READING THE BIBLE (7): As Confrontation & Summons

 

In this series of posts we’re exploring the different ways the Bible confronts the reader and the appropriate response to each.

#7 – READING THE BIBLE AS CONFRONTATION & SUMMONS

There is a brand of preaching and Bible reading in vogue today that fosters a “positive thinking” or Reader’s Digest approach to God’s Word.  Basically, many people just want to hear heart-warming sermons that make us feel good about ourselves.  Many read the Bible looking for an inspiring story and a warm fuzzy.  This shouldn’t surprise us in the least.  The Bible itself warns us that “the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Tim 4:3).  Well, the likes of Joel Osteen and other “prosperity preachers” have stadium-sized churches packed each week with people getting their ears tickled.

Yet, God’s Word to us doesn’t always have shiny wrapping and a big red bow attached.  God’s Word isn’t always warm and fuzzy. God’s Word sometimes needs to hit us like a ton of bricks.  Sometimes we need a wake up call or a holy confrontation.  When we open our Bibles we are faced with a library full of holy confrontations and summons — stories that confront a person with God’s command and summons people to new tasks.