"Death, Distraction and Pixie Dust"
As I look back on my 35 or so years of being a Christian, I'm very thankful for the foundation that was laid in my teenage years. I read some really good books by C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, Josh McDowell, Phillip Yancey, and Francis Schaeffer; and I was encouraged by several godly men to build my faith on the reality of God's Word-not just my feelings. Jesus was a real historical person who really said and really did the things the Bible describes. I don't believe one can hold the position that the Bible is "just a bunch of stories that people made up" without being intellectually lazy-or worse (but that is a gigantic topic for another day).
Today, I look around and see that the Bible describes the world we live in as it really is. The Bible describes man as constantly veering towards selfishness and it describes man as always wanting to rebel against God. We've got a million different ways to disobey our Creator and take control. The Bible does not portray man as basically good, and history bears this out with painful and horrendous emphasis (which is not to say that some people haven't done some very good things, some of the time). The Bible also describes man as all too willing to buy into Satan's original lie that we "surely will not die" and that if we disobey God we will "be like God." In other words, the Bible does not give us a fantasy land of unicorns and pixie dust, where "all of our dreams can come true"-no matter what false teachers (like the many popular pastors critiqued on this website and YouTube channel) would have us believe.
We should be glad that the messy, sinful world we live in is very much like the messy, sinful world that the Bible describes. Why? Because Christianity is about God redeeming mankind-not creating religious fantasies to cover up the often nightmarish existence that we all share. This nightmarish existence that we all share is most difficult to grapple with in America; this is the Land of Distraction and The Home of the Shallow. It seems we will go to any length in order to prolong our delusions.
Here's the greatest truth that we deny: We will all die.
I don't even know the names of my great-grandparents, let alone have any pictures of them. Each of us, with our thousands of personal photographs, mementos, and belongings will also be forgotten within a generation or two (some of us will have our precious belongings liquidated while we're still drooling in a nursing home).
Think about it: Completely Forgotten.
I'm an artist, so there's a chance that my name will be remembered a little bit longer than most people, but still, I know that my earthly life will soon be over and largely forgotten.
What's truly shameful is how this sobering reality should lead us to God, but even in many churches, this reality is avoided. We should be asking ourselves:
How and why did I get here?
What is the meaning of my life?
Is there life after death?
How do I know I’m going to heaven and not to hell?
Instead of lovingly confronting us with these difficult and sobering questions, many pastors are telling us how to "reach our destiny" and "find the hidden keys to our purpose" and so on. They tell us that "we are meant for greatness" and that God has "planted a dream inside us" yet they never allow us to contemplate the reality of our impending fate: death.
The Christianity of the Bible confronts us with our sin, and reminds us of our death; it also confronts the sinful, deceptive, and violent world we live in, and offers us redemption.
Redemption from death and hell is the one grand and sweeping thing that the Church can offer mankind with confidence. While it may appear that many feel no need of so great a salvation, we should ask: when did it become the purpose of the Church to appease men’s feelings instead of offering them the truth of Christ crucified for sinners?
“We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.”
“Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.”
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation”
Steven Kozar started The Messed Up Church; he is an artist (StevenKozar.com is his art website), musician, blogger, and stuff. He makes videos, too, on The Messed Up Church YouTube channel.