May 29, 2008
I
have a mouse in the workshop! I saw him jump from the ground and get a hold and
pull himself up, and scoot under the door to the shop. I couldn't find my mouse
traps so I purchased some new ones. These were special, handy-dandy new traps
with supersensitive triggers that promised everything short of getting up and
finding the mouse for you. The store didn't have any simple old-fashioned mouse-
traps so against my better judgment I bought some.
As
I set them out they seemed sensitive enough. I managed to catch my thumb and
hand several times and one of them even cut my hand. Finally, I got them
scattered about and covered with peanut butter for bait, I knew it was only a
matter of hours and my little critter would be gone.
A
few hours later I went to check my trap line. My little friend had managed to
empty all the traps without triggering any of them. I picked them up to re-bait
and reset them with more sensitivity and got my thumb caught again.
I
went out this morning and there was my mouse friend. Standing quite contentedly
on the bait trigger, eating peanut butter and looking at me as if to say thanks
for the snack. He took off before I could catch him. I reset the traps again and
this time I did finally get him after he had cleaned them out a few more times.
I guess he had gotten careless or finally done something that would actually
spring the trap.
Knowing
that where there is one mouse there is likely to be others, I left the baited
traps out and sure enough they were getting cleaned out. Getting a little
frustrated with the catch/un-sprung trap ratio I headed to one of those home
building places. They had a whole section devoted to getting rid of the little
varmints; poisons, sticky papers, everything except what I wanted.
There
were empty hooks where the old-fashioned mouse- traps should have been. I guess
I’m not the only person who has a mouse problem with this nice weather. As I
stood there looking at all the new and improved whiz-bang mouse catching gizmos
I got startled. A mouse ran between my feet. I had to laugh at my own startle
and the irony of his point of crossing. I was surprised here I am buying a trap
and the place itself has mice.
I
settled on the type of trap that most resembled an old-fashioned mouse- trap and
set them out. Later in the day my second mouse friend was history. I left the
traps out and baited and there was no sign of activity. I'll keep them out for a
few days just in case, but I'm praying my problem is resolved.
All
of this is just to tell you something that we all know, but we often fail to
heed. Newer isn't always better. It doesn't matter if it is mouse- traps or
church programs, sometimes newer is just newer. Sometimes newer isn't even newer
it is just something old repackaged to look newer.
The
church falls prey to the newness thing all the time. We simply must have the
newest and most in programs and formats. Now I'm not against all programs or
formats, not even new ones but we need to be discerning about what we adopt.
Many of them compromise the gospel or are so watered down as to be virtually
empty of substance. The people in the pews do not know what they believe or why
they believe it. They couldn't defend their faith if they had to.
Please
understand I am generalizing here and to make a point. I know there are many,
many exceptions to the rule but by and large we have traded truth for vague feel
good representations of what people want to hear. This type of thing doesn’t
confront or bring forth any kind of God-desired change.
We
have swapped sound doctrine for wishy-washy sound bites. We have given up solid
teaching for pop culture.
Now
don't misunderstand me. I realize the church needs to show her-self relevant to
daily life and there are many ways of being relevant that do not compromise
truth in any way. Yet while we strive to remain "relevant" and
"seeker-sensitive" we must not give in the temptation to compromise
truth.
We
are admonished to keep sound doctrine.
2
Timothy 4:1-4 NET
I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the
living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: Preach the message,
be ready whether it is convenient or not, reprove, rebuke, exhort with complete
patience and instruction. For there will
be a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. Instead, following their
own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves, because they have an
insatiable curiosity to hear new things. And they will turn away from hearing
the truth, but on the other hand they will turn aside to myths.
Titus
2:1 NET
But as for you, communicate the behavior that goes with sound teaching.
New
and better may at times truly be better, but always keep the goal in mind. Our
goal is not to create a worldly church or a Christian in name only pagan
culture. The goal of the church is to seek and save the lost, train them in
godliness and sound doctrine so that they can go out and by being salt and
light, seek the lost. If that's not what we're doing it is about as helpful as
my first set of mouse traps were. All they did were make for fatter mice.
Until
next time, don't close your mind off to "new and improved" but be very
discerning about whether or not what they seem to promise is what they are
actually capable of delivering and that what they promise is in keeping with
what the church is called to be and do. Above all make sure it lines up with the
word of God. The word is always the first, the last, and only source of truth.