Mike Abendroth's Blog, page 5

The Habit of Some

With the technology that is available to you at your fingertips, why go to church? I mean, just turn on your computer, download an app on your smartphone or tune in to your digital T.V. and you can listen to any sermon, anytime, anywhere. So why go to church when you can sit in the comfort of your own home on one of your devices?

1) First of all, because God commands it.

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

Hebrews 10:24-25

Or as the NASB puts it, “not forsaking our own assembling together.” These were some of the first verses I memorized as a young Christian. How precious and dear to the true child of God.

Why? Simply because someone who is a child of God loves to be around other children of God(1 John 5:1b). It is actually proof of genuine salvation and what assures someone that they have passed out of death into life(1 John 3:14).

Are you, in disobedience, neglecting to meet together with other Christians?

2) A second reason is for accountability.

No less that two times the phrase “one another” is repeated. The Christian life was not meant for lone rangers. Even “The Lone Ranger” was not alone. He had Tonto. Have you ever noticed how the embers of a fire diminish more and more when left alone? But when fresh wood is added, even the small fire from the burning embers is enough to get the fire going again with new wood. 

And there are three purposes of the “one another’s” in this passage. To stir up one another to love. Certainly love for the Lord and for one another in the Body. To stir up one another to good deeds, which we are not saved by, but saved unto(Ephesians 2:8-10). And to encourage one another.

Are you a lone ranger?

3) A third reason is because of what Christ has done, namely providing forgiveness of sins.

The immediate context makes this clear.

“But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,

then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.”

Hebrews 10:3-4, 11-12, 17-18

Do you understand the depth of what Christ has done in granting you forgiveness of sins and does that motivate you to gather with other believers on Sunday to worship this gracious King and to hear about Him from His Word?

“If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,

O Lord, who could stand?

But with you there is forgiveness,

that you may be feared.”

Psalm 130:3-4

4) A final reason is for who Christ is.

Hebrews is in 2 sections which hinge on the term “therefore” of 10:19. The first section is about theology(1:1-10:18). The second section is about practice(10:19-13:25). Our practice is to be based upon and in light of theology.

The first section highlights the superiority of the person of Jesus Christ. He is superior to prophets. He is superior to angels. He is superior to Moses. He is superior to Aaron. His ministry is superior to that of the old covenant.

Are you in the habit, as some are, of neglecting to meet with the church because you have a low view of Jesus Christ?

Veiled in Flesh

They were in the Upper Room. It was nearing the time of His crucifixion. They were away from the world in the quiet of these intimate moments. And because He was soon to depart from them, in order to comfort their troubled hearts, Jesus gave His disciples this promise.

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

John 14:3

At one point Philip jumps in and requests the Lord that He would show them the Father and that would suffice. Jesus’ response was poignant.

“Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

John 14:9

They had seen Jesus. And to see the Son was to see the Father.

“No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”

John 1:18

“I and the Father are one.”

John 10:30

Jesus, the eternal Son, had become incarnate, literally taking on human flesh.

“And the Word became flesh…”

John 1:14

…”being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form…”

Philippians 2:7-8

So the Jesus the disciples saw was not in His full glory. His glory was veiled.

“Veiled in flesh the Godhead see.”

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

In His great High Priestly prayer(John 17), Jesus makes an astonishing request near the beginning that reveals this veiling during His first coming.

“And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”

John 17:5

This clearly shows the Deity of Christ because he possessed this glory “before the world existed.” But it also reveals that God was veiled in the flesh because Christ simply asked the Father here to glorify Him with the glory he had, past tense. Here on earth during His incarnate state His glory was veiled in flesh.

His disciples Peter, James and John did get a glimpse of this at the Mount of Transfiguration when Moses(representing the Law) and Elijah(representing the prophets) appeared and were talking to Him.

“And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.”

Matthew 17:2

So at His first coming, His glory was veiled. But at His second coming, His glory will not be veiled, but will be on full display.

“Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

Matthew 24:30

During this Christmas season, will the words of the well-know Christmas tune only be lip service or will this be your first Christmas where you can sing from your heart?

“Hail the Incarnate Deity”

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

 

 

 

 

Spiritual AIDS: The Church’s #1 Problem

If I were to ask you what you think is the largest problem facing the church in America, what would your response be? Well that exact question was asked at this year’s Ligonier Fall Conference. Seasoned pastor of 46 years, John MacArthur answered unequivocally.

