The Sins of Fundamentalism

Introduction

Tonight, I am going to be preaching on a topic that is heavy and should grieve all our hearts. It is a precautionary tale, that we must learn from. If you have payed attention to modern culture, Fundamentalism has gotten a severe black eye due to recent documentaries such as Shiny Happy People which revealed some serious problems with Gothardism which had a strong pull on IFB members and then later Let Us Prey. Both these documentaries highlighted problems that have existed in some if not many IFB churches. Fundamentalism as a movement has had its problems. When younger fundamentalists speak on these things sometimes older fundamentalists bristle. They feel personally attacked by such discussions; so I want to make it clear that my goal is not to attack but to warn. I am not calling for an exodus from Fundamentalism but a revival within Fundamentalism and what I say of the sins of Fundamentalism is not true of all fundamentalists, but the problems are widespread enough that biblically, I have a responsibility to speak up about them. My attitude must not be one of piousness but grief over the sins of our people. This sermon is a cautionary tale not to follow down the same paths. As a pastor I must not be so foolish to think you will only ever be in the church whether God leads you elsewhere or you are on a trip visiting churches. These are some red flags to look for.

There is a variety of different churches within the movement and because we are independent, we might have absolutely nothing to do with some of the other movements. But because the boundaries can be porous with people coming and going from one circle to anther, it is important to warn our church members of the danger that is out there. We must also say that these problems exists in most other denominations as well, but that doesn’t excuse our own sin. Many have tried to create a diagram of the different circles within Fundamentalism. Most of the time it revolves around bible colleges. I am going to give you eight different circles although there is some overlap. No list is perfect because there is just so much variety. My goal is not to attack any circle per se, but when serious red flags arise, it will be obvious if I use examples.

Circles of Fundamentalism

BBF churches are most common here in Oklahoma- stated by J Frank Norris, Locally Southwest Baptist church broke off from the BBF while carrying the old philosophy and doctrine of the movement.

Hyles Anderson University

Tennessee Temple which is now closed. This was the type of church I was saved in

Bob Jones University- Ambassador would fit into this category as they view themselves as old Bob Jones, Maranatha would loosely fall into this category since there is so much overlap.

West Coast Baptist College- overlap with Hyles

Pensecola Christian College-

Crown College- overlap with Tennessee Temple

Camp Meeting Style Churches

Before we begin, I want us to look at 1 Kings 22. This passage is about King Jehoshaphat a good king of Judah aligning with Ahab a bad king in Israel to go to war. In vs 5, Jeho wants to seek God’s guidance; so Ahab calls 400 prophets together who all say go up to battle and God will prosper you. Jeho asks in vs 7 is there another prophet we could ask. I feel like he felt something was off. Ahab responds in vs 8 there is a prophet named Micaiah who we could ask, but I hate him because he never prophecies good about me. There are a couple of principles we see in this passage:

God primarily calls prophets to speak against the sins of their own people and not the outsiders. I have spent plenty of time describing the errors and sins of Liberalism and Neo-Evangelicalism, but the honest truth is they are not in our camp. The people God has called me to pastor are Fundamentalists, the churches we fellowship with are Fundamentalist, the schools we send our kids too are Fundamentalist. So whom am I supposed to be preaching to. Can I honestly say I have preached the word of God when I avoid calling out the very problems of the crowd I am part of?

Those who are criticized don’t like those who point out their flaws. Ahab hated Micaiah. Often when younger fundamentalists have pointed out some of these things, we have been spoken down to, ignored, ostracized and sometimes this is why they left fundamentalism. They were not right to do so because they just replaced one error with another.

Those who ignore the message do so to their own destruction. At the end of the chapter, Ahab ends up dead because he did not listen to God’s message.

Tonight, I am going to give you three red flags to look out for if you find yourself looking for another IFB church. Understand my heart, here is to protect you as best I can and I pray, every vestige of these things would be weeded out from our own hearts.

