DANGERS TO AVOID

INTRODUCTION

We have been discussing the idea of the Church Moving Forward.

The church needs to be thinking about the future

Looking forward, thinking forward, planning forward, and moving forward

This is critical! The church's future depends on it!

Philippians 3:12–14 ASV 1901

12 Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before. 14 I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

In our past lessons we discussed:

Challenges to accept

Making a difference in the world

Evangelizing our local community

Developing leadership

Abiding in God’s word

Enemies to defeat

Ignorance

Apathy

Unbelief

Sin

In this lesson we are going to discuss DANGERS TO AVOID

What if, after you entered the building today, I discovered that we had a rattlesnake loose in the building

Now, I could keep quiet about it, since I wouldn't want anyone to get upset, and I wouldn’t want people to get hurt trying to get out.

However, it must be handled, I think all would agree that if a rattler was loose under your pew, you'd want to know about it.

This is the reason we must discuss dangers that lie before the church, for they will stop, or kill our ability to move forward into the future.

DISCUSSION

THE DANGER OF FALSE DOCTRINE

Definitions:

“False” means that which untrue - a lie

“Doctrine” is teaching - that which is taught

If a doctrine is false is cannot produce what it claims

The Bible has many warnings about the dangers of false teachers who dispense false doctrine or teaching

Matthew 7:15 ASV 1901

15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.

Acts 20:28–30 ASV 1901

28 Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

1 Timothy 4:1–3 ASV 1901

1 But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron; 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe and know the truth.

1 Timothy 6:3–5 ASV 1901

3 If any man teacheth a different doctrine, and consenteth not to sound words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 4 he is puffed up, knowing nothing, but doting about questionings and disputes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5 wranglings of men corrupted in mind and bereft of the truth, supposing that godliness is a way of gain.

2 Timothy 4:3–4 ASV 1901

3 For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables.

There are at least a couple of ways we might deal with this problem

We could try to identify every false doctrine, flag them, and then avoid them

This would be a very cumbersome task and virtually impossible

Besides, if we spend all our time with the bad, we will fail to learn the good

Obviously, there are some things that are false that we must examine, but I am speaking of an approach that focuses on that which is false

Or, we could identify that which is true, focus on that truth, learn and practice that truth, and thus eliminate all that is false - then we can detect that which is false

God gives us the truth so that we can know how to please Him in our faith, our worship, our service, the way we live our lives, and etc. - doesn’t it make sense to focus on that truth?

False doctrine is a perversion of the truth - to overcome it we must focus on the truth

The Bible is our source book of truth

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ASV 1901

16 Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness: 17 that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.

2 Peter 1:3 ASV 1901

3 seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue;

We must focus on the truth to overcome error

THE DANGER OF DIVISION

Division among believers has plagued the church since after it began...

Romans 14:1 ESV

1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.

Romans 16:17–18 ASV 1901

17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent.

1 Corinthians 1:10–12 ASV 1901

10 Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it hath been signified unto me concerning you, my brethren, by them that are of the household of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now this I mean, that each one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:17–18 ASV 1901

17 But in giving you this charge, I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and I partly believe it.

Jesus knew that even Satan could not accomplish his work if his forces were divided

Matthew 12:25 ASV 1901

25 And knowing their thoughts he said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:

Division will destroy every effort regardless of its merit, and it will also destroy the work of God

Jesus prayed specifically that His people would be united

John 17:20–21 ASV 1901

20 Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me.

Our unity is a determining factor in the world's acceptance of Jesus

Let us determine that we will move forward in the future as a unified body of people, and that we will do all within our power to avoid the dangers of division.

NOT unity in diversity, but unity based solely on God's word

THE DANGER OF EXTREMISM

Now the next two dangers are, in many ways, extensions of the two that I have already discussed: false teaching and division

This third danger is called "Extremism"

What I have in mind is the tendency of some to go to extremes with what they believe or practice or teach

It was very much a problem of the Pharisees

One of their stated goals was to live the letter of the law to the very best of their ability - NOW THAT IS A NOBLE DESIRE - but extremism caused them to become unbalanced and thus unpleasing to God

Look at what Jesus said to them...

Matthew 23:23–24 ASV 1901

23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, that strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel!

They concerned themselves about small matters, but left vital things unattended

Matthew 23:27–28 ASV 1901

27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Dead on the inside – hypocrites

We need to be very concerned that we do swing too far to the left (liberalism) or right (anti-ism, or non-institutional)

There is an old saying that states, "You can fall off a log on either end."

We need to balance out the whole will of God, rather than over-emphasizing one aspect

Acts 20:20 ASV 1901

20 how I shrank not from declaring unto you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly, and from house to house,

Acts 20:27 ASV 1901

27 For I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God.

Extremism is frequently the root cause of both false doctrine and division, therefore, let us beware of the danger

THE DANGER OF OVER-REACTION

Over-reaction is similar to extremism, except here we are talking about how people react to things and not just how they act of their own accord.

Over-reactions comes in response to something that someone else does

Over-reaction often comes in the guise of things that will repair false teaching or division.

Example of repairing a false doctrine: Martin Luther saw that the Catholic church promoted a work only oriented salvation - but he overreacted and helped create the faith-only doctrine, both of which are wrong

Example of repairing division: in an effort to promote unity, some have decided it doesn’t matter about doctrine (e.g. Ruby Shelly, Max Lacado, Mike Cope)

Balance is the key, with our eyes always fixed on the word and will of God, determined to know and practice those things that are both true and unify us.

Remember...

Matthew 7:13–14 ASV 1901

13 Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby. 14 For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it.

CONCLUSION

If the church is to move forward into the future we must realize the dangers of:

False Doctrine

Division

Extremism

Over-reaction

We must avoid these dangers, or the work of the church will be destroyed

Are you doing your part….?