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AUTHORITY
Demonstrated
I. With all denominations – How can we be sure?
1. Far Eastern
Religions...teaches a lot of good.....
2. Jewish ...
dedication … O.T. law? ..... Jesus a hoax?
3. Catholicism….Pope...pray
through Mary ... Purgatory
4. Mormonism...Jesus…..Book
of ...elders …angel Maroni
told Jos. Smith where golden plates were
5. Jehovah's Witnesses
... Millennium……. Watchtower ….. Hell
6. 7th Day
Adventists... Saturday. . . Sabbath keeping…..
7. Methodists...sprinkling...Reverend...music…..
8. Baptist...convention...vote.
.. faith only. ..
9. Christian Church... music…..structure…missionary societies
How can you know??? …..Can
you know???
Can they ALL be right???.....many
say so....doesn’t matter
II. EXAMPLES…
A. BOOKS (Look at
each of the creed books as you tell about each one then drop the book to the
floor – use enough to make a small pile)
1. Some
of contents in Bible
2. Some are not
3. When
we presume to talk about religious matters, God warns us:
1 Pet. 4:11, “Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking
the utterances of God”
4. Matt.
15:1-9
HOW CAN WE KNOW ???
B. Watch example …..R/R watch…..tuning fork...Quartz….digital
(ASK FOR VOLUNTEERS to tell you what time their
watch says))
1. Folks
take pride in their watch
2. Naval
observatory...end all questions
IN RELIGION...CAN WE KNOW ???
C. Length of line
on blackboard? – (ASK FOR VOLUNTEERS-“How long?”)
1. "What
if your life depended on it?"
2. What
if your soul (eternity) depended on it?
(Use a yard stick)
WHEN IT COMES TO OUR WORSHIP, OUR
OBEDIENCE, OUR SALVATION DOES DEPEND ON IT!!!
III. Our soul’s destiny depends on whether we have the truth or not
A. Gal. 1:8-9
(read with me!)
1. I want to make sure...doctrine revealed to
apostles
2. DON'T
YOU? ? ?
B. Matt. 7:13-14
1. I
want to find that narrow gate!!
2. DON'T
YOU ???
C. Matt. 7:15
1. I
want to make sure that I’m not being led by a false teacher!! (even if he is sincere – mistaken)
2. DON'T
YOU?
D. Matt. 7:21-27
1. I want
to act upon the words of Christ, DON’T YOU??
2. I
want to build on the sure foundation, DON’T YOU??
E. 2 John 9
1. In
light of this passage, I don't want to go beyond the teaching of Christ.
2. DO
YOU??
IV. BUT, How do most people
become involved in their religious beliefs???
A. How they FEEL
about it PREDRAWN conclusions
1. Most
look for a church of THEIR CHOICE.
2. Stop
25 people on the street...ask about calculus; astronomy
3. Jeremiah 10:23, I know, O LORD, that a man's
way is not in himself, Nor
is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.
4. Proverbs 14:12, “There
is a way which seems right to a
man, But its end is the way of death.”
B. Many automatically
take their PARENTS’ RELIGION
1. Suppose
they are wrong? - Thumbtack story
2. Ezekiel 18:20, "The person who sins will die. The
son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father
bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous
will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked
will be upon himself.”
3. Phil
2:12, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
4. Romans 14:12, “So
then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.”
C. Some find a preacher that
they like & follow him
1. Again – how dangerous!!
2. Matthew 7:15, "Beware of the false prophets, who
come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
3. Matthew 15:12-14 “Then
came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou
that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? But he answered and said, Every
plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be
blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall
into the ditch.
4. READ - 2
Thess. 2:7-15
V. HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT TO FOLLOW?
A. Jesus said in
Matt. 28:18, “All authority….” (no one can deny)
1. How
do we get that truth today?
B. Col. 3:16-17, “Let the word of Christ richly
dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Whatever you do in word or deed, do
all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
1. Today?
C. Promise of H/S …. John 16:12-13 – "I
have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He
will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative,
but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to
come.”
D. Describe Acts
1 & 2
E. 2 Tim. 3:16-17, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable
for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate,
equipped for every good work.”
F. Gal. 1:8-9, “But even if we, or an angel from
heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you,
he is to be accursed! As we have said
before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to
what you received, he is to be accursed!”
G. 2 Pet. 1:3, “seeing that His divine power has
granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge
of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”
VI. Conclusion
A. Gal. 1:8-9, “But even if we, or an angel from
heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you,
he is to be accursed! As we have said
before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to
what you received, he is to be accursed!”
1. What
of those teaching:
a. Wearing the name Baptist, Methodist,
etc.?
1
Cor. 3:3-4, “for you are still fleshly. For
since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you
not walking like mere men? For when one
says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos,"
are you not mere
men?”
This is “contrary” to the apostles teaching
“Let
them be accursed”
b. Other
organizations such as:
Papal rule – Southern Baptist
Convention
–
Watchtower Bible
& Tract Society
–
Pastor system –
Deacon Rule
–
elders overseeing
more than one church
Eph. 1:22-23, “And
He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all
things to the church, which is His body,
the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
This is “contrary” to the apostles teaching
“Let
them be accursed”
c. Different
work such as:
Opening schools & day care
centers – recreation halls
-
going into
business – Taking care of the elderly –
-
soup kitchens for
the homeless – trips to Disney
Find no authority in the NT –
Only – Preach the Gospel (lost
– edification) & Benevolence to needy saints
This is “contrary” to the apostles teaching
“Let them be accursed”
d. Different
worship such as:
Instrumental music – choirs – solos
- quartets
– children’s
day (take over worship)
-
Special “states”
days – Movies – plays
John 4:23-24, "But
an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father
in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His
worshipers. God is spirit,
and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
This
is “contrary” to the apostles teaching
“Let them be accursed”
e. Only
one plan of salvation – “by grace thru faith”
Jesus died for our sins – that
blood is applied via baptism
-
only ones who can
be baptized are believers, --
-
committing
themselves to Christ (leaving world behind)
HAVE YOU DONE THIS?