“A lack of biblical discernment. The church basically suffers from spiritual AIDS. It could die of a thousand heresies because its immune system is so totally deficient”

John MacArthur(2015 Ligonier Fall Conference)

Is this an accurate assessment of the state of the church in America? I would say so. All you have to do is look at the best seller so called “Christian” book today. It is none other than Sarah Young’s book Jesus Calling, whose total sales worldwide has reached 14 million.

“After many years of writing her own words in her prayer journal, missionary Sarah Young decided to be more attentive to the Savior’s voice and begin listening for what He was saying. So with pen in hand, she embarked on a journey that forever changed her—and many others around the world. In these powerful pages are the words and Scriptures Jesus lovingly laid on her heart. Words of reassurance, comfort, and hope. Words that have made her increasingly aware of His presence and allowed her to enjoy His peace.”

Thomas Nelson, Publisher of Jesus Calling

In other words, this is beyond your normal journaling where you may be writing your Bible reading notes or personal prayer requests. This is going off to a place with simply paper and pen in hand to receive direct revelation from God outside of Scripture. Sarah Young herself admits to this in the introduction to her book.

“I began to wonder if I … could receive messages during my times of communing with God. I had been writing in prayer journals for years, but that was one-way communication: I did all the talking. I knew that God communicated with me through the Bible, but I yearned for more. Increasingly, I wanted to hear what God had to say to me personally on a given day.”

Sarah Young

I her own words, Sarah yearned for more than God communicating to her through the Bible. And people have boughten in to her, hook, line and sinker. Why? Spiritual AIDS. The Church in America dying from the heresy that God speaks to individuals outside of the Bible.

In the Appendix of his 2007 book The Truth War(ironically published by Thomas Nelson), John MacArthur highlights some reasons why there is a lack of biblical discernment.

The rise of extreme tolerance – The church is reluctant to take a definitive stand on any issue.
A refusal to shun the world – The church is preoccupied with image and influence.
A failure to interpret Scripture accurately.
A lack of spiritual maturity.

In light of the spiritual AIDS, the lack of biblical discernment, that is so prevalent in the church today, what is the solution?

“To proclaim the truth and to support the truth through Scripture and reason, this is the greatest need of the church.”

John MacArthur(2015 Ligonier Fall Conference)

May the true Church, consisting of true followers of Christ, who love His Word, return to a biblical discerment, for only then will she be cured of spiritual AIDS and build her immune system so as not to succumb to the heresies of the day, such as Jesus Calling!

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment”

Philippians 1:9

 

Planned Parenthood Shooting: What Does God Think?

Whether it’s the media, a politician running for office, a coworker, or a neighbor, everyone seems to have their thoughts about the planned parenthood shooting in Colorado Springs from this past Friday, November 27. So who do you listen to? With so many voices and opinions, how can anyone make any sense of such a horrific event?

But does anyone ask, “What does God think?” That is the important question. “Wait a minute”, you say. “How can you bring God into the discussion?”, you ask. I say, “How can you NOT?” When everything in life, tragedy or triumph, is viewed from God’s perspective, then things begin to make some sense.(Psalm 73:16-17) And we know what God thinks because He has revealed His mind in the pages of Holy Scripture.

To view the Bible as a book of theology consigned only to the ivory towers of a seminary without any practical implications for life is to not understand the beginning of wisdom.(Proverbs 1:1-7)

So the first question is: “What does God think of planned parenthood?” The Scripture is clear that only God has the authority over life and death. He is the one who gives life to every man.

“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since He Himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.”

Acts 17:24-25

And He has revealed in His Word that life begins at conception. Just read the magnificent picture the Psalmist, King David, paints here.

For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in Your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there was none of them.

Psalm 139:13-16

Just imagine that God, the giver of life, the Creator, the One who knits us in our mother’s womb, had foreordained all of one’s days before birth: “In Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

So God thinks that planned parenthood is just a nice cover up name for abortion. Or to be more exact, murder, because it is a taking of a life. Not some undeveloped tissue, but a life!

But furthermore, “What does God think of the shooter?”

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Romans 12:19

So God thinks that the shooter’s actions were a usurpation of the authority that belongs to God alone to avenge all wrongdoing.

In both cases, to God, it is murder to take the life of an unborn child or to take the lives of others. And murder to God is sin, something that He does not take lightly, because of the perfection of His holy character.

