Transcript Jesus’ Preaching Was Opposed

Matthew 23:1-4
Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his
disciples, Saying, The scribes and the
Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore
whatsoever they bid you observe, that
observe and do; but do not ye after their
works: for they say, and do not. For they bind
heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and
lay them on men's shoulders; but they
themselves will not move them with one of
their fingers.
Matthew 23:5-10
5
But all their works they do for to be seen of
men: they make broad their phylacteries, and
enlarge the borders of their garments,
6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the
chief seats in the synagogues,
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of
men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your
Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for
one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your
Master, even Christ.
Phylacteries
Phylacteries; fulakth/ria:
literally, preservatives;
equivalent to "amulets;" the
translation of the Hebrew word
tephillin, "prayer fillets." These
were either strips of parchment
or small cubes covered with
leather, on or in which were
written four sections of the
Law, viz. Ex 13:1-10,11-16;
Deut 6:4-9; 11:13-21.
Phylacteries
They were worn fastened either to the forehead,
or inside the left arm, so as to be near the heart.
Their use arose from a literal and superstitious
interpretation of Ex 13:9; Deut 6:8; 11:18. Their
dimensions were defined by rabbinical rules, but
the extra pious formalists of the day set these at
naught, and increased the breadth of the strips
or of the bands by which they were fastened, in
order to draw attention to their religiousness
and their strict attention to the least
observances of the Law.
Phylacteries
These phylacteries are still in use
among the Jews. Thus in a 'Class
Book for Jewish Youth' we read,
"Every boy, three months before he
attains the age of thirteen,
commences to make use of the
tephillin, which must be worn at least
during the time of the morning
prayers. The ordinance of the
tephillin is one of the signs of the
covenant existing between the
Almighty and ourselves, that we may
continually bear in mind the miracles
God wrought for our forefathers."
Enlarged Borders Of Garments
Enlarge the borders of their garments; ta\
kra/speda tw=n i(mati/wn au)tw=n, the fringes
of their outer garments. The best manuscripts
have merely their fringes. So the Vulgate,
magnificant fimbrias. These fringes or tassels
(zizith, zizijoth) were fastened to the corners of
the garments, in accordance with Num 15:38-41,
and were composed of white and blue threads.
They were intended to remind the wearers of the
commandments of the Lord, and were regarded
as peculiarly sacred. Christ condemns the
ostentatious enlargement of these fringes as a
badge of extraordinary piety and obedience.
The Traditions of The Pharisees
Jesus continually referred to the oral law as the "tradition
of the elders" or the "tradition of men" (Matt 15:1-9;
Mark 7:1-23
Some examples in the New Testament alluding to the
scrupulous concern of the Pharisees with the minutia of
their legalism are:
The tithing of herbs (Matt 23:23; Luke 11:42).
The wearing of conspicuous phylacteries and tassels
(Matt 23:5).
The careful observance of ritual purity (e.g., Mark 7:l ff.).
Frequent fastings (Matt 9:14).
Distinctions in oaths (23:16ff.).
The Mishnah- Oral Traditions
The six orders of the Mishnah
Zeraim ("Seeds"), dealing with prayer and blessings,
tithes and agricultural laws (11 tractates)
Moed ("Festival"), pertaining to the laws of the Sabbath
and the Festivals (12 tractates)
Nashim ("Women"), concerning marriage and divorce,
some forms of oaths and the laws of the nazirite (7
tractates)
Nezikin ("Damages"), dealing with civil and criminal law,
the functioning of the courts and oaths (10 tractates)
Kodashim ("Holy things"), regarding sacrificial rites, the
Temple, and the dietary laws (11 tractates) and
The Mishnah- Oral Traditions
Tehorot ("Purities"), pertaining to the laws of
purity and impurity, including the impurity of
the dead, the laws of food purity and bodily
purity (12 tractates).
In each order (with the exception of Zeraim),
tractates are arranged from biggest (in number
of chapters) to smallest.
The word Mishnah can also indicate a single
paragraph or verse of the work itself, i.e. the
smallest unit of structure in the Mishnah.
