And the Lord spake this parable unto certain which were critical and seemed to trust in themselves: And it came to pass that John and Mary–members of the Solid-Rock Church–did with eagerness and zeal commit themselves to Christ and to the work of His Church. But in due season, as they began to listen to the smorgasbord of “religious” programming on radio and TV, as they avidly swallowed as gospel-truth all the teachings their friends passed on to them, and as they ardently read each piece of literature sent wholesale by many well-meaning organizations, the seeds of confusion and doubt took root in John and Mary’s hearts.
And not many days hence, these seeds of confusion and doubt sprang up and bore the fruits of discord and dissatisfaction in the Solid-Rock Church. Hence, John and Mary found fault with much in the minister’s sermons and rebuked him openly, and murmured to others in the congregation. In fact, they even told strangers who happened to stop by, of the pastor’s failings. And they thought to themselves, “Why should strangers find out from someone else?”
Now when John and Mary perceived that the Solid-Rock Church was off beam, they visited other churches about half the time, to show their pastor they are not tied down to him. When John and Mary did attend Solid-Rock, they came late and sat near the back. They looked sour and refused to sing. When the minister asked the congregation to turn to the text for the morning–1 Corinthians 13–John and Mary folded their arms, sat back in their seats, and with critical spirits, waited like vultures to pick apart the sermon.
After the service, John and Mary asked others around them, “Did you get anything out of the sermon? If you did, you certainly fared better than we! If you want solid food, why not go with us next Sunday to hear Rev. Right-On. He has the Spirit, his messages are biblical, and his church has a fantastic program.”
Now when the Lord had finished speaking, He turned to His followers and said, “Verily, verily I say unto you, take heed that ye listen not to every voice in the world, lest being confused and filled with doubt, ye be carried about by every wind of doctrine.”
March/April 1985
