Jesus Cropped from the Picture

Chapter 9: I Don’t Feel Fed!

W HENEVER I HEAR , “I don’t feel fed,” I immediately suspect Individualism and Rationalism (“I”=self and “fed”=knowledge).

However, drawing such a conclusion can be premature. For example, Jesus instructed Peter to “feed my sheep” (John 21.17) and there is a biblical basis for making sure the flock receives knowledge (2 Pet. 1.5-6). If the sheep claim to be hungry, shepherds should pay attention. Believers need a steady diet of teaching from the Word to grow in their love for God and to stay healthy for God’s Kingdom work. So leaders who neglect this responsibility do their congregations a disservice. But often there is something more behind the statement, “I don’t feel fed.” What people are often saying is they are not getting the kind of knowledge they want. While it is possible their pastors are not giving them nutritious food from the Bible, in a SLIM world it is just as likely that they are picky eaters. Children who receive healthy food from their parents might refuse it in preference for their favorite foods—or junk food. Pastors face the same dilemma. Rather than focusing on consistent exposure to the whole of God’s Word, preachers are pressured to feed the flock in a certain way so that it meets the listener’s personal needs .

To make matters worse, sometimes people make mutually exclusive requests. For example, some want expositional teaching, others more topical; some want practical application and others want deeper

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