Experiential Religion

Last week I wrote about the collision of two communication satellites. I compared the collision and resulting debris to wreckage resulting when poorly conceived and executed evangelism efforts crash into the hearts and minds of those we would seek to evangelize. The analogy has really given me a lot to think about over the last several days, imagine my surprise when I saw this report on a local TV station.

It now appears that there may have been no relationship between the debris that fell over central Texas on Sunday and the satellite collision. Even still it has driven a point home to me. The fallout from poor evangelism hits very close to home. It falls on our neighbor’s homes and even on our own.

I am reading an excellent book right now. In unChristian, David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons look at the beliefs “outsiders”, the term they use to identify people who are not currently active in the Christian faith, have regarding Christians and the body of Christ in general. The book is very revealing. For anyone who has a heart to see people become lovers of Christ it will be very enlightening. For anyone who wants to take a good hard look at what our walk of faith looks like in the eyes of others it cuts deep. Finally for anyone who finds it challenging to look beyond the imperfections of others to the blight within, the book will convict and encourage repentance.

I could write at least a volume of material based on my own thoughts, observations and ideas regarding our missions outreach to the American people group of which we as parts are uniquely qualified. Today however I just want to briefly discuss what I see as a common misconception among adherents to charismatic theology. It is my belief that prevalent in this group, of which I count myself, is a great misunderstanding.

I am speaking of the idea that evidence of Gods divine power is compelling as a persuasive argument to repent of sin and turn to Jesus. Simply stated I see a common perception among charismatics, especially charismaniacs that a demonstration of signs and wonders will bring people to a convicting knowledge of God. Short of conviction of sin and the desperate realization that we need Jesus if we are to truly meet God, any experience of His sovereign power is simply another high on the chart of experiential economy.

What I mean is this. One aspect of the spirit of this age is that people value experiences as the pearl of great price. This is the driving energy behind such fads as extreme sports, raves, and sexual experimentation. The pursuit of the next life changing experience has taken its place on the mountain top of idolatry, the latest golden calf in a long history of impotent totem gods.

A second misconception among charismatics compounds the problem. We tend to see the unchurched, unconverted, unreformed, unrepentant, unreachable, unbelievers, un-whatevers as unspiritual. We think of them as people who don’t believe in God. This is completely untrue. The age of the atheist gave way to the age of the agnostic and that has fallen to the age of the seeker. People today are very convinced that God exists. They pray, they believe and they seek to apprehend God. As missions minded followers of Christ we should be extremely excited to be called to serve in such and age.

When evangelism is done by a demonstration of Gods power manifested through healing, words of knowledge, evidence of speaking in tongues, or the like, this may impress as an experience of Gods sovereign ability, but it will often just be carved into the idol of the experiential totem god. The experience is remembered and noted as another divine moment, another instance where the sacred has intersected with the normative, but it often does nothing to draw witnesses or those otherwise affected into knowledge of the one true God. It is an experience on par with the last great one night stand, or the last drug induced nirvana in the mind of the experience worshipper. Life is to be fully lived and God in his love is blessing us with so many phenomenal experiences, they infer, and move on to the next blessed event.

Now I am not here to say that signs and wonders are somehow to be avoided in performing the work of missions. What I am saying is that they can be tools we use to reach those who are perishing in their sin. However without a resulting acknowledgement of the depraved condition we as sinners are in, according to Gods economy, they are just another experience on the road to hell.

Consider Simon in this portion of scripture.
Acts 8:5-24 (English Standard Version)
5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. 6 And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. 7For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8So there was much joy in that city.
Simon the Magician Believes
9But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. 10They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the power of God that is called Great." 11And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. 12But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
14Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. 18Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19saying, "Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." 20But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity." 24And Simon answered, "Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me."

Simon worshipped at the altar of experience. He believed that if he could provide an amazing enough experience for the people by learning to perform miracles his status in life would somehow be improved. There is a great lesson there for us.

My heart is broken for this lost generation. There is a call on my life to shepherd those whom Christ appoints me. I would see them prayerfully and carefully led down the narrow path that leads to Jesus. I would hate to be held to an accounting before God at the end of my days on this earth and find that I had led myself my wife and my flock down the wide road of experiential religion that leads straight to hell.

At this point I am in training for the day when my calling is realized in the congregation of Gods people. Until then I will follow the advice a wise man gave. I will practice, prepare, pray and participate in the church where I am planted.