Legalism

The first red flag, I want to point out is legalism. It is first not because it is more prevalent or because it is more important. It is first because it is easiest for me to deal with. I have preached multiple sermons on this topic and I hope by now you have a more rounded understanding of what it is. But just as a refresher, legalism is a matter of the heart. A person is not a legalist merely because they are stricter than you are. Legalism is seeking to either be justified or sanctified by works. It is a heart that is trying to be holy by outward performance. While it is a matter of the heart, Jesus did give us signs that legalism is present. One of those is teaching our personal preferences as the word of God. Mark 7:7 “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Essentially, legalism is adding to the word of God. To see how serious this is I want us to turn to:

1 Timothy 4:1–6 “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.”

Paul foretells that in the last days people will depart from the faith, but notice the message that they are proclaiming: forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats. They have added to the word of God by commanding stricter external standards of holiness. Notice four things about their message:

The source of their doctrine

The result of their doctrine

The message of their doctrine

Timothy’s response to their doctrine

The source of their doctrine- seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. The message of the men is not spun in a positive light. Why does Satan desire us to be seduced by legalism? Satan desires anything that will keep us from the truth. Legalism does not produce true holiness in the heart of a Christian; so in the end, sin festers under the surface. I am convinced that the reason some of the other problems we will talk about tonight exist because of this issue here. When I have to put up a front of godliness, but don’t have it on the inside; I begin to hide sin. I don’t deal with sin and it just snow balls until it becomes a greater problem in my life. Legalism has no power and Satan knows that. Why is it that all the other religions of the world are works based?

The results of their doctrine- seared conscience How does legalism sear our conscience? We often think of a seared conscience as one that has been burned out by giving in to sin so much, but in this passage it is more than that. Legalism sears the conscience because it tells you just do x,y,z and your good. As long as I deal with these things nothing else matters. We depend on a list rather than the Holy Spirit.

The message-

Timothy’s responsibility to confront such teaching in the church. But notice what Timothy is supposed to do about legalism in the church. We are to remind the brethren of these things. We are not to agree to disagree over legalism. It isn’t a small sin we just overlook in the church. Jesus spent much of his speaking time confronting religious externalism in the Pharisees.

Sexual scandal

The next red flag is may not be obvious at first when you go to a church. But in a culture of legalism, often sexual sin lurks beneath the surface. It is hidden and not dealt with. Much like the church of Corinth in 1 Cor 5, churches today have failed to deal with this sin. one of the largest sources of this problem was First Baptist Church of Hammond Indiana and Hyles Anderson University. Back in 1989 Jack Hyles was accused of an affair with a deacons wife and the church refused to investigate or deal with the issues. A Sunday school teacher was accused of molesting girls at the church and Hyles told the parents “he just loves little kids” and “You don’t have a case.” The suit was settled out of court at first until a former security officer came forward claiming to have been a witness. The teacher was then thrown in jail for five years.

Jack Hyles son David has been accused of rape and Jack Scope the succeeding pastor and son- in-law of Jack Hyles was sentenced to prison for inappropriate relations with a minor. A later investigation identified atleast 7 other churches affiliated with Hyles with sexual abuse scandals.

I have mentioned a pastor that we knew who hung himself in jail after he was caught having been raping women across state lines. Churches must never ignore situations like this and must deal with them legally and biblically. Consider the example of Eli in:

1 Samuel 2:22–25 “Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord’s people to transgress. If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them.”

The sin of Eli’s sons

Eli spoke up, but speaking up is not enough

God judged Eli for his son’s sins- vs 27-36

Spiritual Abuse

I have also mentioned in the past that we were members of another church here in OKC. We had just gotten saved in Japan and didn’t know anything about churches here, but this church was extrememly abusive towards its people. A spiritually abusive church is defined as when someone uses religious or spiritual beliefs, practices, or leaders to manipulate, control, or harm another person. Abusive churches speak down to their people. This pastor would always say he had more sense in his pinky finger than we had in our whole bodies, he would tell us to stand behind his car when he left the parking lot if we disagreed with him; he would very often tell stories of families whose children we run over or bitten by snakes because they had left the church. This is not just a preaching style, it isn’t humor; it is abuse. God commands the pastor not to abuse the flock.

1 Peter 5:1–4 “The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”

Feed the flock

Spiritual watch out for the flock

Not because you feel you have to but willingly

Not for Greed

Not as a lord over the church but as an example

Paul speaking onto Timothy challegned him 2 Timothy 2:23–26 “But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”

Striving over questions of conscience

Gentleness

Teaching rather than shoveling out edicts

patients

meekly teaching those who oppose them in hopes of repentance

Conclusion

I don’t want to be like jonah who sat under a gourd plant and waited for God to destroy the enemies. Those dirty wicked sinners deserve God’s judgment. I want to preach a message of repentance because as Jonah says in Jonah 4:2 “And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.” My heart breaks that Fundamentalism has received this black eye that we brought on ourselves. God reminds Jonah that even in Ninevah there were 120,000 that did not know right from wrong. There are innocents who have been sucked into such movements within Fundamentalism. I am just issuing a warning to watch out for these things.