Spiritual Sobriety: Freedom & Recovery from Cultural Christianity

By Frank Manno

The purpose of Spiritual Sobriety is to reveal and release what the Bible describes that it takes to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ in contrast to the benign and oft-anemic pop dedication that has pervaded the church, especially in the past fifty years.

Spiritual Sobriety is the inviting and tangible story of my journey from being a cultural Christian to an intimate follower of Jesus Christ. This book will take readers by the hand and lead them on a scripturally based, real-life journey by a path that winds from tearing down the stealthy faades of man-made religion, around the potholes of legalism and busyness, toward a destination of a grace-filled, authentic, God-empowered Christian life that walks in daily, hand-in-hand intimacy with a loving Father.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 30, 2012
• ISBN: 9781449764807

Frank Manno

Frank Manno has pastored, planted, and served as a consultant with churches in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Idaho. He’s also written for the Brooklyn Graphic and Philadelphia Daily News. He and Janet were married in 1989 and live in a home owned by their rambunctious rescue pup, Whitney. Frank enjoys playing guitar (as well as other instruments) and though visually impaired, loves photography!

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Copyright © 2012 Frank Manno

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ISBN: 978-1-4497-6479-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-6478-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-6480-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012915550

WestBow Press rev. date: 08/28/2012

CONTENTS

SECTION ONE: COUNTING THE COST

Introduction

Chapter 1 There Is Is A Cost? There Is A Cost To Being A Follower Of Christ. (Luke 14:25-35)

Chapter 2 Being Still Versus Our Desire To Do Our Spokesmodel For Busyness: Martha (Luke 10:38-42)

Chapter 3 Being Still Versus Our Desire To Do Our Spokesmodel For Spiritual Stillness: Mary (Luke 10:38-42)

SECTION TWO: AWAKENING TO AUTHENTICITY

Chapter 4 Rethinking Religion

Chapter 5 The Cancer Of Legalism (Mark 7)

Chapter 6 Abiding: A Connected Life (John 15)

Chapter 7 Read Me My Rights!

SECTION THREE: EMBRACING FATHER

Chapter 8 The Grace Of Divine Reparenting: A Father Who Guides And Provides—Even When We Don’t Deserve It (Deuteronomy 1)

Chapter 9 Father: Our Shield And Sword—A Father Who Protects And Does Battle For His Children

Chapter 10 A Father Of Promises: He Won’t Abandon Us!

Chapter 11 Celebrations, Conclusions And Blessings

To Janet… my partner in love, life and ministry… you are a wonderful gift from God to me

SECTION ONE:

COUNTING THE COST

Introduction

My name is Frank …

… and I’m a recovering Christian. (In true 12-step fashion, you say, Welcome, Frank.) Well, that’s technically not true, but allow me to clarify: I (and many others) am actually recovering from cultural Christianity. There is a difference, and recognizing it is the first step toward spiritual sobriety.

Before we get to that, please realize you are not just starting to read my book. Rather, we are embarking on a soul-searching journey, and I hope you will walk with me to the end. The terrain will be rugged at times—especially at the beginning—but the destination and its rewards can be profound and life-changing.

This book is about my journey to spiritual sobriety. It is a wide-eyed awakening to a living, breathing organism called Christianity: its true nature from a Biblical perspective, and how it has been misunderstood and erroneously portrayed in our culture.

What I’m about to share is not a sudden notion that just popped into my head, but a revolution of heart, mind, and soul 20 years in the making. God had to use the big chisels and hammers on me (alarming health issues, career failures, and financial struggles) to loosen my grip on religion and open my eyes to truth—spiritual truth I was unaware of and don’t remember being taught.

He led me to discover the realities of what the Bible really says about being a true Christian. Lest that sound arrogant, please know that I don’t claim this book to be the end-all on this topic; rather, it is just the beginning.

These are spiritual concepts and precepts I was never clearly taught (or didn’t comprehend) as I began my Christian walk … and if I understand the church at-large today, I suspect you weren’t either.

It is meant to be the inside scoop—the truth telling, tell-all, behind-the-scenes Biblical exposé on what it means to be a true Christian in the eyes of God.

Whether you are a curious skeptic, a faithful newcomer, or a seasoned saint, you will probably see Christianity in a new light after reading this book. It is meant to be the inside scoop—the truth telling, tell-all, behind-the-scenes Biblical exposé on what it means to be a true Christian in the eyes of God. While I do occasionally hear this type of truth being proclaimed in these last days, the majority of pulpits are anemic—even silent—about the guts and glory of being a follower of Jesus Christ.

Even if you have considered yourself saved and have read the Bible from Genesis to the maps, there will still be challenging growth and discovery in the pages ahead that can result in a deeper and more intimate walk with the loving God of the universe.

God’s arms are open every moment of every day—24/7—just for you.

Perhaps you are reading this book as a spiritually seeking skeptic. That’s OK! Just remember that God’s arms are open every moment of every day—24/7—just for you. He’s waiting for the time when you will place your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. God is waiting for that moment in eternal history—, your moment—, when you fully trust that the blood that Jesus Christ shed on the cross was full and personal payment for your sin; the very sin that keeps us from the Father and eternal life.

You can make this decision at any point in the book, but if now is that moment for you, all you have to do is pray. There is no magic formula of words to say (i.e. Open sesame). It’s from your heart to His. Simply talk to God and tell Him you realize you are a sinner and ask to be forgiven based on Jesus paying for your sin though His sacrifice on the cross. Make a deliberate life decision to turn from your sin and turn to Jesus. The rest is a moment-by-moment journey!

