Pastor's Corner: Need to get deep?'

How many of you have ever heard somebody say, "I want to hear something deep in church. I need to get deep?"

If you have never been to church and heard this statement that is OK. We are here for you. But for those of us who have heard this before, what are the people saying this really saying?

I believe when people say they want something deep, what they are saying deep down is, "Please speak over my head and confuse me so I don't have to live my life any different. If I don't understand what is being taught because it is so deep I don't have to be a better spouse, parent, employer or employee, neighbor, student, etc. So let's get deep."

Here is my issue. I don't think deep people divide people. I believe deep people compel people.

Unfortunately, we are doing more dividing nowadays than we are compelling.

If we search through scripture, we see people divided all throughout the Bible.

People were divided by nationality, tribe, education, and spiritual gifts.

But the gospel was not spread throughout the world until the Apostle Paul came along and broke down these barriers and said we are going to take the saving grace of Jesus Christ to the entire world.

We cannot be worried about dividing people. We have to compel them to the good news. The good news that Jesus died to save them from their sin.

It does no good to memorize 100s of Bible verses and treat the people around us like a second-class citizen.

Knowledge is good. But we cannot put all our stock in knowledge. If we fall into that trap we are no better than the Pharisees in the time of Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:15

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God,

a worker who does not need to be ashamed,

rightly dividing the word of truth.

This sums up perfectly what our mission is. We have to do more than just read and memorize the Bible. We have to study and apply the meanings of the Word of God.

The world out there does not care how much we know until they know how much we care.

Let me challenge all of us to love one another with the love of Jesus. That is how our neighborhoods and cities are going to be changed for Jesus.

If we are going to change the world around us, it will not be with knowledge alone. We have the answer. We know. But we have to love the people around us enough to share the good news with them.

You guys are the tools God has given to our families, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. A tool left in the toolbox is a useless tool until it is taken out and used.

I can't wait to see what God is going to do in all these areas and more. I am grateful He is going to use all of us to do it.

Steve Dobbs is pastor of Community Circle Church in Shafter.