Sermon Tone Analysis

*Date:*      6th April 2008                                                                         (Sunday AM)                                                                       *Ref:* A0377

*Place:     Kambah P.S.*

*Title: Take Heed to Doctrine*

*Text:        *& 1 Tim 4:12-16

 

*Illust:     *Eerdmans is a major Christian book publisher – Recently released a book “Muhammed Prophet of God.”

An endorsement for the book states: /“The best scholarly text on the prophet Muhammad written by a Christian.

A must-read, especially for non-Muslims who are interested in a solid.

compassionate treatment of Muhammad’s vision and accomplishments” – /I Read a review of this book & then interested I checked on the Website of our major Christian bookstore – Koorong – Sure enough it was for sale.

– Some major problems with this, the first & foundational problem is the author.

The Author Daniel Peterson is a professor of Brigham Young University, - Brigham Young University sounds impressive

*Brigham** Young University* (*BYU*), located in Provo, Utah, United States.

….  /Any alarm bells going off yet?/

It is a private university owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church).

~~  Approximately 97% of male BYU graduates take a two-year hiatus from their studies at some point to be Mormon missionaries.

Daniel Peterson is very involved in FARMS (that’s not cows & chickens etc, but *F*oundation for *A*ncient *R*esearch and *M*ormon *S*tudies)

Beware of Mormon books in Koorong ~~ This book & others written by Mormon authors is published by Eerdmans a major  “Christian” & I use the term loosely publisher.

- Truth Matters ~/ Doctrine Matters

!

I.                   Coming Deception

!! A.               Promised Deception

i.                 Want to look firstly at the fact that Bible makes it clear that there is going to be an increasing level of false teaching in the world, specifically targeting Christians.

This is also emphasised as being a specific sign of the End Times

         Matthew 24:3-4 3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be?

And what /will be/ the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.

(NKJV)

         Matthew 24:11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

(NKJV)

           False Prophets (teachers)

         2 Peter 2:1-3 1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.

3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

(NKJV)

         2 Peter 2:1-3 1 But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you.

They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them.

In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality.

And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered.

3 In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money.

But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed.

(NLT)

           Paul warned:

         2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, (NKJV)

ii.

I want you to notice a key word that is repeated by Jesus & Paul in warning ~~ “Deceive” – in fact Jesus uses the word 4 times in Matt 24 – & this chapter is specifically regarding the end times:

      *Deceive: 1. *To cause to believe what is not true; mislead.

*2.

*/Archaic/ To catch by guile; ensnare.

~~   from Latin d cipere, /to ensnare, deceive/ : d -, /de-/ + capere, /to seize/;] It means to lead another into error, danger, or a disadvantageous position by underhand means.

/Deceive/ involves the deliberate misrepresentation of the truth:

iii.

The essence of deception is to be trapped, to be ensnared – cunning trap.

!! B.               It’s Here.....

i.

In case we are tempted to think that this is something that will happen in the future, we need to get a revelation that the time is now, the winds of deception blow all around you.

ii.

Incredible number of False cults, break away groups, accusations of mainstream groups as cults, People being ripped off by pursuing the latest fad ~/ experience that races through “Christian” circles.

iii.

Increasing lack of discernment amongst Christians as to what is right doctrine, What is a Christian?

We see this confusion even sinking it’s malicious tentacles into organisations like Koorong.

“One of the most dangerous places for the believer to be today is between the shelves of a Christian bookstore.

At least when the disciple is in the secular marketplace, his or  her defences are up and discernment is active.

We must exercise the very same level of discernment in the “Christian” marketplace as well, for the definition of “Christian” has now been extended to Mormonism.”

/James R White/

!

II.

Deceptions Traps

!! A.               Compromise of Unity

      In the 90’s there appeared almost overnight the world-wide 3D craze with the Magic Eye images.

You may remember the ones, a seemingly random pattern in a book & if you stared at it long enough in the right way eventually a 3D image would emerge – Interesting that sometimes you could gaze until you had a headache – But once you got it, once you saw the image, you could always see it.

In the same way a trap can be skilfully camouflaged & cunningly set up – but it has one big setback, that is that as soon as you have seen it, it becomes obvious.

You can’t miss it.

i.

We want to look at some of the more obvious signs of the deceptive strategy of the great deceiver, the devil, in these last days.

ii.

One is the call for unity, in of itself that sounds ok, it sounds good, we should be unified with our brothers & sisters in Jesus Christ, we should all just get along.

The problem like all deception is that it gets taken to the next step & that is to compromise truth for the sake of unity.

There is a trend in the church today to elevate unity above truth.

Many are willing to set aside essential doctrines for the sake of harmony.

/Sean McDowell/

iii.

I want to lay it out this morning, Mormonism is not Christian, Jehovah’s Witnesses are not Christian, Roman Catholicism is not Christian.

Unity where Christians, compromise their beliefs to reach out to our Catholic~/Mormon~/JW~/ Muslim ‘brothers& sisters’ & have joint prayer meetings~/ gatherings etc – Wrong

!! B.               Profane Fire

i.

Some more signs of deception include; Focus on certain religious days, Nearly all cults you will find have a tendency to want to focus on observation of the Holy days as laid out in the books of Moses.

– Jewish Feast days.

I sometimes highlight them, use them as an illustration but cults will present that we have to observe these days.

Issues about Saturday as the true Sabbath another sign.

Romans 14:5 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike.

Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

(NIV)

         Romans 14:5 In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike.

You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable.

(NLT)

ii.

As Paul says, this is wrong;  because we are of the New Covenant; the Law of Moses was a pointer to the necessity of the Saviour – You will also note that they can’t truly obey them anyway because for some of them it was mandatory that you go to Jerusalem & offer sacrifice.

Colossians 2:16-17 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.

17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

(NIV)

         Galatians 4:9-11 9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years.

11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.

(NKJV)

!! C.               Work Your way to Heaven

i.                 Another area is that they distort the central doctrine of salvation by grace alone & subtly add in works.