Stop burying your hand in the dish and spitting out every thing that doesn’t give you a spiritual sugar high. Eat some vegetables. Serve. Pray. Practically apply the Bible to your life.

And I’ll keep cooking…