The Mishnah- Oral Traditions
The Six Orders of the Mishnah (‫ששה סדרי משנה‬
Zeraim (Seeds)
(‫)זרעים‬Moed (Festival)
(‫)מועד‬Nashim (Women)
(‫)נשים‬Nezikin (Damages)
(‫)נזיקין‬Kodashim (Holies)
(‫)קדשים‬Tehorot (Purities)
(‫)טהרות‬Berakhot
Chief Seats- Prestigious Places
At the south end of a synagogue, facing north, is a
movable ark, containing the sacred rolls of the Law
and the prophets. Right before the ark, and facing
the people, are the seats of honour, for the rulers
of the synagogue and the honourable." These
were the places for which the Pharisees
contended, thinking more of gaining these, where
they could sit enthroned in the sight of the
congregation, than of the Divine worship which
nominally they came to offer.---The Pharisees
would compete and argue for these prestigious
positions and would neglect the importance of
what they were to come together to do.
Wearing Titles- Revering Men
They were to follow no earthly rabbi, but the
heavenly Teacher. All ye are brethren. And
therefore, so far, equal. They were disciples of our
Lord, and to them appertained equality and
fraternity.
Christ said, "be not called;" here he uses the active,
"call not," as if he would intimate that his followers
must not give this honored title to any doctor out of
flattery. Upon the earth. In contradistinction to
heaven, where our true Father dwells. They were to
follow no earthly school. They had natural fathers
but the authority of all comes from God; it is
delegated, not essential; and good teachers would
make men look to God, and not to themselves, as
the source of power and truth.
Who Is Greatest? Biblical Math
In no other area can do we see that we increase
anything by making it less. But the Lord here in
Mt. 23:11,12; is saying that the greatest to God is
the one who is the least to men. The greatest any
of us will ever be as we serve the Lord is a
servant. If we all would possess that type of
attitude toward others how much better would
we be in our homes, in the world, in our nation.
Instead many are more interested in being served
than in serving. This is not the way to please God.
May we all develop more of a servant spirit.
Without it we cannot and will not please God.
Passages That Support Serving
Heb 12:2
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our
faith; who for the joy that was set before him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set
down at the right hand of the throne of God.
1 Peter 5:5-6
5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the
elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another,
and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the
proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty
hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
Matthew 23:11-14
11
But he that is greatest among you shall be your
servant.
12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be
abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be
exalted.
13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven
against men: for ye neither go in yourselves,
neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for
a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall
receive the greater damnation.
Matthew
23:15-18
Matthew 23:15-18
15
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make
one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him
twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say,
Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is
nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of
the temple, he is a debtor!
17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the
gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is
nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that
is upon it, he is guilty.
Matthew
23:19-22
Matthew 23:19-22
19
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the
gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar,
sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
21 And whoso shall swear by the temple,
sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth
therein.
22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth
by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth
thereon.
Matthew 23:23-26
Matthew
23:23-26
23
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for
ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have
omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment,
mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not
to leave the other undone.
24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a
camel.
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for
ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter,
but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within
the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be
clean also.
Matthew
23:27-32
Matthew 23:27-32
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for
ye are unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear
beautiful like outward, but are within full of dead
men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto
men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and
garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers,
we would not have been partakers with them in the
blood of the prophets.
31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye
are the children of them which killed the prophets.
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
8 Woes Against The Pharisees
As Christ started His public ministry by having 8
Beatitudes in the sermon on the mount, here he
closes His ministry by pronouncing 8 woes on the
unbelieving Pharisees, who should have the first
ones to confess Him for who He is. They knew the
Law and they should have known more than
anyone who He was. Often the most religious and
informed people are the least likely to change
when they are shown to be in error. It is the same
today. Many knowledgeable people will hold to
their traditions instead of listening to God’s clear
message. ARE YOU ONE OF THESE?
Consequences Of Pharisees Views
About to bring ruin on the Jewish nation as a
whole and Jerusalem in particular.
That Jesus would utter such harsh
denunciations shows the degree of love and
concern He showed to them in leaving no
stone unturned in seeking to turn their hard
hearts seriously reflect and repent. The
Pharisees knew better but were stubborn and
insistent on their ways above God’s. Jesus had
no patience with this spirit and knew that
such an attitude would leave them lost.
Hypocrites
This word is used 7 times by Christ to describe
them. Hypocrite is from the Greek word;
hupokrites, which means a pretender or one
who wears a mask. One who pretends to be
what they are not in reality.
The Pharisees deceived themselves that
external appearances was a satisfactory
substitute for true piety and devotion to God.
They became champions of this over the Word
of God. They were more interested in their
oral traditions than in the Word of God.
Shutting Up The Kingdom To Others
Matthew 23:13- The Pharisees prevented men
from believing the message of Christ and His
followers by threats and discounting the message
as being from the devil.
