May 15, 2022 . . .
Quite often, I hear something along the line of “You just GOTTA try the chicken at such and such restaurant. It’s the best I’ve ever tasted.” I started pondering on this and it dawned on me that when comments like that are made, it isn’t really the chicken folks are gushing about, but rather the SEASONING on the chicken. Chicken pretty much tastes like…well…chicken, no matter what. It’s the way that chicken is prepared and presented that gives it a unique flavor. What does chicken have to do with spiritual things you ask? Well, in the first place, chicken and church go together like apple-pie and ice cream, but that’s a whole other deal. I often hear and read statements like “The gospel is really about taking care of the needy” or “the core of the gospel is seeking justice for the oppressed.” Maybe you have heard that the gospel is all about bringing peace to a war-torn world or perhaps something else the gospel is “about”. While all of these things are important and certainly the fruits of the gospel message include all of these things and more, we are missing the boat if we think that these fruits are the gospel. I Corinthians 15:1-4 tells us that the gospel, according to scripture, is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. While social, environmental and personal needs are certainly important (Jesus can meet all of those needs and more), these things are merely seasoning. The gospel (death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus) is the chicken. While we go about our business of being ambassadors of the gospel, let’s be sure we don’t confuse the seasoning with the main course! Have a blessed day and good eating everybody.
Be blessed and be a blessing . . . Bro. Andy
