(Matthew 5:16)
�Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.�
There are three general methods used to prepare a sermon. The first is to go verse by verse through a Biblical Book and explain, from the verse chosen what it is that God seems to be saying to us in this day from that passage of Scripture. This is known as �Expository Preaching.� It is the generally recommended style of preaching as it allows the Words of God to perform as they were intended.
The second method is to find a cause about which one wishes to speak. Then try to find verses to line up with what it is that one wishes to convey to the congregation. This is not generally accepted as a proper use of the Scripture as it forces the Words of God to say, often in direct contradiction to their meaning, what it is that the speaker wishes to say.
Then, of course, there is the preacher who just reads a verse and then ignores it for the rest of the sermon. No one who has the intention of imparting the Message of God will use this method of preaching.
I�m sort of combining the second and third. It�s O. K. I�m not really preaching. What I�ll be speaking on does pertain to this verse from Matthew. In this verse we are called to let the light of our witness to the Truth of God shine out into the world so that the world will see that Truth and glorify God.
I�m just commenting on a social phenomena that we�ve witnessed twice in the past year in our little town.
In the town of Topeka, Kansas, there is a little group which call themselves a �Baptist Church.� They have been spreading an anti-Christian philosophy of hate throughout the nation, thereby trampling the true message of God under the heels of their jack-booted style of �religion.�
I use the term �anti-Christian� purposefully. There are things which are non-Christian. Pick out almost any human action to fit into this category. This would range from the simple after dinner walk in the park to the mistaken stands taken by otherwise good men and churches who would teach an otherwise benign doctrinal aberration.
A walk in the park is a simple human exercise. Its primary purpose is not rooted in any sort of a gesture towards God. It can be either good or bad; it is basically non-religious. Therefore, it is non-Christian. Many of our actions - most! - would fall into this category.
Doctrinal aberration which are non-Christian could range from �date setting� of the Lord�s return to some of the social restrictions which are based in culture rather than in Scripture. It is these sorts of doctrines which are non-Biblical, but since they do not adversely affect the ongoing work of the Great Commission, they are benignly non-Christian even though they are being used in a mostly Christian setting.
Other things such as the use of Sunday Schools and media ministries may not be based in the work of the early churches, or the Scripture, but they are not non-Christian in that they are used to promote the message of Jesus into the world at large. My reason for this distinction is that, while they may not be founded on any specific Biblical word-for-word teaching; they are founded upon Biblical principles.
As to the staged protest of this group which we are addressing, I find nothing either in Scriptural teaching, nor Scriptural principle, on which their actions can logically be called of a Christian character. As a matter of fact, I find their actions to be anathema to all Biblical teaching and principle.
I find this group to be neither historically Baptist, nor a true church in the Biblical sense of the word.
First of all, anyone can call themselves a Baptist. The hallmark of the Baptist churches is just that - they are churches. Individual churches. They are not denominational in that each true Baptist church is accountable only to God. They may join in associations or conventions, but they remain independent local congregations. This means that their doctrines may very from church to church. Thus, anyone may call himself �Baptist,� as may any �church.�
This is a very convenient ruse for any group which wishes to avail themselves of the tax laws of our nation.
However, the true historical Baptist churches have had other traits. They have always held a certain fidelity to the Scriptures and to Jesus.
I would argue that this �church� does neither. First they choose certain passages from Scripture which pertain to the people of God being at odds with the general society, and twist them to their own paranoia and conspiracy theories. They do this by very selective use of verses from the Biblical record. In theology this is called �proof texting.� In politics this is often called �cherry picking.�
An example of this is the very war in which these local young men died. Some have argued that President Bush �cherry-picked� certain intelligence information in his conduct of the war. They would say that he used only those bits of information which favored his predisposition to war in Iraq, while ignoring those bits of information which might have led to another course of action. I do not necessarily agree with those accusations; I only use this as an illustration.
As for the group from Kansas, self described as a church, they major on verses like John 7:7. Jesus said, �The world cannot hate you: but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.�
But, notice that this verse says that the world would hate Jesus. Part of the claim of this group would be that Jesus lives within them so that they are His face, hands, and work in the world of today. I�ll get back to this point.
