THE DOCTRINE OF ETERNAL PUNISHMENT

Luke 16:19-31

Context-Jesus is preaching a powerful discourse against putting one’s faith in riches. This parable reveals the terrible consequences of a life without Christ.

The Rich man has by tradition been named Dives. The Poor man who finds himself in heaven is Lazarus. The thrust of the parable is not about Lazarus, but the rich man.

From this passage we will find the truth about Hades and Hell. We will find that Hell is a place of conscious, eternal torment for those who reject Christ as their Lord and Savior.

For you who are here who have never accepted Christ I want to urge you to listen and to receive Him.

Believer, I hope your heart is as burdened by this truth. Burdened to the point of sharing Jesus with everyone around you.

I will treat Hades and Hell in one train of thought this morning. Hades is the place where the wicked go immediately following death. Hell is the lake of fire in Rev. 20. The difference between is only a matter of time. The experience of Hades is most likely indistinguishable from Hell.

THE EXISTENCE OF HELL-“And being in torments in Hades”. Vs. 23

Modern theologians, even conservative ones, have all but discarded the traditional view of Hell’s existence. There are many theological reasons why we would argue for Hell’s literal existence. I want to present only a few this morning.

THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST-Jesus says more about Hell than any other figure in the Bible. He speaks of Hell and Hades as a fire, burning sulfur, a fiery furnace, outer darkness, and a lake of fire.

The parable at hand is one of the most powerful arguments for Hell’s existence. The parable is meaningless if it does not teach the reality of endless punishment.

THE JUSTICE OF GOD- The rich man in his arrogance and selfishness has shunned and disregarded God’s will. His life is a life of outright rebellion against the God of heaven. To refuse Christ as your Lord, to live your life for yourself and not for the God who created you is a sin against the infinite, Holy, sovereign Lord of the universe. No other punishment could be given except that of Hell. Because of the absolute holiness of God, Hell is a necessity.

ILLUS: a Judge who not prosecute the guilty, i.e. a murderer, rapist, etc. would not be worthy of taking the bench. The same is true spiritually.

For God not to punish sin would make Him less than God.

THE TEACHING OF THE APOSTLES-Paul, Peter, James, and John all speak of the reality of Hell.

If we will believe that the Word of God is inspired and inerrant then we must believe in Hell. To discredit the doctrine of Hell is to disregard God’s Word on the matter. We may not like, we may wish it were different, but God has spoken on the matter. Hell is a fact

There exists at this moment a place of the darkest night, the hottest fire and the most severe torment. At this very moment the smoke of Hell rises up in shame and contempt. At this very moment the cries of those who have rejected Christ ring out across it black and bleak halls. Hell is a Horrible Reality.

THE EXPERIENCES IN HELL-VS. 23-2

I want to be careful here to say only what the Bible says and no more. Many preachers and so-called prophets have gone beyond the bounds of scripture in describing hell. I only want to bring out what Jesus teaches. In the fate of the Rich man God gives us an awful glimpse of a grim reality. This parable is a window to the horrors of Hell.

*One moment he lay in his luxurious bed of wealth. Most likely, even in his dying condition surrounded by his excesses. Servants waiting on him, moping his feverish brow. Then in the space of a heartbeat, in the one moment that it takes for His Soul to depart His body He finds Himself in Hell.

Hell is only a heartbeat away for the person without Christ. What does this passage tell us through Dives experiences in Hell?

<HE IS CONSCIOUS IN HELL-“He lifted up His eyes being in Hades”vs. 23

He sees, he feels, He knows, He thinks. Think how horrible the realization will be for the man or woman who has refused Christ. How horrible that moment of death when they realize there worst fears are confirmed. They are in Hell.

HE IS TORMENTED IN HELL-Vs. 23-24. Being in Torment. Jesus again and again refers to Hell as fire. Gehenna is used. It refers to the valley of Hinnon. A public incinerator. Fires continually burned there. Hell is and will be a place of torment for its inhabitants. Christ tells us there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth in hell. Dives is in agony in the flames.

Tormented by Loneliness

Tormented by darkness

Tormented by the cries of the damned and demons around him.

Tormented by their view of Heaven.

The bible does seem to teach their will be degrees of punishment in Hell. The principle in scripture seems to be, the greater the knowledge, the greater is the responsibility.

Can we really imagine the horrors of such a place?

HE HAS MEMORY IN HELL-VS. VS. 25 “Remember” Perhaps this will be the greatest of all torments. It will be one that is self-inflected. All the missed opportunities, all the times you have rejected Christ, refused His calling will sear through your mind with more heat than a thousand flames.

The sins you so loved will sour in your memory as you consider them for all eternity.

Mark 9:48 speaks of the worm that does not die. Most commentators interpret this as the Soul’s internal torment. Eating away at the person’s mind for all eternity. Over and over your mind will replay every chance you had to come to Christ. If you do not repent, it may be this very sermon, this very service that runs through your mind for all eternity.

THE ENDLESSNESS OF HELL. VS. 26-

Hell is a permanent condition. There is no crossing over from Hell to Heaven. There is a great chasm. A great gulf.

The Bible does not teach purgatory. That is a Catholic doctrine born out of the vain imagination of the pope, not the heart of God. In fact nothing could be farther from the teaching of the New Testament.

There is no probationary period to be spent in Hell. All are sentenced to an eternal fate with not possibility of parole.

The Bible does not teach Annihilation. This is a doctrine propagated by seventh day Adventists and Jehovah’s witnesses.

Heb. 9:27-For it is appointed for men to die once, and after this to face judgement.

A) THERE IS NO ESCAPE FROM HELL-“vs. 26” ILLUS: Papion, the Movie. Papion escapes from a French island prison considered inescapable.

“….In human punishment some will find means to break prison and flee. In hell, they will be reserved in chains of darkness forever and ever. Malefactors have often found means to break prison, and escape the hand of civil justice. But none ever escaped out of the prison of hell. It is a strong prison. It is beyond any finite power or united strength of all wicked men and devils to unlock or break open the door of that prison.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon said: In hell there is no hope. They have not even the hope of dying—there is no hope of being annihilated. They are forever-forever-forever lost! On every chain in hell, there is written "forever”.The fires there, blaze out the words “forever”. Above their heads, they read “forever”. Their eyes are galled and their heats are pained with the thought that it is “forever”. Oh, if I could tell you tonight that hell would one day be burned out, and that those who were lost might die, there would be a jubilee in hell at the very thought of it. But it cannot be—it is “forever” they are cast into outer darkness”

THERE IS NO REST IN HELL Vs. 24-25;

The rich man (Dives) longed for water, but received none. Never would he ever receive any.

Rev. 14:9-11 “The smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. They have no rest day nor night”.

“nor will they find any thing to relieve them in hell. They will never find a resting-place there. No secret corner which will give them any respite. They will find no cooling stream or fountain. Not so much as a drop of water, for they will be tormented with fire and brimstone, and they will have no rest forever and ever. There is not a moment of rest. No sleep, no possibility to pass out from the pain.

Imagine day after day, month after month, year after year, century after century, millennia after millennia. Perhaps the worst characteristic of hell is the sheer hopelessness of it.

Dante in his work places a sign above the gates of Hell “Abandon all hope ye who enter here.”