“The soul who sins shall die.”

Ezekiel 18:20

That includes everyone!

“If they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you are angry with them”

1 Kings 8:46

And man’s sin, which originates in the heart(Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 15:19) and is first and foremost against God(Psalm 51:4), kindles God’s anger, His wrath, His righteous indignation.

Those who kill unborn children, in planned parenthood clinics, will one day have to give an account to God. Those who kill others, like the shooter, will also have to give an account to God. And you will have to give an account to God yourself(Romans 14:12).

But, the good news is there is one who is the Author of Life, namely Jesus Christ.

“and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead.”

Acts 3:15

Will you turn to Him today in faith and repentance for the forgiveness of your sins?

“Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

2 Corinthians 6:2b

 

 

 

 

 

The Will of God

The will of God is infinite, eternal and unchangeable because God Himself is infinite, eternal and unchangeable. Unlike the will of man, which is finite, temporal and changeable, the will of God is a sure guarantee because it emanates from His Sovereign nature. After all , He “works all things according to the counsel of his will”(Ephesians 1:11)

The will of God reached its apex at the cross. Why? Simply because it was the will of God the Father for the Son to be crucified. And this from eternity past. In the famous passage known as the Suffering Servant, Isaiah the prophet makes this very clear.

“Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;”

Isaiah 53:10a

Even on the day of Pentecost, when Peter preached the first sermon of church history, one of the things he goes to great pains to emphasise is that the crucifixion of Jesus was God’s will.

“this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God,”

Acts 2:23a

But furthermore, Jesus Himself said that the reason he came down from heaven was to do the Father’s will.

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.”

John 6:38

And what specifically was the Father’s will that Jesus came down from heaven to do?

“And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.”

John 6:39

Now that ends the discussion once for all on assurance of salvation. If you doubt you assurance of salvation, no longer. Your assurance is based upon the the eternal will of the Sovereign Father who sent Jesus so that none would be lost of those He had given the Son. And who are the ones the Father has given to the Son?

“All that the Father gives me will come to me,”

John 6:37a

Those who come to Christ. Not those who come to religion. Not those who come to church. Not those who come to spirituality. Not those who come to morality. But those who come to Christ. Jesus said it, not me. And this is the will of God, that those who come to Christ will not be lost.

And with a crescendo, Jesus finishes this section of the Bread of Life Discourse.

“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

John 6:40

The will of God is that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life. Do you have eternal life? Have you come to Christ? Are you looking on the Son? Do you believe in Him?

“Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

John 6:35

The Danger of Contemplative Prayer

Having its roots in eastern mysticism, contemplative prayer has made its inroads into the evangelical community. It originated with Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox monasticism. Also referred to as centering prayer, the idea is to find the center of your being by repeating a religious word as a mantra and trying to listen to the voice of God from within you as you wait in silence. Its advocates are false prophets whom you ought to beware of. They include Henri Nouwen, Dallas Willard(The Spirit of the Disciplines), and Richard Foster(Celebration of Discipline).

“The quiet repetition of a single word can help us to descend with the mind into the heart … This way of simple prayer … opens us to God’s active presence”

-Henri Nouwen(The Way of the Heart, p. 81)

I first came across contemplative prayer while living and ministering in New York City in the mid 90’s. One of the local pastors, Peter Scazerro, of New Life Fellowship, through his Emotionally Healthy Spirituality(EHS), introduced centering prayer. Promoted by Rick Warren of Saddleback, Scazerro’s EHS course and training are used by many churches.

In this blog, I want to address 2 questions. First, why the acceptance of contemplative prayer even amongst conservative evangelicals? And second, what are the dangers of contemplative prayer?

Contemplative prayer has made its inroads across denominational lines because people have a curious fascination with the mystical. The mystical makes empty promises to transform boring spirituality into something deeper.

Furthermore, contemplative prayer is popular because it can be practiced across many different religions for the sake of promoting a false unity, thus making ecumenism attractive.

Danger #1: Not Biblical Prayer

There are serious dangers with contemplative prayer. It is a clear aberration from biblical prayer. When one of His disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray(Luke 11:1), note Jesus’ response.

“And he said to them, “When you pray, say:”

Luke 11:2a

Jesus did NOT say that when you pray, “listen”. Rather He said that when we pray, “say”. The Greek term for “say”, λέγετε, literally means to speak. Prayer then is verbal, not listening in the silence. Prayer is talking to God, NOT listening to God.