John 9:22-23-His parents said this because they
were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had
decided that anyone who acknowledged that
Jesus was the Christ a would be put out of the
synagogue.
Matt 9:34- But the Pharisees said, "It is by the
prince of demons that he drives out demons."
Tactics Have Not Changed Today
Many leaders in denominations today use the
same tactics when faced with the truth.
It was difficult for the Pharisees to admit that what
Jesus was saying was true. It would mean the end
of their way of life. If Jesus was the Messiah and
had come to fulfill the Old Law, then they knew
that He would bring in a New Law and as they
viewed it, it would mean the end of their lifestyle
and their status. So rather than submit to God and
His plan, they minimized and belittled the message
Christ preached and discouraged every one from
following Him.
Biblical Doctrines Belittled Today
Baptism in water for remission of sins (Mk. 16:16;
Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21; Gal. 3:27;
Romans 6:1-4)
We do not inherit sin from Adam:
Ezek 18:20-The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The
son shall not bear the iniquity of the father,
neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the
son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be
upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked
shall be upon him.
Matt 18:3- And said, Verily I say unto you, Except
ye be converted, and become as little children,
ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Biblical Doctrines Belittled Today
The kingdom is here not future and it is
the Lord’s church:
Dan. 2:44- In the days of these kings (Roman
Empire)- the Lord will establish a kingdom that
will never be destroyed and it will consume all
other kingdoms and will stand forever.
Rev 1:9- I John, who also am your brother, and
companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom
and patience of Jesus Christ...
Col 1:13- Who hath delivered us from the power of
darkness, and hath translated us into the
kingdom of his dear Son:
Religious Leaders Today Know
They have studied the Scriptures.
“the Bible undeniably teaches baptism for
remission of sins and I have been baptized for
remission of sins, but I don’t teach it because I
would lose my job. Besides this, doctrine is
personal and the job of a church is not
doctrinal, it is to make the communities and
people better socially.”-_____Hammons,
minister: _____Methodist church, B’ham, AL
Denominations Contradict The Bible
Methodists Teach-Article 9- “faith only is a most
wholesome doctrine and very full of comfort”umc.org Article 17- “baptism is not only a sign
of profession mark of difference by which
Christians are distinguished from those
unbaptized; it is also a sign of regeneration or
the new birth, the baptism of young children is
to be retained in the Church.:
Denominations Contradict The Bible
Methodists teach- “baptism is not necessary
for salvation…however baptism is required for
church membership.”-umc.orgarchives2495
Methodists teach- “John Wesley is the founder
of the Methodist church”—
umhistoryofwesley.org
The Bible teaches- Acts 22:16; Acts 2:38; James
2:24; Mt 18:
Denominations Contradict The Bible
Jehovah’s Witnesses teach: “those judged by
Jesus to be righteous will be given everlasting
life on paradise earth (this earth will never be
destroyed). Those judged unrighteous will not
be tormented but will die and cease to
exist.”—Make Sure of All Things 1965,
Jehovah’s Witness publication.
The Bible says- 2 Pet. 3:10-12- All these things
will be destroyed. Mt. 25:41,46- “everlasting
fire” ; “eternal life….everlasting torment”
Denominations Contradict The Bible
On Acts 2:38, “for remission of sins”- The Baptists
teach that the “Greek word ‘eis’ (for) remission of
sins, means “because.”
Baptists also teach that- “baptism does not take
away sin but it is a “righteous work” and one we
should do after we are saved.”-fwbcsavannah, Our
beliefs on Baptism.
The Bible teaches- “eis” means “for the intent of”
“in order to” The Greek word for “because” is ‘gar’Greek Interlinear, Strong’s, Vine’s Word Studies.
The Bible teaches on baptism- Acts 22:16- “arise and
be baptized and wash away thy sins.” 1 Pet. 3:21
Denominations Contradict Truth
Episcopal Church teaches: “the church teaches
two creeds- The Apostles Creed and the Nicene
Creed.”
About Faith- “wherefore that we are justified by
faith only is a most wholesome doctrine and very
full of comfort..”– Anglicans online, 39 Articles of
Faith.
The Bible- 2 Jn. 9- “he who goes on and abides not
in the doctrine of Christ hath not God.”
The Bible- James 2:24- “ye see how that by works
a man is justified and not by faith only.”
Warnings From God About Error
Jesus warns us against
allowing the traditions of
men to determine doctrine.
