Stay In Your Lane
I like Question and Answer times. This is when a pastor, Bible teacher, or radio/TV host will receive questions from listeners and give his best answer. I like to listen to men who have been pastors for 50 years. I like to listen to teachers who have a richness in their understanding of the Bible, who have a real insight into a Scriptural topic. I also love to listen to the questions, as well. Questions often reveal what a person is thinking or believing. If many people ask the same question it indicates that a good part of the Church is thinking or believing in a certain way. It can be very telling.
If I were to hold a Q&A session, it could be very boring. To about 90% of the the questions I would have to answer, I don't know. I might have a speculation on many things but I have insight on few things. So it is with most of us, I presume. However, sometimes a pastor feels that he must provide an answer to every subject that someone can bring up.
There is a well known pastor who is a remarkable communicator. When he speaks on the Person and Work of Christ there seems to be an almost supernatural ability to address this theme. There seems to be an uncommon power that accompanies him when he stays on this topic. However, being a famous pastor, he feels that he must address other things as well. When he does, he is still a good communicator but the unique ability seems to be missing. This difference in his preaching is exaggerated when one compares the eloquent power filled preaching about Jesus Christ with the empty “dumbness” of some of the other things he says, in print or in public. Maybe he should stay in his lane.
There is another Bible teacher that I know of who has an unparalleled insight into The Kingdom of God. His teaching on this subject is phenomenal. However, often he feels he must offer understanding on a variety of other subjects as well. Sometimes it seems near retarded, especially compared with the remarkable flow and gifting that is seen when he is speaking about The Kingdom. Maybe he should stay in his lane.
Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding. (Prov 17:28)
Proverbs tells us that if we would just be quiet at the right times, we would be considered a wise man (even if we are not).
I try to make it clear when I may speculate because I do not have insight on a particular subject. There are maybe a dozen things I know with an assurance. I have to be careful not to claim knowledge about things that God has not given me wisdom concerning. Reaching a certain age or having a particular office may tempt us to give our opinion when we really do not know what we are talking about. We may experience the enabling of God in a certain area and so we try to make that work when we speak on other things as well. Maybe we should stay in our lane.
It seems that God has not ordained The-One-Man-Body-of-Christ idea. Even Jesus remains The Head and leaves His work on earth to flawed human beings. Paul says that we as individuals function as parts of the Whole (1 Cor 13:9). As we stay in our assigned lane, the Body operates as it should.
Nov 19, 2024