Diet Pepsi or Diet Coke?

I am one of those people who are loyal to a particular consumer product if it appeals to my tastes or desires. An example of this would be that I like the diet cola type Pepsi products. Diet Pepsi, Diet Vanilla Pepsi (my personal favorite) and the new Diet Jazz Pepsi products. Since I have been working at my new job at our client site I have not been able to find a single Pepsi product in any of their vending machines. Today I wanted a diet cola product to drink with the lunch my thoughtful wife prepared for me so I purchased a Diet Coke out of the machine. The choice turned out to be ok and for the most part it wasn't bad. The Diet Coke did not taste bad or make me sick, but it just wasn't the same as my familiar Diet Pepsi. Now it's time to stretch a little, but not so much.
Since the Lord has led me to the awesome church I now call my home church, I have found a taste for sermons and messages that are centered on God's truth. The expositional preaching is the style I long to hear and study under now. I read books and articles that are based in reformed theology, like the teachings of Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Martyn-Lloyd Jones, and contemporaries like, John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, D.A. Carson, and Mark Dever. It goes without saying that I love to study under our own pastors and elders as well. Once in a while I run into Christians who tell me that I should listen to this pastor or that pastor. I will usually go and find some of their audio files on the Internet and give them a listen. When I hear those wimpy, psycho-Babel, man-centered messages it's like drinking a Diet Coke for me. It may not be heresy (although a Gospel message that is man-centered is in my opinion) and it probably won't be bad or make me sick. But it just doesn't quench my desire for the deep expositional preaching. (like Diet Pepsi Vanilla)
Now I know that deep expositional preaching of the truth is much more vital to my heart's desire and spirit than a Diet Pepsi. (my wife would tell you that I don't need that Diet Pepsi at all) Because the preaching and studying affects so much more of me than just my taste buds. My hope is that the next time you are at the vending machine making a choice between Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi maybe you will consider this simple lesson. One you've tasted the truth of the Gospel and the expositional preaching everything else is just a Diet Coke, or worse yet, a flat, watered down, been sitting in the sun for hours Diet Coke. I would recommend checking out some of the sermons and messages from those I mentioned above and also checking out the audio web page of our church and listen to some of the awesome messages there, and ........... drink Diet Pepsi!! :-)