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Where's the Beef?

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Where's the Beef?

by Ben Light 5 comments
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Where's the Beef?

MP3 Audio (5.38 MB)
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(Sound is fixed after about 15 seconds) In the mid-1980’s, Wendy’s released an ad campaign that went down in history as one of the top advertisements ever produced. In it, actress Clara Peller asked a now famous question, “Where’s the Beef?” Over the years in the Church of God we have referenced the “milk” and “meat” of the word, yet it seems everyone has a different definition of which is which. What is “meat?” What is “milk?” How can we ensure that we can get strong meat from every message, article, bible study and conversation? Where’s the beef?

Comments

  • benjaminlight
    Ben Light Author
    For example, I can believe in the doctrine of 3 Days and 3 Nights. It's important. It's essential, Christ gave it as a specific sign of his identity as Messiah, but what is the application in my daily life? I already believe Christ is the Messiah, I believe He died for me, that He was resurrected, and that He spent 3 days and 3 nights in the grave as He declared He would. I'm bought in. What's the application for me in my life, tomorrow? How will I implement that understanding in my interactions with others? Personally, I would argue that the meat comes from the application of our understanding of these things - How can I repent and change to become more LIKE my Messiah? How do I keep the Sabbath? How do I honor God? How do I maintain cleanliness in an unclean world? By teaching the application, we teach the doctrine. That application, by definition IS Christian Living. As I brought out in the message, everyone's definition is different - so it is important to let the bible define our terms. (Part 2)
  • Cordelia1
    GEOFFREY KING
    Hi Ben, Your sermon was played in our congregation 16th Feb. I am very disappointed with what you said. We are fed just Christian Living with very little doctrine or prophecy. This distorts the message by not preparing us to discern good and evil. Now we have a plethora of false doctrine entering the church - Christ created Being, YEC, Passover on 15th Abib, other calendars etc. Because CL is only preached, the implication is that we are saved by our righteousness, not by the righteousness of faith. Unless you teach strong doctrinal sermons and some prophecy you mislead the brethren and they can’t discern good and evil which you rightly point out is meat. Geoff King Wollongong Australia
  • benjaminlight
    Ben Light Author
    In the tail end of Hebrews 5 and the beginning of Hebrews 6, the writer of Hebrews is making the point that all believers must progress from the foundational doctrines of the Church and mature spiritually. The writer of Hebrews (not me) states that the doctrines of the early church were milk. He doesn't say that so that they throw them out and forget them, never talking about them again. Instead, that they move toward the sorts of things that require them to USE what they've learned in those doctrines. To practice living this way of life day to day. I believe it is that application which the writer of Hebrews is talking about... and that is Christian Living. That is meat. Thanks for reaching out. Cheers, Ben (Part 3 - End)
  • benjaminlight
    Ben Light Author
    Greetings Geoffrey! I'm sorry to hear of your disappointment in the message that I delivered, and I appreciate that you took the time to reach out and express your concern. I want to be clear in case for whatever reason I was not in the message. I'm not advocating that doctrine and prophecy are not important - they absolutely are. As I stated in the sermon - nearly 1/3 of the bible is prophecy. It's obviously important. I would challenge you on one point that you made however, can you explain to me how prophecy specifically helps a person "discern good from evil", and thereby helps them become more spiritually mature? A knowledge of who Israel is in prophecy for example, or an understanding of the 70 weeks prophecy? I would be interested in your thoughts. Doctrine can help someone discern good from evil by helping them to recognize false doctrine from true. But once you've identified true doctrine and choose to believe it, follow it, become baptized - Sabbath, Clean and Unclean Meats, Holy Days, Nature of God, Baptism, 3 Days and 3 nights, etc... where is the meat? (Part 1)
  • Cordelia1
    GEOFFREY KING
    HI Ben, Christian Living implies that we are saved by our goodness. This what Tkach's preached in 1995 that even those who lead good lives, good Muslims, Hindus etc will be saved because of their goodness. This is the implication of CL, that all we have to be is good people - follow the formula. There is nothing preached on the necessity of faith. Abraham, Noah were saved because they believed God, not because of their goodness. The Pharisees believed that if they kept the Law they would receive eternal life (Eg young rich man, lawyer). In both cases Christ pointed out to them that they couldn't keep the law. You are not saved by law keeping (we are rewarded by our works, but not saved by our works). The point I was making is that in most sermons we hear we just given the message that all we have to do is lead good lives. We just don't hear doctrinal sermons and I don't mean baptism, laying on of hands, but deep analysis of scripture. For eg "what was the Acts 15 conference really all about. What did James mean in referring to the Tabernacle of David." What has that to do with our relationship with Jesus Christ? This is the true meat.

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