In my home we have an ongoing debate of the quality, or lack there of, that is found at Luby’s Cafeteria. I understand that Luby’s can be a pretty polarizing topic… and I may lose a few friends and readers over this one. If you are not familiar with Luby’s it is usually the only eating establishment in which the parking lot is full at 4pm.
I have a theory, it is not trademarked yet so feel free to use it as your own, that the food served at Luby’s is based on a predigested menu. What once began as normal food is pre-chewed and then pre-digested so that it is in the most comforting state for the aging members of any local community. Let’s face it, this segment of the population is plagued by everything that is needed to chew and digest their food effectively. How wonderful is it that they have a local establishment which removes these obstacles and even offers great discounts. I have yet to mention the creative marketing which produced a cultural icon like the Luanne Platter.
Are you becoming dependent on predigested truth?
I’m afraid that many church-goers have become like the patrons at Luby’s, but in this case they have become dependent upon predigested truth. Many have become dependent upon the application statements their local pastor makes each Sunday. Application is an essential aspect of Bible study, but not at the exclusion of being able to sit under a big truth of scripture which just puts us in awe of our God.
The Bible teaches us that right belief transforms us into right action. We should be very thankful of this since we do not have to be good enough people to believe in Jesus. Rather, our belief and pursuit of Jesus transforms the way we live (our actions).
If we only move from one application of a sermon to another, then we are just trying to be good people for the sake of being good people. I love being around good people, but being good does not put us in a relationship with our God.
I think we can like this back to our fast-food or instant culture. In the same way that we want our number one with cheese and a Dr. Pepper just three minutes after we tell the little talk box in the drive-thru line, we want our life action plan given to us each Sunday morning.
I’ll be honest. I know this is where I should be sharing the right solution to combat these realities but I’m not exactly sure what that entails. I know we need to be people who can hear the deep truths of the Bible and by faith expect that our authentic belief will bring transformation in our lives.
How do we bring about this kind of change? It reminds me of the question, “How does one eat an elephant?” The answer is, “You eat an elephant one bite at a time.” What if it started with us? What if you and I began developing the discipline of lingering in truth without scurrying from application to application?
Matt Powell serves as teaching pastor at Crossings Community Church, a body of believers whose mission is to engage, equip, and empower homes for gospel transformation in Katy, TX.