Episode 259 - Michael John Cusick, "The Four Gospels"
May 1, 2023
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Michael John Cusick discusses the gap between belief and experience in Christianity. He explores the gospels of performance, experience, activism, and brokenness. Topics include overcoming lust and pornography, living the questions, the importance of brokenness, and experiencing God.
Being fully honest with oneself and with God is essential for a genuine and authentic Christian experience.
Relying on performance, experiences, and activism can hinder true faith and prevent a deep and lasting connection with Jesus.
Deep dives
Learning to Be Still
The speaker emphasizes the importance of Christian leaders learning to be still and turning off distractions to come face to face with their inner selves. Many people are busy and terrified of the world within. The key is to become fully honest with oneself, struggles, desires, and hopes, and to be completely honest with God, admitting dependence upon Him and surrendering fully.
The Pursuit of Performance
The speaker shares his personal journey of striving for perfection and performance in Christianity. He believed that by putting enough effort and willpower, he could overcome his struggles. However, this approach led to feelings of pride, smugness, shame, guilt, and inadequacy. The focus on performance became a barrier to experiencing the realness of faith.
The Trap of Experience and Activism
The speaker discusses the trap of seeking experiences and chasing after causes to make faith feel real. He recounts his own pursuit of inspiration and encounter in Christian music and events. However, he realized that constantly pursuing external sources was not sustainable and did not lead to true connection with Jesus. The gospel of activism, where the focus is on making a difference, also fails to offer lasting fulfillment.
“Christianity just didn’t feel real to me.” - Michael John Cusick
What would it take to become fully honest with yourself? Your struggles, your desires, your hopes? And what would it take for you to get completely honest with God? Admit your dependence upon him and fully surrender.
On this episode of Restoring the Soul, we take you to October 2017 for a talk Michael presented to the students of Denver Seminary. The message was entitled “The 4 Gospels,” and Michael intended to present a message that helped students bridge the gap between what they believe with what they experience.
The 4 Gospels presented in this talk are the Gospel of Performance, Experience, Activism, and Brokenness.
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Thanks for listening!
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