He says, "Thus you have
made the commandment of
God of no effect by your
tradition…And in vain they
worship Me, teaching as
doctrines the
commandments of men"
(Matthew 15:6, 9).
Warnings From God About Error
He also says in Mt. 7:15“beware of false prophets
who come to you in sheep’s
clothing.” Jesus also said in
Jn. 12:48- “He who rejects
and receives not My words,
the same has that which
judges him. The word that I
have spoken, the same shall
judge him in the last day.”
Warnings From God About Error
It is what God said and
authorizes that matters not
man’s doctrines. Leaders in
denominations need to repent
of their error holding onto the
doctrines of men and teaching
them to unsuspecting, goodhearted people. We should be
able to rely on people to tell us
the truth, but Jesus said that
all men will disappoint.
Warnings From God About Error
It is what God says that
determines truth. Examine your
denomination and your beliefs
in light of what the Bible teaches
and hold fast to the truth (1
Thess. 5:21). If what you believe
cannot be substantiated in light
of all of what the Bible says on
the subject, reject that teaching
and come to the Truth of God’s
word. You will be lost in your
error if you don’t.
Other Woes
nd
2 -
Against hypocrisy.
Ignore the needy but make
pretense of righteousness by
lengthy prayers.
Other Woes
3rd- pursuing converts to
your hypocrisy (twofold
more child of hell than you).
Other Woes
th
4 -
against oaths.
No need for oaths
if you are a true
servant of God.
Other Woes
th
5 -
misplaced priorities.
Tithing was important and
essential but they stressed
that and ignored teaching
on weighty matters
(judgment, mercy, faith).
Other Woes
th
6 -
external fastidiousness
but no emphasis on inward
cleanliness before God.
Other Woes
7th- whited tombs- dead men’s
bones. Once a year they would
whitewash the tombs of the Jews
to make it conspicuous who they
were. Jesus likens them to painted
tombstones. The paint did not
hide the fact they were occupied
by bones (no substance).
Other Woes
th
8 -they
garnished the tombs of
the righteous of the past, but
did it for a show without any
idea of national repentance for
rejecting the message of truth
these very ones delivered.
Matthew 23:33-36
Matthew
23:33-36
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye
escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore,
behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men,
and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and
crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your
synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
That upon you may come all the righteous blood
shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous
Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of
Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple
and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these
things shall come upon this generation.
The Sentence For Their Sins
Jesus is not saying that they cannot be saved,
but He is teaching that their hypocritical
position, unless repented of, would lead to their
eternal demise in Hell. Hypocrisy is a barrier to
repentance. Unless one has a servant spirit he
will never admit error and will never change his
life. We must all approach our study of the
Bible with a view of letting God’s word
continually change us into what we ought to be
(not what we think we ought to be).
As Your Fathers Did- So Do You
The disobedient Jews of the past persecuted
the prophets and rejected their message of
repentance. The ancestors of those Jesus
was talking to had been involved in this
rejection and Jesus charges those present
Pharisees with the same crime. He says they
have involved themselves in generational
departure and have honored their ancestors
and their beliefs above the precious message
that was delivered to them by God.
The Pharisees Will Reject Jesus & The
Apostles As Their Fathers Did Prophets
Luke 11:49- Because of this, God in his wisdom
said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles,
some of whom they will kill and others they will
persecute.'
You will kill them (Stephen- Acts 7:59; James-Acts
12:2), scourge them (Paul and others), crucify
them(possibly Peter, Simeon and Andrew) and
persecute them (Acts 13:50; 14:5,6, 19,20;
26:11). Christ predicted this in Mt. 10:17,18.
Message To Preachers
Anyone who presumes to teach and preach to
others is bound before God to preach only the
Truth. People have a right to expect that of anyone
who claims to be teaching the truth.
The gospel is a precious message and does not
need any help from men.
Gal. 1:8,9 - But though we, or an angel from
heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than
that which we have preached unto you, let him be
accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If
any man preach any other gospel unto you than
that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Warnings To Preachers
1 Peter 4:11- If any man speak, let him speak
as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let
him do it as of the ability which God giveth:
that God in all things may be glorified
through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and
dominion for ever and ever. Am
James 3:1- My brethren, let not many of you
become teachers, knowing that we shall
receive a stricter judgment.
