"I'm not being fed"

If I have heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times from church people. They decide it is time to start looking for a new church or small group and their excuse is, "I'm not being fed." Its like fingernails on a chalkboard. Its like having to listen to a Barney Frank press conference. Its like having to watch UGA beat Georgia Tech AGAIN! It drives me crazy!

I have decided that it is time to take the gloves off and be really direct with anyone who uses this line as an excuse for why they are unhappy with the church or a ministry within the church. Why does this bother me so much? Because those 4 simple words reflect an inherent selfishness and lack of spiritual maturity that plagues MANY (so-called) followers of Christ. To be honest, I believe this reflects a "heart condition" that directly leads to the scripture where Jesus tells us that wide is the road that leads to destruction and narrow is the road that leads to 'life' (paraphrase of Matthew 7:13 & 14).

If this sounds harsh to you let me encourage you to check out Hebrews 5:11 - 6:3. Study this passage and evaluate your own spiritual maturity. If you have been a Christ-follower for any amount of time, there is an expectation that you have moved away from spiritual infancy and gained at least some level of maturity. This comes from consistent Bible STUDY (not just reading a few passages occasionally), a solid prayer life, a commitment to serving others on a regular basis, and listening to the guidance and counsel of the Holy Spirit.

My point here is that once you reach a certain level of maturity YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE FED just through listening to a sermon or a Sunday school lecture. Once you reach a certain level of maturity it is time for you to get your butt out of the chair you're sitting in and start teaching and serving others. Your feeding time is your personal Bible study and prayer time that should take place every day. If you have been a Christian for more than a few months and you're still expecting a 20 minute sermon to provide all the spiritual feeding you need - you are FAILING and you are on the WIDE ROAD that leads to destruction.

If you are not being fed in your spiritual life, it is your fault and nobody else's. If you are not being fed in your church then it should be a clear sign that it is time for you to get out of your comfortable seat and start serving and teaching others.

Let me be really blunt here. If you have been attending a church for years and years, but you are not serving anywhere or teaching anyone, you should be really concerned about your salvation. Like it or not the Bible tells us over and over again that our service and action in the church is a direct reflection of our true faith. I see people in our church every week who have been sitting in the same place for 20, 30, or 40+ years, but have never done a single act of service or shared their faith with one single person. I feel sorry for them. They don't even know they are in trouble. That is why I feel convicted to start helping them see the truth.

So the next time you say "I'm not being fed", remember my simple reply: "Maybe it is time for you to start feeding someone else". That is what spiritual maturity is all about. That is what we are called and commanded to do!