THE ESCAPE OF HELL-vs. 27-31

Notice I said Escape of Hell, not from Hell. Dives (The rich man) wanted Lazarus to go back and tell his 5 brothers not to come. Dives understood that He could have avoided Hell. He could have escaped its horrors. Hell was made for the Devil and His angels, not for you and I.

Let me point our two very simple very obvious truths.

UNBELIEVERS CAN ESCAPE HELL-Lazarus could not go back, but the brothers could repent. Abraham states they have Moses and the Prophets. They have all the light they need to repent. It is up to them. This morning you can know the joy of coming to Christ. You can have an eternity with the Father, Son and Spirit. You can live as you were created to live in complete joy and purpose.

Realize your lost condition.

Call upon the name of the Lord.

You have all the light you need to be saved. Dives brothers did not need Lazarus to come back from the dead to warn them. They had already been warned by the law and the prophets. You do not need a miracle to validate my message. You do not need a prophet with a new vision. You do not need someone to return from the dead. You have all the light you need in the Scriptures. Repent and be Saved! Acts 2:38

<BELIEVERS MUST HAVE A BURDEN FOR THOSE BOUND FOR HELL.

Paul did- Romans 9:2,

Ezekiel 33:11

11 “Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’

There is not a soul in Hell that wants their loved ones to come! If we could for one day open the gates of Hell and let the damned walk among us-we would find ourselves in the midst of the greatest Soul-winners the world has ever known. Their one message would be Repent! Don’t join Me! Fly to Christ. Be saved!

CONCLUSION:

I wonder if some of you really believe in what you say you believe. John Piper states that we need to feel the force of our doctrines. Perhaps you need to think and pray for a vision of Hell. How can you look at a friend, a family member, a co-worker and know that this is their destiny without Christ and share the Gospel with them!

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This article is excellent. We need more Evangelicals and Baptists who think this clearly about theological issues - especially the doctrine of the Church. Thanks Dr. Mohler for your willingness to speak out!

No, I'm not offended R. Albert Mohler Jr.
Posted on Jul 13, 2007
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Aren't you offended? That is the question many evangelicals are being asked in the wake of a recent document released by the Vatican. The document declares that the Roman Catholic Church is the only true church -- or, in words the Vatican would prefer to use, the only institutional form in which the Church of Christ subsists.No, I am not offended. In the first place, I am not offended because this is not an issue in which emotion should play a key role. This is a theological question, and our response should be theological, not emotional. Secondly, I am not offended because I am not surprised. No one familiar with the statements of the Roman Catholic Magisterium should be surprised by this development. This is not news in any genuine sense. It is news only in the current context of Vatican statements and ecumenical relations. Thirdly, I am not offended because this new document actually brings attention to the crucial issues of ecclesiology, and thus it presents us with an opportunity.The Vatican document is very brief -- just a few paragraphs in fact. It's official title is "Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church," and it was released by the Vatican's Congregation for the Defense of the Faith on June 29. Though many media sources have identified the document as a papal statement from Pope Benedict XVI, it is actually a statement from the Congregation for the Defense of the Faith that was later approved for release by the Pope (who, as Cardinal Ratzinger, headed this Congregation prior to assuming the papacy).The document claims a unique legitimacy for the Roman Catholic Church as the church established by Christ. The document stakes this identity on a claim to apostolic succession, centered in the papacy itself. As the document states, "This Church, constituted and organised in this world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church, governed by the successor of Peter and the Bishops in communion with him."Lest anyone miss the point, the document then goes on to acknowledge that the churches of Eastern Orthodoxy also stake a claim to apostolic succession, and thus they are referred to as "Churches" by the Vatican. As for the churches born in whatever form out of the Reformation -- they are not true churches at all, only "ecclesial communities."Look at this:"According to Catholic doctrine, these Communities do not enjoy apostolic succession in the sacrament of Orders, and are, therefore, deprived of a constitutive element of the Church. These ecclesial Communities which, specifically because of the absence of the sacramental priesthood, have not preserved the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic Mystery cannot, according to Catholic doctrine, be called 'Churches' in the proper sense."Pope Benedict was already in hot water with the media because of his recent decision related to the (limited) reinstitution of the Latin mass, complete with a call for the conversion of the Jews. He was not likely to be named "Ecumenist of the Year" anyway. This latest controversy just adds to the media impression of big changes at the Vatican under the current papacy.There have been changes for sure. Benedict truly is a doctrinal theologian, whereas his popular predecessor, Pope John Paul II, was more a philosopher by academic training. Those familiar with the current Pope know of his frustration with the tendency of liberal Catholic theologians and laypersons to insist that the Second Vatican Council (known popularly as "Vatican II") represented a massive shift (to the left) in Catholic doctrine. Not so, insisted Cardinal Ratzinger as head of the Congregation for the Defense of the Faith. Now, as Pope, Benedict is in a position to shape his argument into a universal policy for his church. Vatican II, he insists, represented only a deepening and reapplication of unchanging Catholic doctrine.Evangelicals should appreciate the candor reflected in this document. There is no effort here to confuse the issues. To the contrary, the document is an obvious attempt to set the record straight. The Roman Catholic Church does not deny that Christ is working redemptively through Protestant and evangelical churches, but it does deny that these churches which deny the authority of the papacy are true churches in the most important sense. The true church, in other words, is that church identified through the recognition of the papacy. Those churches that deny or fail to recognize the papacy are "ecclesial Communities," not churches "in the proper sense," according to the document.I appreciate the document's clarity on this issue. It all comes down to this -- the claim of the Roman Catholic Church to the primacy of the Bishop of Rome and the Pope as the universal monarch of the church is the defining issue. Roman Catholics and evangelicals should together recognize the importance of that claim. We should together realize and admit that this is an issue worthy of division. The Roman Catholic Church is willing to go so far as to assert that any church that denies the papacy is no true church. Evangelicals should be equally candid in asserting that any church defined by the claims of the papacy is no true church. This is not a theological game for children; it is the honest recognition of the importance of the question.The Reformers and their heirs put their lives on the line in order to stake this claim. In this era of confusion and theological laxity we often forget that this was one of the defining issues of the Reformation itself. Both the Reformers and the Roman Catholic Church staked their claim to be the true church -- and both revealed their most essential convictions in making their argument. As Martin Luther and John Calvin both made clear, the first mark of the true Church is the ministry of the Word -- the preaching of the Gospel. The Reformers indicted the Roman Catholic Church for failing to exhibit this mark, and thus failing to be a true church. The Catholic church returned the favor, defining the church in terms of the papacy and magisterial authority. Those claims have not changed.I also appreciate the spiritual concern reflected in this document. The artificial and deadly dangerous game of ecumenical confusion has obscured issues of grave concern for our souls. I truly believe that Pope Benedict and the Congregation for the Defense of the Faith are concerned for our evangelical souls and our evangelical congregations. Pope Benedict is not playing a game. He is not asserting a claim to primacy on the playground. He, along with the Magisterium of his church, believes that Protestant churches are gravely defective and that our souls are in danger. His sacramental theology plays a large role in this concern, for he believes and teaches that a church without submission to the papacy has no guaranteed efficacy for its sacraments. (This point, by the way, explains why the Protestant churches that claim a sacramental theology are more concerned about this Vatican statement -- it denies the basic validity of their sacraments.)I actually appreciate the Pope's concern. If he is right, we are endangering our souls and the souls of our church members. Of course, I am convinced that he is not right -- not right on the papacy, not right on the sacraments, not right on the priesthood, not right on the Gospel, not right on the church.The Roman Catholic Church believes we are in spiritual danger for obstinately and disobediently excluding ourselves from submission to its universal claims and its papacy. Evangelicals should be concerned that Catholics are in spiritual danger for their submission to these very claims. We both understand what is at stake.The Rev. Mark Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, responded to the press by saying that the Vatican's "exclusive claims" are "troubling." He also said, "[W]hat may have been meant to clarify has caused pain."I will let Bishop Hanson explain his pain. I do not see this new Vatican statement as an innovation or an insult. I see it as a clarification and a helpful demarcation of the issues at stake. I appreciate the Roman Catholic Church's candor on this issue, and I believe that Evangelical Christians, with equal respect and clarity, should respond in kind. This is a time to be respectfully candid -- not a time to be offended.--30--R. Albert Mohler Jr. is president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky.

