Turning Aside to Myths

 April 27, 2024

Saturday

Maybe you have read the story about the new pastor of a mega-church dressing like a homeless man to see the reaction of his new congregation. It seems that a mega-church pastor named Jeremiah Steepek dressed like a homeless man to see his new congregation look down upon him before he is introduced as the new pastor. It seems to be a convincing story of how church people care little about the abject poor. The trouble with this story is that it simply isn't true. It is fabricated for there is no Jeremiah Steepek named at any church as pastor. However, numerous blogs have cited this story. It is another case of playing on people's emotions. 

It is hard to convince people of something they don't already have some belief in. They readily accept this story. They will read the story to the very end. They don't even question whether or not it happened. They believe it is true because they believed it was true before they read it. They don't need further verification.

Why would anyone want to believe a negative story? The answer is simple. It verifies their own beliefs. Thus, church people will believe the made-up miracles from certain pastors because they already want to believe them. Thus, non-church people will believe in the evil actions in the church because they want to believe them. It's an easy formula: take a predetermined belief and add emotion. You'll get a reaction. People will copy and share these stories. These stories solidify their beliefs.

This is why stories may illustrate the scriptures but not be accepted as truth like the scriptures. Scripture may bring out emotions but emotions should not be artificially induced into scripture. Charging up scripture with emotions will often lead to heresy. Emotions tend to limit a deeper understanding of the scriptures. The Spirit works through our spirits to reveal God's word. Emotions work through the soul to feel God's word. Feelings often fail to verify the truth.

When I was in high school, a hypnotist came. He hypnotized a group of students into believing they were chickens. They clucked and scratched at the gym floor. They may have felt like they were chickens but they weren't. Their feelings had nothing to do with reality.

So, the next time you read an emotional story, check to see if it is true. You may have been played. Then, you won't copy and share a lie with others. And pastors, it won't show up in your sermons.

2 Timothy 4:2–4 (NASB 2020) ² preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction. ³ For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, ⁴ and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths.