Knowledge Or Experience?
Obviously to many they’d answer “both”.
But most of the current spiritual teachers / career professional “christian” ministers model “knowledge” as the ultimate answer. From Sunday morning sermons to academic schools (colleges, universities, seminaries) knowledge seems to be the zenith of spiritual maturity or the ‘thing’ that is held up as the ‘authority’ of what should be followed or greatly revered … at least within the American religious community.
But let’s just be honest with ourselves. Are we really changed by our minds or our hearts? So all that I ‘learned’ in school is the ultimate change factor in us? Or is it the experiences we had WHILE going through school the thing that really changed us? Again many would answer – if honest … “both”.
So why is most of our current professional career spiritual leaders so inept in the spiritual experience realm? Teaching it, describing it, verifying it, discerning it, .. or just even talking about it? They may once in awhile talk about ‘spiritual experiences’ but rarely do they relate them to the Holy Spirit OR His guidance with them.
Where exactly is the teaching, place, opportunity that the institutional machinery of the American Church gives / sets up / provides a place for the experience of and in the Holy Spirit? Or teaching exactly how to discern Him – or hear Him when one is essentially in an obviously charged spiritual atmosphere?
For the immature (lacking in spiritual experiences) career academic spiritual leader it is SO much easier just to stick with ‘knowledge’ / academic teaching / basic scripture exposition when pressed to ‘give’ something when ‘put on stage’ to ‘earn’ their ‘wage’.
But is that really what disciples / people need? Is that simplistic knowledge what will really change them for the better? Obviously that was the method Jesus used with His disciples… right? Or did He model to them a different way? Live with them, work with them, explain to them things the academics NEVER talked about or ‘knew’ themselves.
Consider the Pharisees.
They had ALL the scriptures. They were extreme academics. They were great debaters and expositors. Yet… how many recognized Jesus when He came? They had ALL the academic knowledge. Yet… how many were sensitive to the Holy Spirit?
So why has 99.99% of the American Church just adopted the OT Pharisee model of discipleship and teaching?
Sadly the answers to these questions are not soul enriching or ‘good news’. But the answers reveal the ugly soul of Man. Power, corruption, greed, pride, and a self righteousness that just wants to keep the Holy Spirit as FAR away as possible – because He reveals …. Truth… about ourselves. What spiritual experience / teaching / ‘words’ has had the biggest impact on your life? My guess for most it would be the Rhema Word spoken to their heart by the Holy Spirit that pierced them to the very core of their soul that REALLY revealed Jesus to them. It is our testimony, our “faith” (put there divinely by God) – on which we stand / our spiritual foundation. For many that foundation is extremely small.
Where are the REAL spiritual leaders pointing EVERY true disciple of Christ to the Holy Spirit for answers to all of their heart AND mind questions?
Sadly too many spiritual leaders WANT the role of the Holy Spirit. Then the disciples become THEIR followers (paying customers) instead of disciples walking with Jesus, AND following the intimate individual instructions and teaching from the Holy Spirit.
This is the WHY I’m doing what I’m doing. (Trying to create that safe space for the Holy Spirit and the thirsty disciple for REAL spiritual encounters to meet and grow together – through the Holy Spirit Boot Camp group experience.) Because I see the current massive spiritual famine in the American institutional Church and that there are way too many Pharisees and not enough John the Baptists pointing the way to Jesus AND the Holy Spirit.