The Pleasure and Purpose of Trials

There is a disturbing tendency in American Christianity to downplay and even discredit the necessity of difficulty in the Christian life. Popular, yet heretical prosperity preachers want you to believe that God wants only ease and riches for your life. The New Testament teaches something very different. In James chapter one we find two truths that should be foundational to our approach to trials as believers. First, trials are purposeful. Verse 3 – “Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience . . .”
God is at work in the difficulties of life. He is developing us, shaping up, and sanctifying us. This is why the apostle Paul was able to remain faithful in the midst of incredible hardship. He had the right perspective about trials. In 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 He writes, “Therefore we do not lose heart . . . For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” Few of us would consider the persecution, beatings, perils, weariness and sufferings that Paul faced to be light. But he was able to because he saw trials from the perspective of eternity. He knew that God was being glorified through his sufferings, and he knew that he was being changed and transformed more and more into the image of Christ through these sufferings
“For we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 3:18

Which brings us to the next truth – trials are not only purposeful, they should also be a pleasure. That’s right, we can and should find joy in our trials. James 1:2 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.” Paul is not advocating some kind of masochistic or escapist existence, but an understanding of life that centers around the soveriegnty of God. He wants us to remember that our Father has not forsaken us. He has not forgotten us. He is forming and fashioning us for His greater glory. James closes his chapter on trials by stating that “every good and perfect gift is from above.” Vs. 17 Heartache, suffering, and even sickness can be grace gifts that work great glory into our lives. . Finding pleasure in trials is the true test of Christian maturity. These are deep waters. God grant us the grace to say with David, “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.

Cool Memories

Pastoring FBC Swartz for almost 7 years has left us with a wealth of good memories. Here are a couple of my favorites, caught on camera.

Singing with DALLAS HOLM! How cool is that! Gary Griffith and I got to sing along with one of the greatest Christian artists ever - on one of my favorite songs of his - Bloodline!


Whoopin up on my music minister and buddy Gary Griffith. Honestly, most pastors and staff would probably get along better if they just spent a little time in the ring!







Playing a little ball - I may not be what I once was, but I still ain't as bad as some of you!




That's probably more than enough for most of you. But really, Swartz was great. I don't deserve that God should have called me to pastor such a tremendous group of people. And I don't deserve that He should send me to another great church like Parkview. Here's to more years as good as the past 7!

Baton Rouge or Bust!

I know there are probably other bloggers who are more delinquent than I am when it comes to posting, but they are few and far between. However, I can now tell you why I have just been too busy and preoccupied to blog for the last couple of months. As of July 1st I will become the new Senior pastor of Parkview Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, La.

My family and I are excited about the possibilities and challenges that lay ahead of us. Pray for us that we can find a home large enough for us, and still in our price range! God is faithful and sovereign and He will provide both for the sell of my current home and the purchase of our future home.

Once again I am struck by the awesome responsibility that God has given pastors to preach the Word. My success at Parkview will not ultimately be measured by buildings, budgets, baptisms or even problem solving skills; but by how faithful I will be to preach God centered, expositional messages.

Pray for us - the future looks bright ahead!

Babies and Heaven

Not long ago I taught on heaven in my pastor’s class. I was asked if babies who are miscarried or who die in infancy go to heaven. My answer was immediately, yes! However, I was surprised to discover that not everyone agrees with that statement. There seems to be a contingency of folk, mostly reformed in their theology, that are hesitant to state that babies who die go to heaven.

Well, I’m not, and here’s why. The most convincing passage of scripture has to be 2 Samuel 12:23. David and Bathsheba’s child dies and David rises up from prayer and states that he will go to him. He Implies that the child is in heaven, and that David will one day join him there.

Another passage is Matthew 19:14. Jesus states that the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. He is referring to the faith and trust of a child that is necessary to receive Christ. It is hard to imagine that Christ would value a child-like faith so highly and then condemn babies and children to hell.

Yes, I believe in original sin. I believe that we are not born innocent, but that we tainted from conception according to Ps. 51:5 and Ro. 5:15-19. However, no where is the Bible does it state that anyone will be condemned for having a sin nature, or because we have inherited Adam’s guilt. The Bible states that the lost will be judged according to sins committed in the body. Not sins that might have been committed. The idea that God would condemn an infant to Hell that has never had the opportunity or the ability to sin is beyond me.

What the Bible does teach is that God is merciful and forgiving. This is illustrated in Deut. 1:35-39 when God exempted the children who did not know right from wrong from judgment. Babies, infants who died because of a miscarriage, will all enjoy heaven. Anyone who states differently needs to seriously reconsider their understanding of God and His great grace.

Great preachers and theologians of the past agree. The rest of this post is from a paper by Albert Mohler, he gives the position of two of the great preachers of the past.

“John Newton, the great minister who wrote the hymn Amazing Grace was certain of this truth. He wrote to close friends who had lost a young child: "I hope you are both well reconciled to the death of your child. I cannot be sorry for the death of infants. How many storms do they escape! Nor can I doubt, in my private judgment, that they are included in the election of grace."(6) The great Princeton theologians Charles Hodge and B. B. Warfield held the same position.

One of the most eloquent and powerful expressions of this understanding of infant salvation came from the heart of Charles Spurgeon. Preaching to his own congregation, Spurgeon consoled grieving parents: "Now, let every mother and father here present know assuredly that it is well with the child, if God hath taken it away from you in its infant days."(7) Spurgeon turned this conviction into an evangelistic call. "Many of you are parents who have children in heaven. Is it not a desirable thing that you should go there, too? He continued: "Mother, unconverted mother, from the battlements of heaven your child beckons you to Paradise. Father, ungodly, impenitent father, the little eyes that once looked joyously on you, look down upon you now, and the lips which scarcely learned to call you father, ere they were sealed by the silence of death, may be heard as with a still small voice, saying to you this morning, ‘Father, must we be forever divided by the great gulf which no man can pass?’ Doth not nature itself put a sort of longing in your soul that you may be bound in the bundle of life with your own children?"

What is that you do?

Over the years I've had several people ask me, just what it is that pastors do. To be honest, most people are just plain clueless! As one smart alex said, "how hard can it be, you only work one day a week!" First, let me say that I love being a pastor. There is nothing else in the world that I want to do, or can imagine myself doing. I am humbled that God would chose a sinful, weak, and undeserving man like to me to preach the Gospel and lead God's church. I am passionate about it, I love it, and I hope to continue preaching and pastoring until I'm dead or too old or sick to step up to the pulpit.

But, again, what is it that pastors do? That question has to be defined by Scripture. If we allow culture or the church growth movement to define it we will lose it. We will lose the biblical ministry of a pastor, that is. We may retain the title, but the true Biblical office will be lost.
So what does the Bible teach about pastoring?

Dr. Jim Shaddix uses the word pastor as an acrostic to spell out the work of the ministry. I've taken what he wrote and changed it somewhat.

P- Prayer
A - Administer the Vision
S - Shepherd the flock
T - Teach the Word
O - Outreach and evangelism
R - Reproduce myself

P - Prayer - The pastor simply must be a man of prayer in Acts 6:4 - the apostles stated that their duty was to prayer and the ministry of the Word.

A - Administer the Vision- The pastor is the overseer of the church. He provides the leadership and the vision the Church needs to fulfill the great commission. In fact, the church's vision has already been given to us by Christ in Matthew 28 - "Go, therefore and make disciple." The pastor is called to creatively communicate and administrate that vision on all levels of church life. Dr. Shaddix writes: One of the synonyms for the pastor in the New Testament is bishop, or overseer. As the pastor, I’m responsible for overseeing the ministry of the church. It’s my task to make sure that the church is fulfilling its mission as the people of God and that all the parts are working in a cooperative effort effectively and efficiently. I’m responsible for mobilizing the membership to care for one another as well as reaching out to others. And I’ve got to make sure that it’s all being done with biblical integrity, moral purity, as well as financial responsibility.

S - Shepherd - Of all the titles and metaphors used to describe spiritual leadership, the most fitting is that of a shepherd. The shepherd cares for the sheep, he protects the sheep, and feeds the sheep. God's people must be cared for. Crisis times such as sickness or death are vital moments of ministry for the pastor. Before they can be lead, the flock must know they are cared for.

T - Teach the Word - The pastor's primary responsibility is to preach the word of God. Paul commanded Timothy to "Preach the Word, both in season and out." The lion's share of a pastor's time must go the preparation and delivery of expository sermons.

O- Outreach - Paul instructed Timothy to "do the work of an evangelist." The pastor absolutely must have a heart for outreach and evangelism. The church's passion for evangelism is determined by the pastor. He is the pace setter and the model that people will follow. Both in the pulpit, in weekly visitation, and day by day witnessing the pastor must be a soul-winner.

R - Reproduce myself - Paul commanded young Timothy "the things you have heard from me . . . commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." Developing Godly leadership is vital to the future of the church.

There is really only an overview, but I hope it will give you a glimpse into my (and I think a Biblical) philosophy of pastoral ministry.

Now, for the second installment on Church Membership.

THE BIBLICAL BASIS OF CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

Was church membership practiced in the New Testament? Although the Bible does not directly state that the early churches had a formal membership roll, a close study of the New Testament does seem to indicate that there was some form of church membership. None of the examples that will be stated are overwhelming on their own, yet taken as a whole they form a strong argument for a formal church membership. Mike McKinley in an article on church membership provides several biblical examples that demonstrate the practice of church membership in the early church.

1) Those reluctant “to join” the church. In Acts 5:13 we are told that “None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem.” This occurs in the wake of the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira. Fear gripped both believers in the church and the non-believers who heard of the events. The word join means ‘to bind closely together’ or to ‘unite.’ This certainly seems to describe some sort of formal arrangement.

2) The list of widows. In I Timothy 5:9-12 Paul gives Timothy instructions on caring for the widows within the fellowship. He refers to women who had been ‘enrolled’ in the list of widows. This certainly seems to suggest a formal list. It is hard to imagine having a list of widows and not having a list of members of the congregation.

3) The practice of church discipline. In 2 Corinthians 2:6 Paul refers to the “punishment of the majority.” The existence of a majority means that there was a clearly defined group of people from which this majority was constituted. There cannot be a majority of an unspecified group, there must be a majority of something. “Was it a majority of people who happened to be present the day the vote was cast? Could non-Christians vote? Could any Christians who happened to be visiting from another city who didn’t know the situation vote? The most natural assumption to make is that Paul meant the majority of an acknowledged membership of the church.”[1]

THE PRACTICAL REASONS FOR CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

Along with the Biblical basis of membership there are several practical, logical reasons for having a formal church membership roll. Healthy church membership is basically an act of commitment. When joining people should understand that they are committing to attend worship, be involved in a small group, serve God through the use of their God-given giftedness, and give their tithes and offerings to that local fellowship. What motivates people to make that kind of commitment is an understanding of the practical benefits that church membership brings. Rick Warren lists several benefits to church membership in his book The Purpose Driven Church.

1) Church membership identifies a person as a genuine believer in Christ Jesus.

2) Membership provides a spiritual family to support and encourage them in their walk.

3) The church provides a place to discover and use their gifts in ministry.

4) Membership places people under the spiritual protection of Godly leadership.

5) Church membership provides much needed accountability for spiritual growth, service, and holiness of life.

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[1] Mike McKinley, Church Membership and the NCLHGA, 9Marks ministry

Well, the internet's most deliquent blogger is back. I know it's hard to believe, but I intend to begin posting again on a regular basis. By the way, regular means more than once a month!
This month I'm posting a series on Church membership. None of this is original! I repeat none! I have been helped greatly by Mark Dever's writings, various articles on the 9Marks web-site, and Jason's writing on church membership at Fide-o. This is the rough draft (very, very rough) of a paper that I am preparing for my church leadership on the issue of membership.
Disclaimer: Everything bad is mine. Do not blame any of the aforementioned folk for what I have written.

Church Membership in the 21st Century

INTRODUCTION

This paper (series of entries!) is written to answer several important questions about church membership. Is there a biblical basis for Church Membership? Was there any form of membership practiced by the early church? If so, how should church membership operate in the 21st century? Most importantly, is formal membership consistent with the Bible’s teaching about the nature of the Church. If so, we are obligated to pursue it in our church. If not, then we really have no basis for continuing the practice of adding people to a formal membership roll.
In order to answer these questions we need to define what membership means. Basically, church membership is a formal agreement between an individual and a congregation to be committed to one another in life and discipline.[1] Also, we have to define what the Bible means by a church. A church is not a building, or an organization. The Bible speaks of the church as being both universal and local. The Church universal is all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue and people, and nation.[2]
The Church is also a local congregation or assembly. In fact, when the NT speaks of the Church it almost always speaks in terms of a local congregation of believers. IE – The church at Ephesus, the Church at Thessolonica, etc.
The Baptist Faith and Message defines a church this way: “A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. “
As Baptists we believe the Bible contends that church membership can only be extended to those who are regenerated by the work of the Holy Spirit, through faith in Christ alone, and who follow the Lord in obedience through believer’s baptism.
[1] Mike McKinley, Church Membership and the NCLHGA, Article from the website of 9Marks.ministry,
[2] Baptist Faith and Message,

Ten commandments or ten suggestions

For the past five weeks I've been preaaching through the ten commandments. What a wonderful antitdote for the weak view of truth that is so pervasive in the Church today! If you have a few minutes check out my church site and you can listen to some of the messages.

Choose the Life

I am finally getting around to blogging again. Basketball games and church activities have left little time free to write lately. So, I thought I would start out with a quote from a book that I have recently begun reading. I haven't finished it yet, but it promises to be great. The title is Choose the life, and is written by one of my favorite authors, Bil Hull. Here is a great quote, one that really hits close to home for me.

"The contemporary spiritual leader hears many voices. One of the loudest is the one that appeals to the natural desire to be successful. It says you can lead a growing, cutting-edge ministry with all the accoutrements. You can achieve your dreams; you can reach thousands. It tells you to ask God to give you more influence because that is what he desires for you. It is the cultural voice of the upward mobility with all its allure. The single greatest need of spiritual leaders today is to ignore this voice of the flesh and learn to hear the voice of God. God is calling us to renounce all other voices and to devote ourselves to hearing his voice. It is an acquired skill - one that I have only begun to learn. "

This is a much needed correction to the church growth mentality that is taking over American Christianity. Success is a hard master. We pastors need to remember that Christ has not called us to success, but to faithfulness.

Thought I would share some pictures of my family this week.

Pour Thyself Through Me

Spirit of the Living God, pray Thy mind through me.
Nothing less than Spirit-power do I ask of Thee.
Purge me, urge me, guide me, hide me.
Spirit of the living God, pray Thy mind through me.


Power of the eternal God, flow Thy power through me.
Holy, Pentecostal power do I seek of Thee.
Lowly, holy, for Thy glory -
Power of the eternal God, flow Thy power through me.

Mercy of the living God, channel love through me.
Nothing less than Calvary love meets the need for me.
Love that's burning, love that's yearning-
Mercy of the living God, channel love through me.

Grace of God, eternal grace, reach the lost through me.
Tenderness for every race do I ask of Thee.
Love them, lift them, reach them, teach them;
Grace of God, eternal grace, reach the lost through me.

Life of God, eternal life, pour thyself through me.
Nothing less than Thine own life do I ask of Thee.
Life compelling, life that's telling-
Life of God, eternal life, pour thyself though me.

Leonard Ravenhill, taken from Revival, God's Way.

Amen!

STRANGER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED!

Tonight Gina and I watched a few moments of "The year's most fascinating people" hosted by Barbara Walters. Over the years I have watched quite a few of her interviews and rarely found myself agreeing with her conclusions. But tonight was an exception. One of her most fascinating people was Joel Olsteen. Now, I do take exception with her calling him an evangelical. His theology is more akin to the self-help thinking that pervades our American society, than to Biblical doctrine. But in introducing him she said that his preaching is absent of sin, sacrifice and suffering. She even pointed out that many of his critics call his teaching 'Gospel light." She was right on target. He defended his practice of not preaching on social sins such as homosexuality, abortion, and gay marriage by claiming he was not called to address such controversial subjects. That is why I have trouble calling Olsteen an evangelical. Without the Biblical doctrine of sin, the substitutionary death of Christ, and the suffering of Christ and his followers, the Gospel is gutted. Olsten my 'pastor' (using the term loosely) the largest church in America, but his teaching is dangerous. The Church in America is overrun with apostate preachers teaching a so-called prosperity Gospel. Men like Olsteen may gain the accolades of the world, but only the Spirit anointed preaching of the Word of God will gain the Savior's thumbs up!

WHERE ARE THE PROPHETS OF GOD?

Just this week a pastor friend (Stuart) and I had a conversation that has really spurred my thinking. We were both remembering great preachers that have made an impact in our lives and ministries. Great men of God like Ron Dunn, Manly Beasley, and Stephen Olford quickly came to mind. These men called the Church to repentance, prayer and revival. They preached the Bible without apology or fear. God used these men to shape the lives of countless pastors and laymen. Two thoughts have been banging about in my mind ever since.
First, all pastors owe a debt of gratitude to the Lord for such men as these. They were gifts of God to his Church. Their holiness of life, passion for Christ, love for the Word and humility were tremendous examples of Christ-like ministry. Although I never met Ron Dunn or Manly Beasley, and Dr. Olford only twice; these men were mentors to me. I thank God for them.
Secondly, who will take up their mantles of ministry? Where are the John the Baptists and Isaiahs of the early 21st century? Preaching today is too often a warmed-over version of secular psychology. It is much easier to preach topical messages filled with heart-warming stories designed to make everyone feel good, than it is to exposit scripture word by word and line by line. The Biblical call to repentance and discipleship is being replaced by sermons designed to fill a building rather than convert the heart. The office of pastor and shepherd is being jettisoned for a secular CEO model.
Pastors, its time we step up to the plate and once again deliver solid, Spirit-empowered expositions of truth. As Dr. Olford once stated, "if you commit to expositional preaching you'll never lack for an audience." People may clamor to the latest 'hot' preacher who tickles their itching ears with non-offensive, non-confrontational, and non-Biblical sermons. But they will only be converted, changed, and challenged when a holy man of God, anointed of the Holy Spirit, holding the inerrant and perfect Word of God, preaches that Word in Spirit and Truth.

Thanksgiving post

I can't believe that the holidays are here! It seems the days and months fly by faster with each year. I can't help but remember that the Bible teaches us that our days are like grass or a puff of smoke. We here today and then gone tomorrow. My greatest goal in life is to make the greatest possible impact for the glory of God with the time and talents that God has given to me.

I truly have much to be thankful for. A wonderful wife, the love of my life, and the most beautiful women in the world. Eight great kids. A beautiful home to live in. Food on the table and clothes on my back. I have been blessed with a great church to pastor. The people are so gracious to me and my family. Most of all, I am thankful for the glorious grace of Jesus Christ that has saved a sinner like me. That God could love me is beyond my ability to comprehend. He has blessed me with every blessing in the heavenly places, adopted me into his forever family, and is even now designing a heavenly home for me. On top of all that God has called me to preach the Gospel. There is no greater priviledge given to a man. I am thankful for the men who have mentored me, for the churches that have put up with me, and the friends that have encouraged me.

Thank you God, for a wonderful life!

PICTURES OF APOSTASY

Jude 12-13
CIT – Jude describes apostates.
Proposition – Christians today must be aware of and avoid apostate teachers
11-08-06wed
First Swartz
INTRODUCTION:
An apostate is one who rejects the truth. It is rebellion or abandonment of the faith.
I) HIDDEN REEFS – THEY ARE DANGEROUS - Vs. 12 – spots in your love feasts
First, what is a love feast? A full meal followed by communion. Believers brought food and shared a meal together. Everyone brought what they could. The churches were house churches at this time, there were no formal buildings such as the one we meet in – these would have been illegal. This was one time in which the people all sat down together and fellowshipped over food. Note: Fellowship meals have been a part of Christian history from the beginning. We joke about his today, but there is a bond of fellowship that can be enjoyed around a meal that is unique.
For some of the slaves and poorer people, this may have been the only decent meal they ever ate.

There was trouble in these meals from the beginning. In Corinth there was division, unfairness between the rich and the poor, and even drunkenness.

“spots in your love feasts” The NAS rightly translates this “hidden reefs in your love feasts.” The noun is commonly used in Greek to describe rocks in the sea, close to the shore. They were mostly submerged, and dangerous to ships.

Apostates often hide in the fellowship of the church or Christian university. Their teaching is like hidden rocks or submerged ice-bergs just waiting to wreck and sink the faith of God’s people. ILLUS: Values class at LC – lead many to embrace a universalistic view of salvation.

A) THEY ARE WITHOUT CONSCIENCE – feast with you without fear – Literally this means without inhibition. They teach false doctrine, divide the church, and destroy the faith of many, without the slightest qualm.
ILLUS: Listening to Jimmy Swaggert yesterday – I don’t agree with him on everything – I did on this. He stated that the most dangerous false teachers are the one who really believed what they teach. Using Health and Wealth preachers as an example. Some know that what they are teaching is bunk. They’re just trying to make a dollar. Others really believe this garbage and they are the most dangerous.

There are people who will rip a church apart, and never lose a moment’s sleep in doing so. Some will do and feel they done the right thing – these are the most dangerous.

B) THEY ARE SELFISH – serving only themselves – Literally they are shepherds shepherding only themselves. They were arrogant. They were there for the food and the prestige.
Ezekiel 34:2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? [1]
II) WATERLESS CLOUDS – THEY ARE DECEPTIVE “They are clouds without water.”
The traveler in Syria and Jordan is often exasperated by heavy clouds that promise rain, but bring none. In fact, as they pass they only increase the heat and humidity.

ILLUS: My grandfather was a farmer, and two of his sons became farmers. I worked for one of them. The summer I did it was dry. Every time a cloud passed over that looked promising – he would get his hopes up. Sometimes, it the clouds would go black, the wind would blow, maybe even some lightening, but no rain.

These apostates are just windbags. All heat and no light, all smoke and no fire. They all show and no substance. They promise rain, but they only bring drought.

"WHOEVER FALSELY BOASTS OF GIVING IS
LIKE CLOUDS AND WIND WITHOUT RAIN." (PROV 25:14)

They have no water for thirsty souls, they only pretend to.


The Word of God is often compared to rain and dew.
Deuteronomy 32:2 “Let my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, As the droplets on the fresh grass And as the showers on the herb. [2]
Isaiah 55:10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; [3]
ILLUS: I HEARD ABOUT A MAN WHO HAD NOT BEEN TO CHURCH IN A WHILE. HIS PASTOR SAW HIM WALKING DOWN THE STREET ONE DAY, AND HE SAID, "SAM, I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN CHURCH FOR A WHILE." HE SAID, "WELL, YOU KNOW PASTOR, THE LAST SEVERAL SUNDAYS IT'S BEEN RAINING." THE PREACHER SAID, "WELL, IT'S DRY DOWN AT THE CHURCH." THE MAN SAID, "YES, AND THAT'S ANOTHER REASON WHY I DON'T COME."
There are many churches where dry preachers are serving up sawdust sermons to people with parched GodÂ’s people need the clear living water from the Word of God. They need hot bread fresh from the oven of GodÂ’s word.
They are carried about by the wind- they have no sure foundation. They are double-minded.
III) FRUITLESS TREES – THEY ARE DESOLATE – Late Autumn trees without fruit.
Autumn is the time of the year for harvest. The farmer expects fruit, but these trees are dead, they bear no fruit.

One of the evidences of salvation is spiritual fruit. IE – Parable of the soils – Matthew 13:1-9 the good soil, the saved person, appetite fruit. The apostate has no appitite for the Word, no desire to pray, no interest in witnessing. They are no concerned much about their attendance, or their quiet time. They are concerned about power, position, and prestige.

-A true teacher produces fruit in his preaching and teaching. You will not find souls saved by the preaching of the apostate. They do build great churches, they cannot, they are unconverted.

Twice dead – They are spiritually dead in their sins and trespasses, they are also bound to a devil’s hell.

IV) RAGING WAVES – THEY ARE DISOBEDIENT -Vs. 13 image deals with morality.

A) THEY ARE DEPRAVED – unclean and immoral. ILLUS: Walkng along the beach after a storm. All kinds of debri has been tossed up by the sea.
“Scraps of filth and debri collect in the water and foam and spill over on to the shore. In the same way, these false teachers spread everywhere traces of their corruption and impurity.” JND Kelly
B) THEY ARE DRIVEN - Waves are produced by wind. The faster the wind, the longer it blows, and the larger the area in which it blows, the bigger the waves.
They are driven by their restless passions and lusts. Isaiah 57:20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea, For it cannot be quiet, And its waters toss up refuse and mud. [4]
V) WANDERING STARS – THEY ARE DAMNED
Shooting stars, meteors blazing across the sky briefly and then they are gone.
ILLUS: One night coming home from church – spotted a shooting star. It almost made me drive off the road! That is what an apostate is like – here today and gone tomorrow. They leave nothing lasting because it is never built upon truth.
They will therefore be swallowed up into the blackest darkness forever; eternal judgment is certain for them.
These apostates were not unfruitful believers, who would not receive rewards in heaven at the judgment seat of Christ. Instead they were impostors who would be judged according to their evil deeds. [5] “To whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.” This refers to hell. One symbol of hell is fire, and the other is blackness of darkness. The great emphasis has been placed upon the symbol of fire. Hell is literal, of course, but to say it is literal fire isnÂ’t quite adequate for this reason: there will be spiritual creatures there as well as man—and the worst sins of man are spiritual sins such as unbelief. Therefore, physical punishment wouldnÂ’t be quite adequate. My feeling is that man will wish it were literal fire because it will be so much worse than fire. The other symbol, “blackness of darkness,” is to me far more frightening. And I believe that a lost man carries his darkness with him—not only physical darkness but spiritual darkness.
My feeling is that the horrors of hell will be increased by those who go there. For instance, there is a place on earth called HellÂ’s Kitchen. Is the difference in the kind of real estate that is there? No, the difference is in the people who are there. This, together with the concept of physical darkness, is to me frightful beyond words. If you have ever been down in Carlsbad Caverns when the lights are turned out, you know what real darkness is. IÂ’d hate to be down there forever, my friend! [6]
CONCLUSION:
6. YOU KNOW A SAINT IS TO BE OPPOSITE IN EVERY WAY FROM AN APOSTATE. INSTEAD OF BEING HIDDEN ROCKS, I PET. 2:5 SAYS WE ARE TO BE LIVING STONES. INSTEAD OF BEING WATERLESS CLOUDS, JOHN 7:38 SAYS WE ARE TO BE BUBBLING SPRINGS. INSTEAD OF BEING DEAD TREES, JOHN 15:3 SAYS WE ARE TO BE FRUITFUL BRANCHES. INSTEAD OF BEING RAGING WAVES, IS. 48:18 SAYS WE ARE TO BE PEACEFUL RIVERS. INSTEAD OF BEING DARKENED STARS, DAN. 12:3 SAYS WE ARE TO BE GLISTENING LUMINARIES.
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, GEORGE BUSH SPOKE AT A PRAYER BREAKFAST WHEN HE WAS THE VICE PRESIDENT. HE TOLD OF A TRIP HE TOOK TO RUSSIA TO REPRESENT THE UNITED STATES AT THE FUNERAL OF LEONID BREZHNEV. THE FUNERAL WAS VERY PRECISE, VERY STOIC, EXTREMELY COMMUNISTIC. NO TEARS WERE SHED, NO EMOTION WAS DISPLAYED WITH ONE EXCEPTION. MR. BUSH TOLD HOW BREZHNEV'S WIDOW WAS THE LAST PERSON TO WITNESS THE BODY BEFORE THE COFFIN WAS CLOSED. FOR SEVERAL SECONDS SHE STOOD AT HIS SIDE AND THEN REACHED DOWN AND PERFORMED THE SIGN OF THE CROSS ON HER HUSBAND'S CHEST.
IN THE HOUR OF HER HUSBAND'S DEATH, WITH THE ENTIRE COMMUNISTIC WORLD WATCHING, SHE DID NOT TURN TO LENIN, TO KARL MARX, TO JOSEPH STALIN, OR TO KHRUSHCHEV. INSTEAD SHE TURNED TO A NAZARENE CARPENTER, WHO HAD LIVED 2,000 YEARS AGO, AND WHO SAID, "I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD."2

10. SATAN CAN COUNTERFEIT PREACHERS, BUT HE CANNOT COUNTERFEIT THE GOSPEL. HE CAN COUNTERFEIT THEOLOGY, BUT HE CANNOT COUNTERFEIT TRUTH. HE CAN EVEN COUNTERFEIT CHURCHES, BUT HE CANNOT COUNTERFEIT JESUS. FOR HE IS THE REAL THING.







