Last Sunday I taught on the miracle at Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the gathered followers of Jesus. You can hear it here . One point I made was: The miracle of Pentecost was that everyone heard about "the wonders of God," not that the followers of Jesus experienced something . ( Acts 2:5-12 ) American Christianity has come to place more value on religious experience than on the purpose behind the Holy Spirit in our lives. We judge our church services, which include the music and message, by how we feel when we leave the place. If we are inspired or encouraged, "God was there." If we leave feeling flat, something must have been wrong with the musicians or preacher. We travel from church to church like fast food junkies looking for the best meal deal that satisfies our experiential appetites. (Of course, the worship leaders, which includes the preacher, are responsible for bringing their best to the Lord.) Given the equality of excellence, we stil...
run with endurance the race set out before you...Heb. 12:1-2