The Plague of Experience over Doctrine

August 28, 2008

The Plague of Experience over Doctrine

As the church has entered the postmodern era, historic Biblical teaching has fallen by the wayside and new theologies have taken their place. These ‘new theologies’ downplay the value of scripture and shifts the focus on emotionalism and experiential Christianity (“feeling God, entering into a place with God, feeling His presence, trying to enter into His glory, soaking, gold dust”) instead of Christianity based on truth (what is clearly taught in Scripture).

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The Plague of Experience Over Doctrine

sway with the wind of circumstances, but the truth of God’s Word stands as a solid rock that does not change whether times are good or times are bad. Those who are founded upon the rock will never be moved even if the world around them falls apart. As biblical teaching is pushed aside, people are no longer standing strong in the Lord. This is the main reason why some believers are frustrated in their faith or are having a faith crisis (up one day and down the next and never being able to over come sin). To remedy this problem they seek multiple experiences not taught in Scripture, which often leaves them “wanting more” and never satisfied.

Here are some examples of popular Christian authors teaching experience over sound doctrine in their books. Not only are these unbiblical experiences written in books being sold to millions, but some of us hear these same unbiblical teachings in our own churches.

Unbiblical teaching: “Post-moderns want something more than new products; they want new experiences, especially new experiences of the divine.”
(Leonard Sweet, Soul Tsunami, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, p.420)

What does the Bible say about this:

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” – 2 Timothy 4:3-4

Unbiblical teaching: “The old paradigm taught that if you had the right teaching, you will experience God. The new paradigm says that if you experience God, you will have the right teaching.”
(Leith Anderson, A Church for the 21st Century, p.21)

What does the Bible say about this:

According to scripture the old paradigm will always be true. If we have the right teaching the truth of God’s Word then YES we will experience God the way He intended 1Tim 4:13. Not by an experience. Acts 2:42-We are to continue in doctrine and prayers, not experience. Some believers don’t want this, but something else. This is why we are warned: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed ato deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,”
– 1 Timothy 4:1

Unbiblical teaching: “We should be returning to a no-holds-barred approach to worship and teaching so that when we gather, there is no doubt we are in the presence of a Holy God. I believe that both believers and unbelievers in this emerging culture are hungry for this. It isn’t about clever apologetics or careful exegetical and expository preaching or great worship bands… Emerging generations are hungering to experience God in worship.”
(Dan Kimball, The Emerging Church, p.127)

“What would happen if we allowed people to “feel” what we cannot explain, to know with the heart and not with the brain? We would open the door of faith to a wider audience than if we continued to insist on a rational belief in the facts as the only legitimate starting point of the Christian faith.”
(Chuck Smith Jr., There is a Season, Waterbrook Press, 2001, p.106)

What does the Bible say about this:

Quite a bit and sadly this is what we are “feeling after.”

“If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.” – 1 Timothy 4:6-7

“Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.”
– 1 Timothy 4:13

“in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,” – Titus 2:7

“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
– Acts 2:42

“Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.”
– Romans 16:17-18

This is dangerous because instead of “feeling and experiencing God” they are experiencing and feeling the deception of the demonic. We have no right to go beyond what Scripture teaches.

Scripture NEVER teaches us to focus on worship (as in experiencing God mystically) as proof of our transformation in the soul or an abiding in Christ. Nor does it teach us to  “experience God” by way of feeling, but by way of KNOWING and absolute trust in what God has said.

“For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” – Romans 10:13-17

The TRUTH is no longer being embraced or taught and this prohibits spiritual maturity. In fact, very few have any concept of an immovable truth or even what spiritual maturity is all about. Unless a preacher or teacher stirs the hearts of believers with the truth, very few will ever go beyond their Sunday morning dose of emotional excitement. There is so much more to Christianity than getting an emotional charge and claiming self-centered requests from the Lord. Without understanding truth – all of the truth, Christians will be dwarfed in their growth and never experience the true things of God.

The rich things of God will NOT be found on Sunday morning (or whenever we worship the Lord together for experiences), but are for those who seek Him with their lives. If the better things of the Christian life are prepared for those who seek Him, why don’t we hear those things from the pulpits of the church today? Sunday school material has been watered down to the point of almost becoming irrelevant and the truth of scripture has been replaced with world philosophies and feel good messages. Where is SOUND DOCTRINE?

Sound doctrine nowadays is devalued. Preachers and most believers think that the TRUTH of God’s Word is “played out” and it has to be twisted to appeal to people or to make it “more relevant”. We are taught to have a relationship with Jesus through experiences and not doctrine. Statements like: “Doctrine is not important in Christianity; Nothing is important than having a touch from Christ”, is further from the truth. This can be made to sound good if presented with passion and this philosophy is packaged in many ways, but they are false statements. In fact, it is IMPOSSIBLE to have a relationship with Jesus Christ without doctrine.

Look at Jesus’ statements in John 14:

John 14: ¹⁵ “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

John 14: ²³ Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.  ²⁴ “He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.

The truth is if we do not know the word, we cannot keep the word. If we do not keep the commandments of scripture, we do not love God – regardless of how emotional we may get and how spirited our time of worship becomes. Keeping the Word of God is the evidence that the love of God is in our hearts and that we truly experience Him and have a real and authentic relationship with Him. The teaching of experience over doctrine has influenced the church through many teachings from many denomintations and various books and devotionals that have a pretense of sounding inspirational, but are desperately lacking in truth. As teachers and preachers are influenced by these books and spend less time in the Word, the postmodern thought seeps its way into their messages and are preached to a congregation that is also lacking in understanding. This is how it spreads folks. Ignorance of truth is an open door to sinful doctrines and ungodly philosophies; however, we have the God-given power and responsibility to search out truth and expose doctrine. If we do not know God’s word, how can we keep God’s word? If we do not know God’s word, how can we ever know God? Sound doctrine is critical because it reveals to us how to know and relate to our Creator and Savior.

Doctrine over Experience, not Experience over Doctrine

Thirty-six times the importance of doctrine is stressed in scripture – and this is only the times that the word doctrine is used. There are many, many more times that the concept of sound doctrine is stressed by God throughout scripture. If something is stressed 36 times, how can anyone say that it is not important? Not only can we see that it is important, but we can see that this is critical. The word ‘doctrine’ simply means the teachings of the scriptures. We are not talking about complicated theological concepts that professors argue over in a college classroom; we are talking about how God teaches us to relate to Him, live holy lives, inherit His promises and experience God to the fullest – through TRUTH and TRUST in His Word. If our only goal is to hear an inspirational message that makes us feel good and get through until next Sunday, any religion will do. However, if we want to experience God the Biblical way, sound doctrine is critical.

What do postmodern teachers mean when they preach experience over doctrine?

According to scripture, we cannot know God apart from His word. How do we experience Jesus if we are devoid of understanding? Not every Jesus presented to a congregation is the true Christ. The true Jesus calls for us to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23-24), not to indulge in our flesh, rely on experiences and seek after them. Yet the Jesus many teach requires nothing from the seeker and allows our lives to continue to be unchanged, even though Jesus said that unless we forsake all, we cannot be His disciple (Luke 14:33). By evading doctrine, we are teaching church members to disqualify themselves from discipleship while falsely claiming that they are disciples. Through doctrine we discover what true discipleship is and we learn how to experience God or come to know Him on a deeper level because we know the truth and we are growing in it.

Saints, let’s seek after God in His Word and NOT by experiences.

Be Blessed,

PDCM