Furthermore, biblical prayer is only for the genuine child of God who can address God as “Father”(Matthew 6:9). And the only ones who can address God as Father are those who love Christ, in the biblical, salvific sense.(John 8:42-44). In stark contrast, contemplative prayer can be practiced by anyone who does not have genuine salvation in Christ.

Danger #2: Man-centered, not God-centered

Contemplative prayer seeks to look inwardly, inside self, in the silence of solitude. Let me tell you what you will find there: a black hole. In prayer we are not to look inwardly, but outwardly and upwardly toward God.

“When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,”

John 17:1

So in teaching the disciples to pray, it is of great significance that Jesus began first and foremost with adoration.

“Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.”

Luke 11:2b

In adoration the focus is on praising God for His invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature.(Romans 1:20) In doing so it helps us stand in awe of our God who is full of glory and majesty.

This is true spiritual depth, when in prayer we praise God for His greatness.

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.”

Psalm 145:3

Try this. Use the following passages of Scripture to praise God. As you read, pause after a few verses and pray, praising God for His specific attributes that you just read about.

1 Kings 8:12-56
1 Chronicles 29:10-19
Nehemiah 9:5-38
Psalm 145
Isaiah 40
Jeremiah 10:1-16
Daniel 9:1-10
Revelation 1
Revelation 4:8-11
Revelation 5:1-14

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”

Romans 11:33

Danger #3: The Sufficiency of Scripture Denied

When the contemplative prayer gurus promote listening to God in prayer, that is in essence saying that God has not spoken in His Word with authority, loud and clear. In other words, Scripture is not sufficient, so we wait in silent prayer to listen to God. This is nothing less than extra biblical revelation, God speaking outside of Scripture.

 

As a young Christian, I learned one of the most basic lessons that has helped me even to this day. We speak to God through prayer. He has spoken to us through His Word.

 

 

 

The Active Obedience of Christ

 

Why did Jesus have to live a full life? I mean, if He came to die on the cross for sins and then be resurrected, why didn’t He just come a week before His crucifixion?

When I’ve asked that question, I have received different responses.

To teach
To heal
To preach

“And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.”

Matthew 4:23

Jesus did do all that during His lifetime. But ultimately He lived to obey God the Father. He perfectly kept the whole law of God.  This is known as the active obedience of Christ. And it is because of His perfect obedience that we can be credited His perfect righteousness.

“For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”

Romans 5:19

This is the doctrine of justification, that a person who believes, trusts, looks to Christ alone by faith, can be declared righteous before God in the divine courtroom.

On one occasion, Jesus made this astonishing claim about Himself.

“…for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”

John 8:29b

Jesus always pleased the Father. Not just sometimes, but always. Not just when He felt like it, but always. Not just when He was not tempted, which He was, but always.

Yet on another occasion, when asked by a lawyer what he should do to inherit eternal life, Jesus asked him what was written in the Law(Luke 10:25-26). The lawyer answered that you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself(Luke 10:27). And do you know what Jesus’ response was to the lawyer’s answer?

“And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

Luke 10:28

What kind of response was that by Jesus? Was He not properly schooled in evangelism? Shouldn’t He have said something to the effect of:

“You have answered wrongly; instead, you must pray to receive Me in your heart.”
“You have answered wrongly; instead, you must repent and believe in Me.”
“You have answered wrongly; instead, you must confess Me as Lord and believe that I will be raised from the dead.”

But the Incarnate Word, Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, said that the lawyer answered correctly because He knew that the requirement of God the Father was perfect obedience, And because no sinner could ever obey perfectly and thus meet the strict demands of the Law, Jesus did. So in His active obedience He always loved God and His neighbor perfectly.

“That perfect life which Christ lived is credited to the account of every person who puts their trust in Him. Here is the heart of the Christian Gospel. On the cross, Jesus dies, for my sin. In other words, God treats Him as if He lived my life. Turns right around, and by my faith in Christ, God treats me as if I lived His life. He credits his life to my account. That’s the doctrine of justification and the heart of Christianity.”

-John MacArthur(Larry King Live, Who was Jesus? Dec. 24, 2004)

The day before his death, the great Princeton theologian and founding member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church sent these final words to his friend John Murray.

“I am so thankful for the active obedience of Christ; no hope without it.”