[1] New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. The Lockman Foundation: LaHabra, CA
[2] New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. The Lockman Foundation: LaHabra, CA
[3] New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. The Lockman Foundation: LaHabra, CA
[4] New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. The Lockman Foundation: LaHabra, CA
[5]Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. 1983-c1985. The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures. Victor Books: Wheaton, IL
[6]McGee, J. V. 1997, c1981. Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.). Thomas Nelson: Nashville

Excuse me while I open this up!

Just the other day I read an interesting article on birthrates and Baptists. The article states that as the affluence of Southern Baptists goes up, the birth rates go down. Many couples now are opting to wait longer and have fewer children than previous generations. Why? As a father of eight I am probably a little biased on this subject, but it seems we are allowing our culture to dictate how we think about children rather than the Bible. God's Word states that "children are a blessing from the Lord" and "blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." Children are not distractions from our careers or hindrances to having fun. Children are God's gift to a family. They ought to be highly prized and valued. Young couples should begin early to have children, not wait until they have "had some time together." Since when have children become a detriment to marriage or intimacy? In reality, children strengthen a marriage. Some couples wait because they want to have more "things" or "toys." Why in the world should we invest in worldly, materialistic junk that will only be destroyed at the day of judgment; when we could be investing ourselves in little souls that will bring glory to God for eternity!

Here's what I think. Christians ought to joyfully, gladly, and worshipfully have a housefull of children - to the glory of and honor of Jesus! Quit letting economics and culture shape our thinking. Let the word of God determine our beliefs - even when it comes to children!

Dreamers, Blasphemers, and Schemers

Jude 8-11
CIT – Jude describes the apostates that are infiltrating the church.
10-25-06am
First Swartz
INTRODUCTION:
Dreams can be good or bad –
Think about the sewing machine. Elias Howe had just about given up on the whole project. He just could not decide where to put the eye of the needle. He had a dream one night that he was being lead to execution for failing to design a sewing machine for the king of a strange country.
He was surrounded by guards who carried unusual spears, they were spears that were pierced through the head. He woke up, realizing instantly that this was the solution to his problem. By morning he had completed the design of the first sewing machine.

Another dream – this one was disturbing. Just a week before he was assassinated, Abraham Lincoln had a dream that he was walking through a silent white house toward the sound of someone sobbing. When he entered the east room he was confronted by the sight of a coffin covered in black. He asked the guard on duty there who was dead, and the soldier said, “The president of the United States.”

We read tonight about some dreamers – very dangerous dreamers. Apostates and false prophets who were infiltrating the church. Notice what Jude says about them.

I) THEY WERE DREAMERS – vs. 8
“likewise” In spite of the three examples of apostasy mentioned in vs. 5-7, they persist in their sin. In spite of the warnings and the destruction of those who turned from God, they persist.

These dreamers – KJV – filthy dreamers or dirty dreamers.
These false prophets claimed prophetic revelations. They claimed that God spoke to them in their dreams. They claimed that these dreams were reliable and trustworthy.

God has spoken at times through dreams –
OT – Joel 2:28 –
NT Matthew 1:20 – God spoke to Joseph in a dream.

Most often this refers to false prophets.
Jer. 23:25 “I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy falsely in my name, saying “I had a dream, I had a dream.”

“a confused state of the soul or abnormal imagination, producing delusions and sensual confusion. These men’s minds were numb to the truth. . . they fantasized wicked perversions, being blind and deaf to reality and truth. Perhaps they falsely claimed these dreams were from God.”
J. McArthur

APOSTATES ARE DREAMERS WHO CONJURE UP THEIR OWN THEOLOGY. THEY JUST DREAM UP WHAT THEY BELIEVE. THEIR THEOLOGY IS JUST A FIGMENT OF THEIR IMAGINATION. THEY BASE WHAT THEY BELIEVE ON
SUBJECTIVE OPINION RATHER THAN OBJECTIVE REVELATION.
IN OTHER WORDS, THEY BASE WHAT THEY BELIEVE ON WHAT
THEY THINK, RATHER THAN WHAT GOD SAYS.- James Merritt.

The end result of their apostasy is alarming. Jude lists three.
A) THEY DEFILE THEIR FLESH – Literally they pollute their own bodies. Perhaps in their dreams they believed that God was telling them it was okay to commit sexual sins. The word describes an infection or a contamination. They are unclean because of their sin. They claim to know God, yet they live ungodly and immoral lives.

The apostate kills his conscience. He sins so often that he no longer feels any guilt or conviction. ILLUS: David Berg the founder of the family or the Children of God – Many of his beliefs sound biblical. Until you get to this - . IL In a lengthy and sexually explicit series of missives claiming that God had now sanctified extra-marital sex and prostitution as long as they were "done in love" and "for the glory of God."

They become unfit for worship and for service.
They become dangerous to those around them. They become deviant and warped – sin leading to sin.