Practice What You Preach
Rom 2:21-24-Thou therefore which teachest
another, teacheth thou not thyself? thou that
preacheth a man should not steal, dost thou
steal? Thou that sayeth a man should not
commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery?
thou that abhorreth idols, dost thou commit
sacrilege? Thou that maketh thy boast of the
law, through breaking the law dishonoreth thou
God? For the name of God is blasphemed
among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
Intentional Error
2 Peter 2:1-3- But there were false prophets also
among the people, even as there shall be false
teachers among you, who privily shall bring in
damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that
bought them, and bring upon themselves swift
destruction. And many shall follow their
pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of
truth shall be evil spoken of. And through
covetousness shall they with feigned words
make merchandise of you: whose judgment now
of a long time lingereth not, and their
damnation slumbereth not.
Watch Out For False Teachers
Col 2:8- Beware lest any man spoil you
through philosophy and vain deceit, after the
tradition of men, after the rudiments of the
world, and not after Christ.
2 Peter 3:17- Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye
know these things before, beware lest ye
also, being led away with the error of the
wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
From Among You Own Selves
Acts 20:29-31- For I know this, that after my
departing shall grievous wolves enter in
among you, not sparing the flock. Also of
your own selves shall men arise, speaking
perverse things, to draw away disciples
after them. Therefore watch, and
remember, that by the space of three
years I ceased not to warn every one night
and day with tears.
Do People Believe The Bible?
George Barna, president of Barna Research Group,
reported that a study exploring the religious
beliefs of the 12 largest denominations in America
highlights the downward theological drift that has
taken place in Christian churches in recent years.
The study found that an alarmingly high number of
church members have beliefs that fall far short of
orthodox Christianity. ONLY 41 PERCENT OF ALL
ADULTS SURVEYED BELIEVED IN THE TOTAL
ACCURACY OF THE BIBLE. Only 40 percent
believed Christ was sinless, and only 27 percent
believed Satan to be real.
We Are In Trouble
45 percent believed Jesus was not sinless, 44
percent did not believe that the Bible is
totally accurate, and 66 percent did not
believe Satan to be a real being. Barna said,
"The Christian body in America is immersed
in a crisis of biblical illiteracy." Michael
Yousseff a denominational preacher, gave
statistics of a poll that was conducted. Here
is what the poll revealed:
Poll Of Religious Leaders
85% of students at America's largest Evangelical
Seminary don't believe in the inerrancy of Scripture.
74% of the Clergy in America no longer believe in
the inerrancy of Scripture
"Seminary students, future preachers and leaders in
the church, show very little support for the
inerrancy of the Bible position. What does that
foretell about the future of the church?
Undoubtedly, just as the poll results show in the
1996 - 2001 time frame, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
BELIEVING THE BIBLE IS INERRANT IS DROPPING."
Check Out Your Preachers Beliefs
A poll conducted by Jeffery Hadden in 1987 of
10,000 American clergy. They were asked whether
they believed that the Scriptures are the inspired
and inerrant Word of God in faith, history, and
secular matters: 95% of Episcopalians, 87% of
Methodists, 82% of Presbyterians, 77% of American
Lutherans, and 67% of American Baptists said "No."
The Barna Research Group reported in 1996 that
among American adults generally: 58% believe that
the Bible is "totally accurate in all its teachings";
45% believe that the Bible is "absolutely accurate
and everything in it can be taken literally."
What God Says About His Word
Isaiah 40:8: "The grass withereth,
the flower fadeth: but the word of
our God shall stand for ever."
Psalm 12:6-7: "The words of the
LORD are pure words: as silver tried
in a furnace of earth, purified seven
times. Thou shalt keep them, O
LORD, thou shalt preserve them
from this generation for ever."
What God Says About His Word
Psalm 100:5: "For the LORD is good;
his mercy is everlasting; and his truth
endureth to all generations."
Psalm 33:11: "The counsel of the
LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts
of his heart to all generations."
Matthew 24:35: "Heaven and earth
shall pass away, but my words shall
not pass away."
What God Says About His Word
"Now go, write it before them in a table,
and NOTE IT IN A BOOK, that it may be for
the time to come FOR EVER AND EVER."
Isaiah 30:8
"And if any man shall take away from THE
WORDS OF THE BOOK of this prophecy,
God shall take away his part out of the
book of life, and out of the holy city, and
from the things which are WRITTEN IN
THIS BOOK." Rev. 22:19
Situation Ethics- Yes Or No?