-J Graschem Machen

No hope without the active obedience of Christ. Do you have this hope?

“My hope is built on nothing less

than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.”

Hymn

 

 

 

Where is Jesus?

When my oldest daughter was younger, I had explained to her that the reason she disobeys is because the Bible says there is sin in her heart.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

Jeremiah 17:9

Even Jesus Himself highlighted the corruption of the heart.

“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.”

Matthew 15:19-20

So you can imagine how aghast her grandparents were when they asked their year and a half old granddaughter, “Who is in your heart?” and her response was, “Hamartia”(Greek for sin). Then the follow-up question: “Who taught you such a thing?” And with her innocent grin my daughter said, “Daddy.”

Her grandparents were expecting their sweet little granddaughter to say that Jesus, not sin, was in her heart. After all, isn’t that where Jesus is? Not really. So then, where is Jesus?

The straightforward, unadulterated, biblical answer is: He is at the right hand of the Father.

In his opening chapter, the writer of Hebrews shows the superiority of Jesus over angels. In order to do this, he uses a literary device known as inclusio where he brackets this section with the same phrase.

“After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,…”

Hebrews 1:3b

And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?

Hebrews 1:13

There are a number of important truths we can learn from this. First of all, note that Jesus sat down at the right of the Father after making purification of sins.

But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,

Hebrews 10:12

This highlights the sufficiency of the work of Christ, that His work of atonement is done. That is why He is seated.

Secondly, Jesus holds the unique position of power, honor and authority, as signified by the fact that He is seated the the Father’s “right hand”. It is the Father who puts the Son at His right hand, and this by His own initiative. It is the Father’s prerogative to appoint the Son to sit at His right hand in a position of honor, power and authority.

Thirdly, the Father says that He will make Jesus’ enemies a footstool for His feet. Conquering kings emphasized their triumph by placing a foot upon the neck of some conquered king. A victorious king or general would place his feet on the neck of a defeated king.

“And when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.” Then they came near and put their feet on their necks.”

Joshua 10:24

So, where is Jesus? He is seated at the right hand of the Father. Seated because He finished the work of atonement for sin. At the right hand of the Father because He is the one with all authority and power. And His enemies will be made a footstool because He is the conquering and victorious King.

“God thinks so much of His Son that He cannot set Him too high; He has placed Him at His own right hand…The great God thinks heaven and earth too little for Him, and magnifies Him exceedingly above all, as King of kings and Lord of lords. The place at the right hand of God, to which He is now exalted, is the place of power. There sits the Mediator, the Son of God, the man Christ Jesus,…”

-Spurgeon

 

 

 

The First Step Down For Any Church

The first step down for any church is NOT when it decides to mix hymns with contemporary worship music. But you ask, “Won’t the contemporary music drive the older generation away?”

The first step down for any church is NOT when it does not hire a full-time youth group leader. But you ask, “Aren’t the young people the future of our church?”

The first step down for any church is NOT when it does not provide childcare for parents. But you ask, “How will parents come with no childcare?”

The first step down for any church is NOT when it forgoes having a week-long Vacation Bible School in the summer. But you ask, “How would we reach the children in our community?”

The first step down for any church is NOT when the worship service ceases to be user-friendly, seeker-senstitive and culturally relevant. But you ask, “Won’t that decrease attendance?”

“The first step down for any church is taken when it surrenders its high opinion of God.”

A.W. Tozer

Did you get that? In other words, the first step down for any church is basically when it has a low view of God and thus a high view of man. The first step down for any church is when it abandons a lofty view of God and elevates man to the position God alone should occupy!

Surrendering a high opinion of God is tantamount to rejecting God and thus worthy of the wrath of God!

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. …they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”

Romans 1:18, 25

So how does a church know if it has taken that first step down of surrendering its exalted view of God? Let me give you 3 litmus tests.

First of all, when a church seeks to please people rather than God, it is guilty of abandoning a high view of God. The apostle Paul was not going to tamper with the truth of the gospel because as a slave of Christ he was not seeking man’s approval, but he was seeking to please God(Galatians 1:10).

There are churches today who do not base how they run the church on what God says in His word but what people have said they are looking for in a church. There are pastors who planted churches based upon surveys and demographics, not based upon the church’s manual, the Bible.

