I touched on this idea in an earlier post but I want to attack it again here. What
would happen in our city if every family, every other night, from 7-8pm, turned
off all other sources of entertainment (the TV, computer and phones), opened the
Word of God together and let it speak into their homes? What would happen in one
year’s time? Let’s take this concept outside of our homes and ask what
would happen in our city if every time you walked into a Dunkin Donuts, or a
Panera Bread, or a Starbucks you saw groups of 2-6 people sitting at a table sharing
the Word of God together? Someone might begin to ask, “What is going on here?
Everywhere I go I see people sharing the Word of God together?” At our
congregation we are calling these gatherings of 2 or more people, Christians with non-Christians, “Spiritual Cookouts”.When tempted in the wilderness in Matthew 4 Jesus told the Devil, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” For the Christian opening the Word of God with others is like having a cookout. It’s a feast. It is food for the soul. It is bread. It is something we should look forward to eating and sharing each day. But truth be told, in the past 2 generations we have replaced the true entertainment of the soul with bottomless boredom.
How many people go to work on Monday morning saying, “Boy I sure am glad I watched 3 hours of television last night- my soul feels full today?” I doubt that anybody feels truly full inside when they watch TV or browse the internet. For most people watching 3 hours of television or surfing the web for just as long makes us feel bad. We say to ourselves, “I just wasted 3 hours of my life and what did I really gain for it?” It does not matter what show is being watched or what new toy is being sought after on Craigslist, modern forms of entertainment are bottomless pits in comparison with the feasting that is possible when 2 or more people get together to listen to God’s Word.
It is my conviction today that unless we restore true entertainment to the soul through regular spiritual cookouts- through a regular sharing of God’s Word with others- we will not see cultural change. History has proven that the human heart follows its source of entertainment. The human heart follows its desires, and God help us if all we can find to desire in this life are the things which satisfy our flesh.
At our congregation we have been challenging each other to have regular spiritual cookouts with others. I have asked the congregation to identify non-Christian people in their lives with whom they have a cordial relationship and to invite them to join them in feasting on the Word of God. I am meeting with 2 groups of people right now for that very purpose. I am not the teacher in these cookouts. Teaching opportunities always arise but teaching is not the goal; listening is. My role is simply to invite people to the cookout and provide the food and fellowship. So on our October 9th cookout we will we will chew on Genesis 2:4-18 and on the October 16th cookout we will chew a few more verses. We have in the Word of God the food that truly fills. The only question is how do we get others to chew on it with us? One way we are doing it is through hosting spiritual cookouts in safe places for everyone; kitchen table, Dunkin Donuts, Panera Bread, etc.
The pre-requisite for having spiritual cookouts of course is our own personal pure enjoyment of the Word of God. If we enjoy feasting on God’s Word it will be easy and natural for us to invite others to feast with us. But if we do not enjoy feasting on God’s Word, or never do it, we cannot expect others to join us either. Just imagine if you went up to someone and asked, “Hey I am having a cookout at my house this weekend with all kinds of food I don’t like. You wanna come?” Not real persuasive is it? Let me recommend that you do not invite anyone to a spiritual cookout if you do not love cooking-out yourself.
Folks, the Word of God is sweet. It is reviving to the soul. It is true entertainment. David said, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Ps.119: 103). He said, “My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times” (Ps.119:20). For David, God’s Law was his food. It was sweeter than honey. It was water from a well that never runs dry. It was true entertainment to the soul. So should it be for us.
When are you having your spiritual cookout this week and who are you inviting?
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