In a survey done January 2000, prior to the terrorist
activity people were asked if they believed “there
are moral truths that are absolute, meaning that
those moral truths or principles do not change
according to the circumstances” or that “moral
truth always depends upon the situation, meaning
that a person's moral and ethical decisions depend
upon the circumstances.” At the start of 2000,
almost four out of ten adults (38%) said that there
are absolute moral truths that do not change
according to the circumstances. Today the result
was that just two out of ten adults (22%) claimed to
believe in the existence of absolute moral truth.
Departure Of Leaders Still
The 1999 survey showed 52 percent of “evangelical
church kids say the only intellectual way to live is to
make the best decisions you can based on your
feelings at the moment.” The Barna reported the
same thing “People are most likely to make their
moral and ethical decisions on the basis of whatever
feels right or comfortable in a situation.”(2002 Feb.)
In a former issue of Pulpit Helps they gave the results
of a survey where 7,441 Protestant pastors were
polled. Of the 7,441 Protestant ‘clergy’, 51 percent of
the Methodists, 35 percent of the Presbyterians, 30
percent of the Episcopalians, and 33 percent of the
American Baptists did not believe in the physical
resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
Departure Of Leaders Still
This is astounding. How can this be,
these are the ‘clergy’ of these groups?
It’s a simple answer, they do not
believe the Bible nor are they allowing
it to govern their lives. The Bible is
being reduced to a book of good advice,
a self-improvement book, and to some,
a book for success in the world.
God’s Plan Of Salvation For Man
Hear the gospel-Rom. 10:17
Believe (have faith)-Heb. 11:6; Mk. 16:16
Repent of sins (turn from them)-Acts 2:38
Confess Christ-Rom. 10:10
Be Baptized for remission of sins-Acts 2:38; 22:16;
1 Pet. 3:21; Gal. 3:27; Rom. 6:1-4
Live Faithfully until death- Rev. 2:10
All of these are conditions of God. They are His
works and we cannot love God and ignore His
commands (Jn. 14:15).
Study Your Bible -1 Tim. 4:16
Religious leaders alone cannot be trusted to tell
you the truth.
Denominations do not go only by the Bible.
They have creed books, counsels, synods,
conferences and other man-made organizations
to decide what the group will believe and not
believe. Most members are unaware of this but
the leaders know. What is the next step?
Where are we headed?
Scary and Alarming Direction
Consider that fact that we can’t even
mention the name of Jesus in the public
schools, but they are now teaching Islam to
students and how to pray to Allah in
California schools. Byron, California students
are required to attend an intensive three
week course on Islam; a course in which
students are mandated to learn the tenets of
Islam, study the important figures of the
faith, wear a robe, adopt a Muslim name
and stage their own Jihad.
Satan Is Seeking To Devour
But for him to be successful we must submit to
him (1 Pet. 5:8; 1 Cor. 10:13; James 1:14ff)
The solution is for us to “resist the devil and he will
flee from you” (James 4:17)
As Jesus did in Matthew 4:4-10; when He was
tempted of Satan, He resisted him with “it is
written.” Study your Bible (2 Tim. 2:15); Believe it
and rely on it to furnish you completely unto every
good work ( 2 Tim. 3:16,17). Do not rely on men
to lead you. Check out what they say with the
scripture and do not blindly follow them (Mt.
15:14- “if the blind lead the blind both shall fall”
Don’t Stay In Error- Leave It
2 Cor 6:16-18- And what agreement hath
the temple of God with idols? for ye are
the temple of the living God; as God hath
said, I will dwell in them, and walk in
them; and I will be their God, and they
shall be my people. Wherefore come out
from among them, and be ye separate,
saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean
thing; and I will receive you, And will be a
Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons
and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
Don’t Stay In Error- Leave It
2 John 9-11- Whosoever transgresseth, and
abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not
God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ,
he hath both the Father and the Son. If there
come any unto you, and bring not this
doctrine, receive him not into your house,
neither bid him God speed: For he that
biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil
deeds.
Eph 5:11- And have no fellowship with the
unfruitful works of darkness, but rather
reprove them.
The Word and The Sword
Is Brought To You By The Members Of The
By Mail:
P.O. Box 893
Newton, NC 28658
By Phone: 828-465-3009
Join Us At:
656 St. James Church Rd.
Newton, NC
Assembly Times :
Each Sunday: Bible Study 9:30 AM,
Worship 11:00 AM
Wednesdays: Bible Study 7:00 PM