The next litmus test of knowing whether a church has taken that first step down of losing its exalted view of God is when it will not practice church discipline. This is really a corollary of the first one because church discipline is what God says in His Word, while people say it is harsh and unloving.

Jesus Christ delineated the process of church discipline(Matthew 18:15-17). The first example of which occurred in the early church is a very dramatic death of a couple that brought about fear(Acts 5:1-11).

But why church discipline? For the purity of Christ’s Bride, the Church.(Ephesians 5:25-27). Unrepentant sinners must be purged(1 Corinthians 5:13) because a little leaven leavens the whole lump(1 Corinthians 5:6) and for the sake of warning others(1 Timothy 5:20).

The third and final litmus test is when a church abandons the preaching of the Bible. This again is a corollary to the first one because the reason churches abandon the authoritative preaching of the Word of God is because that is not what people’s itching ears want to hear(2 Timothy 4:1-4).

“The moment the Church of God shall despise the pulpit, God will despise her.”

-Spurgeon

Expository preaching is preaching the Bible, not preaching about the Bible. And unlike much of contemporary preaching…OOPS…I mean talks, expository preaching is a herald of King Jesus coming with an authoritative “Thus says the Lord!”. Rather than bringing the Bible times into our contemporary culture, expository preaching involves bringing today’s people into Bible times to know how the original audience understood it.

What the church today needs most is to reclaim a high, lofty, exalted, biblical view of God.

“Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be,” declares the Lord.”

Isaiah 66:1-2

And then, and only then, will the church exist for its true purpose, the glory of God.

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Ephesians 3:20-21

 

 

 

Caution: False Teacher Creflo Dollar at Work

You are driving down the road and you see that yellow and black sign “Caution: Men at Work”. It is a sign to warn you to drive carefully. But even more importantly, there is a more dangerous warning that needs to be heeded. That is the caution sign of false teachers out there.

Jesus, in His monumental Sermon on the Mount, warned of false teachers.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

Matthew 7:15

Paul also issued a similar caution in his farewell address to the Ephesian elders.

“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert; remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.”

Acts 20:28-31

One such current false teacher is Creflo Dollar, who posted the following this past week on his Facebook page.

“Jesus bled and died for us so that we can lay claim to the promise of financial prosperity.”

Creflo Dollar

What would you expect from someone of his likes who hangs around the Word of Faith teachers such as Richard Roberts, son of Oral Roberts?

But what makes his post even more blasphemous(yes that is what I intended to say, no Freudian slip here) is that he hashtags it to abundant life.(#ProsperityInChrist #WealthyLiving #AbundantLife). In so doing he misinterprets the words of Jesus Christ. And that is because his hermeneutical lens by which he interprets all Scripture is the false prosperity gospel.

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

John 10:10

What did the Jews, the original audience, understand Jesus meant by abundant life? Their understanding was of course based on their knowledge of the Old Testament. King David talked about green pasture that the LORD, his shepherd provided for(Psalm 23:2). Here Jesus says that the one who is saved, because he enters through the door, namely Jesus, will find pasture(John 10:9).

Sheepherders would provide green pasture for their fold to enjoy and protection from thieves. When thieves would climb to steal the sheep(John 10:1), the sheep would flee because they did not recognise the voice of a stranger (John 10:5). Thus, the only way the thief would be able to take the sheep was to slice the sheep’s throat(John 10:10). Unlike the thieves, as the Good Shepherd, Jesus provides eternal life that begins here and now for His own to enjoy and protection from losing that life He has granted them.

The context of John 10 makes that very clear. Jesus said that His sheep…

…hear and know His voice(John 10:3-4; John 10:27).

…follow Him(John 10:4; John 10:27).

…will not follow a stranger, they will actually flee, for they do not know his voice(John 10:5).

…did not listen to thieves and robbers(John 10:7).

…know Him, the Good Shepherd(John 10:14).

Jesus also said that He, as the Good Shepherd…

…calls His own sheep by name(John 10:3).

…leads them out(John 10:3).

…laid down His life for His sheep(John 10:11; John 10:15).

…knows His sheep(John 10:14; John 10:27).

…gives His sheep eternal life(John 10:28).

What provision! What protection! What abundant life! What assurance! What security!

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

John 10:28-30

God is against Creflo Dollar, and other false teachers, who distort the Word of God for personal gain by preying upon souls like the ravenous and fierce wolves that they are.

“The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them. “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.”

Ezekiel 34:1-10