Now, back to me (I can’t help it, I’m an only child).

When I was introduced to Christianity, I was never told many of the following basic truths:

• Salvation is free, but discipleship will cost.

• It’s not what you can do for God, but what He wants to do through you.

• There is a difference between religion and a relationship; between a religious façade and intimacy with God Himself.

• You are a spiritual slave, bought with a price, and you no longer belong to yourself.

… and there are more.

Perhaps like you, I was first introduced to cultural Christianity, rather than the person of Jesus Christ and everything involved with being His disciple. If that is your story, then my journey will certainly resonate with you. However, the paradox is that you may not realize this is your story until we are near the end.

Ready for a harsh reality? In my years spent pastoring, church planting, counseling and consulting, I’ve found many people converted to a comfortable Christianity. Not converted to Christ, but to cultural Christianity. Not reborn into the family of God, but to a man-made system of approaching God (i.e. religion). In other words, they are devoted not to biblical Christianity, but to cultural Christianity. I was competent to lead these people, for I was one of them.

So, somewhere in mid-life, God pulled the ecclesiastical carpet out from under me. He threw me a number of devastating curve balls via tough circumstances and critical health issues, and I didn’t know how to handle them. Even as a pastor, I wasn’t emotionally prepared, and I certainly wasn’t spiritually equipped. Why? Because I knew more about following Christianity than actually following Christ. Capice?

Sure, I knew the rules, regulations and appearances. I had all the lingo, doctrines and creeds down pat. I carried my Bible, read it religiously, attended church, and even served in full-time ministry. I knew Jesus, but not intimately. When those curve balls beaned me, it quickly became apparent that I didn’t have a well-founded, grounded, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.

He was like the CEO of a big company where I was a distant department manager. I performed all the required tasks to keep my job, and we seemed to have a good relationship. I would eventually realize that Jesus desired and required more than just a superficial working relationship. He wanted to be more than just my CEO, and he required something deeper than a boss/employee interaction. He wants to live in me and wants me to live in Him. This is called abiding and we will dig into that later.

Of course, I blame no one person for what I lacked. In fact, God blessed me with wonderful spiritual fathers in my early spiritual development; men whom the world may not know, but who made a profound, eternal impact on me. Men like Don Peet, Buddy Hinze, Ken Chapman, Rick Buck, Bill Cariss and others. Yet I wish someone had told me up front—when I first got saved—about what it really means to follow Christ. I would have been better equipped to take those curve balls, and I could have avoided a great deal of unnecessary pain, confusion and misery.

And so I am writing this for you, and for anyone traveling on that same path; that road of blissful spiritual ignorance. I’m speaking to anyone skipping down a cheerful yellow brick road of religion, comfortably numb, righteously religious, but wholly unaware. In reality, that road is just a distraction from the true path we must walk in order to follow and intimately know Jesus Christ with the joy and contentment that brings.

In Trek Speak (again, I was an only child): Many unknowingly live in a holy holodeck embracing a computer-generated religious façade. One day, the program will end, and the lines on the wall will reveal that we were not living a spiritual reality, but an empty man-made religion. (If you didn’t understand the above, it proves that you are not a geek or nerd.)

Christianity was never meant to be cultural, but rather, counter-cultural.

It’s time to get sober. Spiritually sober. God didn’t send His Son to die for religious facsimiles. Listen: Christianity was never meant to be cultural, but rather, counter-cultural. It is time (both chronologically and eschatologically) to understand and embrace what it truly means to be a Christian—a follower of Jesus Christ.

I am excited to share this with you. Even as I write these words, the whole concept of spiritual sobriety is blossoming for me into life-changing spiritual reality.

We are about to look at various elements of this journey, this miraculous and mysterious calling we have to follow Jesus Christ. Are you ready? Spiritual sobriety is a beautiful thing. It’s like waking up to a vibrant new life. It is the ultimate reality.

Two final warnings before we launch this rocket: We aren’t going to move slowly and it will not be easy.

Indeed, we will not ease into the pool, but jump in with both feet. The water will seem cold and hard to endure at first. Chapter One is very heavy, but we have to break up the fallow ground before the seeds can grow and sweet life can come forth. We will start by tackling some hard truths, as they are the foundations upon which we can build spires of grace, love and liberation. Make it through the first chapter, and you will find the rest builds to a beautiful, intimate crescendo leading to the heart of God Himself.

Finally, what I am about to share with you is not some tidy 1-2-3 plan I have mastered and packaged. Some may be uncomfortable with that, as we are living in an era when bookstore shelves are flooded with handy paperback cures from self-proclaimed specialists and self-help swamis who offer inner-transformation at 25% off the cover price.

No, this is no weekend seminar fix-me recipe; this is a lofty, soul-searching wrestling match requiring honesty, introspection and transparency. This is a realistic spiritual ideal, springing from the Biblical truths and convictions to which God has led me. I will offer them to you in the hope that the Holy Spirit of God will apply them to your heart. Then, I will personally spend the rest of my life trying to live them out by striving and reaching for these goals with you. With great humility, I dare say I feel like Paul as he was writing to the church at Corinth when he said Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (1 Cor. 11:1 ESV)

The word imitators derives from the Greek word mimetes, from which we get our English word