B) THEY REJECT SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY – This authority is the authority of Christ. They reject the inspiration and the inerrancy of Scripture. ILLUS: Baptist college president who stated that calling the Bible infallible is wrong.
LISTEN AGAIN TO WHAT THIS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT SAYS ABOUT THE BIRTH OF CHRIST: "THE VIRGIN BIRTH IS MORE TRUTH THAN FACT. FACTS ARE HISTORICAL AND MUNDANE. TRUTH TRANSCENDS THE AGES...ITS STATUS AS AN ACTUAL HISTORICAL FACT IS
UNIMPORTANT.
LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT THE DEATH OF CHRIST: "JESUS DID NOT DIE TO SATISFY SOME
ABSTRACT PENALTY FOR SIN. GOD IS NOT A BOOKKEEPER. JESUS DIED BECAUSE PEOPLE CHOSE TO KILL HIM.
LISTEN TO WHAT THIS MAN SAID ABOUT THE SALVATION OF CHRIST: "JESUS DID NOT COME
TO TELL US HOW TO BE SAVED. JESUS CAME TO TELL US THAT WE ARE SAVED." – Quoted from James Merrit – originally from KIRBY GODSEY, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GOD, LET'S BE HONEST (MACON, GEORGIA: SMYTH & HELWYS PUBLISHING INC., 1996), PP. 50, 51, 53.
C) THEY REVILE HEAVENLY DIGNITARIES – They are irreverent of spiritual powers and speak evil of angels.
Vs. 9 is very difficult –it seems to have been taken from a Jewish writing called the Assumption of Moses. Moses died on Mt. Nebo and Deut. 34:5-6 says that God buried him and no one knows the place. The Assumption states that God sent the archangel Michael to bury Moses. Satan argued with him saying the body belonged to him. Apparently he wanted it for some diabolical purpose. Michael did not accuse him, but said –“let the Lord rebuke you.”
Michael, through powerful and authoritative did not dispute with Satan.
What about these documents? Jude was inspired by the Holy Spirit. What he quotes is inerrant and inspired.
However, these apostates have no respect for spiritual realities. Today’s apostates do not even believe in Satan. They scoff at the idea of angels and demons. ILLUS: Professor in class– Did not believe in a personal devil.
II) THEY ARE BLASPHEMERS – VS. 10
To speak evil is to blaspheme – to speak irreverently.
A) THEY CRITICIZE WHAT THEY DO NOT KNOW - What they do not know. These apostates claim to know God, claim to understand the Bible, but in reality they are ignorant. They are theological egg-heads. They arrogant, but ignorant.
Why? They are spiritually blind. They claim to be saved, but in reality they are lost.
1 Corinthians 2:14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. [1]
ILLUS: One of the reasons the Pharisees had so much trouble with Jesus was that they just did not get it. They could not understand his teaching or believe it. They were spiritually blind. They did not believe in Jesus, would not believe in Jesus. Although they claimed to be teachers and theologians – they lacked spiritual understanding.
B) THEY ARE CORRUPTED BY WHAT THEY DO KNOW – They operate in the natural, there is nothing spiritual about them. They claim to be spiritual, but they are not. They are like unreasoning animals.
They are like two legged idiots. They will destroy themselves. It might be by drinking poison Koolaid in the jungle, or in a hail of bullets and fire in Texas. But apostates will corrupt themselves.
III) THEY ARE SCHEMERS – vs. 11
Jude now describes the ways of an apostates – they are dreamers – false dreamers, they are blasphemers, but also they are schemers!
“Woe to them” Severe Judgment is on the way.
A) CAIN – FALSE RELIGION – He openly rebelled against God’s will. Gen. 4:1-15 – He added to his rebellion as air of religion.
Think about those two offerings – there was really only one difference – the blood. The Bible states that without blood there is no remission or forgiveness of sin. Cain rejected that. He had no altar, no blood. He brought what he had planted, what he had produced. He brought his own good works.
We are not saved by works, lest any man should boast. There are only two ways to approach God – the way of Cain – in your own good works – which leads to death and Hell. Or the way of the cross – relying on the death of Christ for our sins – this leads to eternal life. There is a movement today away from the cross of Christ. It is a demonic scheme – those who promote it are apostates!
B) BAALAM – DECIETFUL RICHES – The story is found in Numbers 22-25 . The King of Moab brings in Baalam, offers to pay him if He will curse the Israelites. He cannot, so he comes up with an even more diabolical scheme. He plans a feast and brings in all the prettiest of the Moabite women. He tells the King that if he can get the Israelites to commit fornication with the Moabite women – God will kill. It works and God kills 40,000 in a plague. All because of a bought and paid for prophet.
Apostates are driven by money and greed. Watch out for these TV preachers and their prayer cloths and books. They want your money to finance their millionaire lifestyles. Watch out for preachers who won’t preach the truth because they don’t want to offend or lose their jobs. The only preacher worth his salt is the man who will stand and preach the truth no matter what the cost. If a man won’t preach for free – he ought not to preach at all. I believe that a church ought to pay its staff well – Timothy states they are worthy of double honor. But that staff better not ever do or not do something just because they are paid!
C) KORAH – REBELLION – They rebelled against the God- give authority of Moses and Aaron. Apostates will always rebel against the truth and against authority.
CONCLUSION:
HE WAS OBSESSED WITH JESUS, SO MUCH SO THAT HE FINALLY CLAIMED THAT HE HIMSELF WAS THE MESSIAH. WHENEVER SOMEONE WOULD JOIN HIS GROUP THEY WERE RELIEVED OF THEIR BANK ACCOUNTS AND PERSONAL POSSESSIONS. WHILE THE MEN WERE FORCED INTO CELIBACY, HE TOOK THEIR WIVES AND DAUGHTERS AS HIS CONCUBINES. HE CLAIMED TO BE JESUS CHRIST IN SINFUL FORM. HE DEFIED AUTHORITY, DEFILED THE FLESH, SPOKE AGAINST SPIRITUAL GLORIES. HE EVEN SAID THAT HE WAS MORE VIRTUOUS THAN THE FIRST MESSIAH, AND ONE OF HIS FAVORITE SAYINGS WAS, "WHAT BETTER SINNER CAN KNOW A SINNER THAN A GODLY SINNER?" WHILE EVERY ONE ELSE HAD TO WALK, HE DROVE A BEAUTIFUL BLACK CAMARO. AT LENGTHY SESSIONS OF BIBLICAL PREACHING, THAT EMBERS WERE REQUIRED TO ATTEND TWICE A DAY, HE UNDERLINED HIS AUTHORITY BY IMPRESSING UPON THEM THAT HE ALONE UNDERSTOOD THE SCRIPTURES. HE BEDDED THE WIVES AND DAUGHTERS OF THE MEN, SOME AS YOUNG AS ELEVEN YEARS OF AGE, AND DIED IN AN EXPLOSIVE FIRE AND A HAIL OF BULLETS. HIS NAME: DAVID KORESH. HE WAS A DREAMER, BLASPHEMER AND A SCHEMER- IF YOU DENY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND REFUSE TO GIVE YOUR HEART AND LIFE TO HIM, YOUR DESTINIY WILL BE THE SAME.
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[1] New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. The Lockman Foundation: LaHabra, CA

The past few months have left me with no time to sit down and blog. I’ve been in Russia for a mission trip, working hard at preaching and leading the church, and neck deep in family affairs. My goal is to blog at least once a week, but with eight kids and a busy church, that can be daunting task!

I’ve been reading an excellent book by Derek Prime and Alister Begg entitled On Being a Pastor. Over the years I’ve read quite a few good books on pastoral ministry, but few that equaled this one. On Being a Pastor is a wonderful mix of pastoral theology and practical application. Perhaps the best chapter is chapter three titled, the Goals and priorities of pastoral ministry. The thrust of the chapter is that the Church is first and foremost Christ’s church. He owns the church by right of creation and redemption. Therefore success must be measured by God’s standard, which of course, is Scripture. This is a much needed correction in our day of church growth conferences and strategies. Pastors must measure success by church health, not necessarily attendance. Don’t get wrong, numbers are meaningful. Each number represents a soul. But what we do with the number of people that God entrusts us with is the measure of success. The authors provide six goals or priorities for pastor who intends to be faithful to God’s calling on his life.

First he must feed the flock. Through the preaching and teaching of the Word of God every pastor is called by God to provide solid Biblical nourishment for the congregation. Second, he must preach the whole counsel of God by faithfully expounding Scripture in its fullness. Both the Old and New Testaments provide truth that our people need in order to be healthy. Third our goal is to present everyone perfect in Christ. What matters most is not the number of people sitting in our pews, but the character and maturity of those people. Fourth, preachers are to prepare God’s people for works of service. Good preaching equips folk for the work of the ministry. No member should be left behind as we help them find and utilize their giftedness. Fifth, we must equip people to be fishers of men. A church that is zealous for God’s glory is zealous for evangelism. Every church should provide its members with training in evangelism. Finally, pastors are to keep watch over themselves and their people. The pastor must guard his own life and keep careful watch for false teaching and unrepentant sin. God help all pastors to be faithful to his goals and priorities.