Right now, however, look at Matthew 5:44. Jesus said to His disciples, �But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.�
Since this group follows an extreme five-point Calvinistic theology, they argue that those with whom they disagree are not entitled to even the possibility of salvation. Therefore they have no compulsion to evangelize, or pray for, the world at large. In other words, since the world about them is sinful, there is no chance for those of the world system to be the recipients of salvation. They would argue that they of their group, and nearly only they, exhibit true Christianity in this day. Because of this the world hates them. Ergo, they are called to treat the world with complete disdain and hostility.
Their basic thrust seems to be that they are prophets pronouncing condemnation upon the world - without offering a true means of escape from that condemnation.
I have no problem with five-point Calvinism. I am, basically, in that camp. But, I have a large problem with those who would use any good theological system and pervert it. Paul had this to say about this sort of endeavor:
�I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another, but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 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.� (Galatians 1:6-9)
Any group which would take verses from their context, and twist them so that they seem to say things they do not say, is preaching �another gospel� which is not the Gospel of Jesus. This is compounded when they ignore similar verses which would mitigate against the hate which they spew forth in the Name of Christ.
As to their belief that Jesus resides within the believer, I do concur. Consider Colossians 1:27, �To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.�
Jesus does, in a way I cannot begin to explain, reside within each person who has accepted Him as Savior. This means, of course, that we need to be very careful how we display Him before the world at large.
However, this identification with Jesus presents a problem for this particular group. There is not one single reference in the entire New Testament canon where Jesus ever berated a sinner. Even the woman taken in adultery (By the way, where was the man? Is not this another case of selective hate on the part of a religious elite?) from the eighth chapter of John, Jesus said for her to go and �sin no more.� He acknowledged that she was a sinner. But, he didn�t attack. He just said to repent, which simply means to forsake her sin.
There was a group to which Jesus did exhibit extreme hostility from time to time. No, it wasn�t the Roman �oppressors� of His people. It was those religionists who would have kept others from accepting Him and His salvation.
Does this at all sound like the group we are discussing?
Rather than dismissing the sinful people about Him, Jesus said, �For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.� (Luke 19:10)
This does not sound like the group about whom we have been speaking. The simple picture that emerges from this realization is that this group from Kansas is not energized by the Spirit of Jesus! Jesus said something very instructive to His disciples. �Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.� (John 14:12)
That verse demands more exegesis than I have time for right now. But, distilled, it means that those who are followers of Him will be persons who will tend to act like Him. Most of us seem to fail miserably on this point. But, most of us will not run completely counter to this prophecy - not if we are, in reality, followers of Him.
A follower of Christ will also follow the instructions which Jesus gave to the believer.
�And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.� (Matthew 28:18-20)
This is what is commonly called the �Great Commission.� This is, to use the words of Gene Rodenberry of Star Trek fame, the �Prime Directive� for the Christian. This is our modus operandi as Christians. If we are followers of Him, either as individuals or churches, we will follow His marching orders. To do otherwise is an indication that we are not followers of Christ.
I would suppose that the group from this �church� could say that they were �teaching.� But, what are they teaching? Are they teaching a �gospel� which leads toward conversion and baptism? I have heard of no one who has been evangelized by the membership of this �church.� They have certainly not taken the message that Jesus died in time so that men could live in eternity, into the world.
Their professed theology would bar them from even considering such a scenario.
In effect, they are the opposite of what a true Church of Jesus would be in action and outreach. They are, as the religionists of the New Testament, keeping others from Jesus. They are doing this through their actions which cast disrespect upon the true teaching and churches of Jesus. They are doing this through their theology which denies the grace of God to the world at large. They are doing this through their own disregard of the Person and leading of Jesus Christ.
