Here’s an example from life. I remember sitting in a class in graduate school discussing land use theory. The instructor was an intelligent man that had a significant amount of experience in researching this topic. He had developed a wonderful theory on this specific topic. At the time, I and several other students were working in the profession and some of the students had faced the “real life” problem of this land use question. Application of the professor’s theory didn’t work because in real life politics and money and people and all kind of other external factors were in play. The great theory didn’t really work. Sometimes people refer to this as the “ivory tower” that theory makers sit in. The practical application is always what applies in life.

The Bible isn’t theory. It is real life. As much as those that are “learned” (and those that want to make you think they are) want Christianity to be theory, it can’t be for so many reasons. Maybe the primary reason is that Christians are human.

How many times have local church families been torn to pieces by a small group of followers attempting to enforce “a better way?” This group often feels very enlightened and in many cases probably has a sincere desire to serve God. But all too often these “ivory tower” Christians overlook the impact of their actions on the entire group. Their impact begins with small ripples of water but soon grows into crashing waves. In the boisterous waves, the weak in faith sink--will they have the foresight of Peter to cry for the Lord’s help? Too often, in weakness they fall away.

Other than our personal responsibility to our Father God and our Savior Jesus Christ, our main responsibility is to our local church family. To love and care for their souls, to obey those that have the rule over you and to help the weak in faith. It’s pretty hard to carry out our duty from an “ivory tower” far above them.