E.W.D.W. Everyday With Dr. Wise March 5 Gerber Gospel I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able – 1 Corinthians 3:2 The church in Corinth was Paul’s problem child. His greatest frustration with them was that while they were culturally elite, politically astute and financially well off, they were also spiritually immature. The reports he often got about this church showed them to be divided over insignificant matters and separated over silliness. He complains to them that he had to feed them with milk (watered down gospel) because they were not able to handle solid food (e.g. the true requirements of discipleship, worship, stewardship and fellowship). In other words, he had to give them Gerber gospel, talk to them as if they had Enfamil faith, relate to them like they only had Similac salvation and present them with pabulum preaching! This is a catch twenty-two. If preachers and pastors only offer milk, then their members will never fully mature. However, their members will also fail to fully mature if they balk and choke when the sermons and teachings finally move to more substance. If spiritual maturity is to be reached, somehow, (whether it is the result of a pastoral decision or a personal decision), there must be a period of weaning off of the milk and onto the meat of the word. There may be resistance at first and even a little regurgitation, but the testimony of any toddler is: “Once you have tasted real solid food, you will never be satisfied with anything less.” Dr. C. Dexter Wise III thewiseschool Coming in April: The Every Day With Dr. Wise Devotional Book. Now, you will be able to literally carry the devotions on Joy, Faith and Maturity with you for a pocket sized burst of power at any time!
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 11:00:00 +0000