The vast opposition toward them, which they claim as a divine sign of their own righteousness, can not be attributed to their fidelity to God. The only reason which I can see to explain the hostility which they receive is their own boorish behavior. They are the recipients of a true Biblical principle, however. �Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.� (Job 4:8)
My conclusion of the matter is that these people are neither Christian, nor a Biblical church. They bring disrepute on both and shame on the Lord they profess to serve. They do not serve Jesus; they serve only their own passions and prejudices. Their self-styled �pastor� may be fervent and unyielding in his belief system. But, his belief system is not grounded in the principles or Words of the Scripture.
In effect, this group is not non-Christian. They are anti-Christian. The Apostle John said, near the beginning of the Age of Grace, �Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrist; whereby we know that it is the last time.� (I John 2:18)
There is a doctrinal distinctive between �antichrists� and �The AntiChrsit� of prophecy. But, both hold a certain character trait: they are those which would turn people from the things of Christ and toward their own agenda of evil.
The spokeswoman for the group which came to our city, a daughter of the �pastor� of this protest group/�church,� said to our local press, �Why would anyone of righteousness come here today, and exalt a nation like ours?� Interestingly, this was an admission that they were part of this nation as they stood on the United States flag.
This group (four adults and eight children - abused children in my view by being forced to take part in these actions!) accepted the protection of our local police in their marches to and from their vehicles and place of their protests.
Another thing in the same vein, the father of a slain Marine has brought suit against this group for their protest at his son�s funeral. The answer to this lawsuit from the protest group? �We were exercising our First Amendment rights.�
Interesting the identification they make with the nation they seem to despise. Isn�t this an admission that they trust this nation more than they trust God? It seems as though they are hiding behind the laws of the nation they detest. They are asking protection from the tool of Satan, in their minds, are they not?
It is true that Paul relied upon his Roman citizenship to escape persecution. The difference here is that Paul showed a respect (see Romans, chapter thirteen) for the political institutions as �minister�s of God.� He didn�t always agree with the Romans. He sometimes went beyond the limit which the temporal authorities would have placed upon his sending forth the message of God. But, he still showed a due respect to the powers which God had placed in the temporal control of public decorum.
The bottom line, again, is that this protest groups seems not to be an historic Baptist Church in their standards, decorum among the world, fidelity to the Message and manner of Jesus, outreach to the unsaved, or even fidelity to their own warped view of the Scripture. They are an abomination to those who are true to the Word and Witness of God. They seem much closer to being emissaries of Satan than they are of being witness to the Word of God in the world of men.
So, what is the true message which the churches of Jesus should send into the world? It might be illustrated by something that happened to me a few days ago.
I had just showered and put on a new, clean, pair of slacks. It was, in fact, the last clean pair of slacks I had until I talked myself into doing the laundry. The problem here isn�t that I have too few pairs of slacks. The problem is that I have too little �get up and go� to get up and go to the laundry room.
Hey, it�s in the basement. There might be spiders.
After putting on these slacks I went to play with the grandkids. Their mother said that they�d been very good all day. They had even been helping out around the house.
I decided to give them a treat to show support for their effort. I took them all out for a hot fudge sundae.
In order to cut down on the obvious jealousy between the kids, I sat across from Shandi and next to Eli. His mother sat across from him. Apparently, I wasn�t sitting close enough to Eli. He reached over and grabbed my leg to pull me closer.
Did I mention that this particular two-year-old had a hot fudge sundae? To a two-year-old a hot fudge sundae isn�t just a treat to eat. It is a treat to be felt and experienced. My last pair of clean slacks were no longer clean!
But, they could be washed!
That got me to thinking about the life of the Christian. John gave a very sage piece of advice for the Christian. �My little children, these things write I unto you; that ye sin not: And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.� (I John 2:1)
We should always strive to do our best for Jesus. �Sin,� John said, �Don�t do it!� But, he also recognized that we do sometimes fail. �So, when you do sin, go to Jesus for forgiveness.�
We can�t always be perfect. But, we can always be forgiven. When you have failed your Savior, honestly repent and ask for His forgiveness. He will never turn you away.
Your sin is not greater than His love!
The same could be said to you, even if you�ve never accepted Jesus as your own Savior. Your sin is not greater than His love. Whatever you�ve done, wherever you are, you can respond to Jesus right now. Accept Him as your Savior. He will not turn you away!