Simple Life Day #2 Part 2

I will be honest with you. When I opened this post to being to write, it was simply to tell you that I had nothing else to say about selling Jesus. Still, I felt like there must be something else I could get out this devotional. So I decided to google "selling Jesus".

What I learned? First thing I learned was that there is a song out there called Selling Jesus. It is by Skunk Anansie! - Yeah I know. I just had to see this lyrics to this song. The chorus of this song says

They're selling Jesus again.
They're selling Jesus again.
They want your soul and your money
Blood and your bones
They're selling Jesus again
Selling love to you, selling love

The verses talk about how you messed up (it gives a specific example) so you go to church because you feel guilty. It says that we made God up and wrote a book to keep you on your knees. It goes on and on with more of this type of thing.

I read these lyrics and I just think how sad that some people (probably more than I want to know) see church in this way - see true Bible believing Christian in this way. It makes us appear to be part of a cult.

The first link after this song was an article by an evangelist who realized he had tried to be salesman for Jesus. I actually read the article before I read the lyrics to the song and it made me thing of how we try to sale Jesus through church.

I have witnessed churches that feel like they need to use a certain style music, chair, preacher, building, or whatever to bring people in. They are using their ____ (fill in the blank) to sell Jesus. We have nice comfy chairs, come in and get some Jesus. We have a big elaborate building, come in and get some Jesus.

When did it get like this? Everything, not just Jesus, is so commercialized. When you watch a thirty minute tv show, the actual show is only about 1/2 of that thirty minutes. You spend the other 1/2 watching commercials. Most of those commercials are for things that are not necessary for your life. However, I believe Jesus is a necessity. All those other commericial are trying to fill that empty space in your heart. No matter how they jazz up their product, it will never work. Jesus is the only thing that is going to fill that empty space.

The author of the article talks about how we try to make Jesus soft and relevant so that people will want to "buy" Jesus. He says that this probably confuses new believers more than helps them, especially when they find Philippians 1:29 that says we will suffer for the Lord.

How true! We only want to sale the "good" part of God. In other words, we only try to sale that is loving and will be there for you in times of need. Don't get me wrong, we should be telling people those things. They are VERY good things. But with that love comes the chastening we deserve when we are disobedient. I hear parents say all the time (I guess on tv) the classic line of this is going to hurt me more than it hurts you as they punish their child. I can so hear God saying that. I don't think he enjoys disciplining us, but I think he loves us so he does it anyways.

Okay I just realized how much I've rambled on when I started this post with absolutely nothing to say. :) Thanks for the lessons you've given me tonight God. Help me to hide them in my heart and not forget them.



If you are interested in reading the rest of the article you can find it here.