Isn't Christianity Just Simply Pontification?

Sermon Text:

1 Timothy 4:1–3 ESV

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

Sermon Thesis/ Central Idea:

Christianity is not human pontification, it is God communicating His Will to mankind.

What do I want you to know?

I want you to know the difference between communication and pontification. I want you to know the difference between truth and error from a Biblical perspective.

What do I want you to feel?

I want you to feel angry that so many only think of themselves when teaching the Gospel or pro port to speak truth. I want you to feel that something needs to be done about this error that endangers souls.

What do I want you to do?

I want you to return to the ancient faith that uses the Bible alone for doctrine, reproof, correction and training in righteousness.

Pontificate:

1: to speak or express opinions in a pompous or dogmatic way

a: to officiate as a pontiff

b: to celebrate pontifical mass

Did you know?

In ancient Rome, the pontifices were powerful priests who administered the part of civil law that regulated relationships with the deities recognized by the state. Their name, pontifex, derives from the Latin words pons, meaning "bridge," and facere, meaning "to make," and some think it may have developed because the group was associated with a sacred bridge over the river Tiber (although there is no proof of that). With the rise of Catholicism, the title "pontifex" was transferred to the Pope and to Catholic bishops. Pontificate derives from "pontifex," and in its earliest English uses it referred to things associated with such prelates. By the early 1800s, "pontificate" was also being used derisively for individuals who spoke as if they had the authority of an ecclesiastic.

Introduction:

We tend to craft our communication around our own opinions about what’s important, when in fact we should prioritize conveying meaning to our audience.

We’ve all witnessed it:

in our social media feeds,

during work meetings,

in conversations at friend’s parties,

and perhaps most unfortunately on keynote stages and Pulpits all over the world

we’ve all seen someone who thinks they’re communicating when what they’re actually doing is pontificating.

You can tell it’s happening by how it makes you feel when you’re on the receiving end. Communication, on the one hand, feels satisfying-- like you as an audience member are an active and present part of a 2-way dialogue. Pontification, on the other hand, is immensely unsatisfying-- boring, off-putting or even obnoxious -- like your presence in the conversation is an afterthought, if it’s even a thought at all.

Communication vs Pontification

Communication conveys meaning. It’s a dynamic process that involves both the audience and the messenger. Effective communication depends as much on the receiver’s understanding as it does on the messenger’s message.

Communication centers on the audience.

Pontification expresses opinions or self-judgments. It’s less of a process and more of a static delivery mechanism for information the messenger has deemed valuable. It is often dogmatic (even when it’s friendly) and it favors what matters to the speaker over what matters to the audience.

Pontification centers on the speaker.

The difference may seem subtle, but it has grave consequences, both in public speaking and in our interpersonal relationships, both in person and online.

What pontification looks like

Pontification shows up everywhere. Here is an example we’ve all seen and, at times, perpetrated ourselves [sheepishly raises hand]:

Twitter/ Facebook Social Media rants

-- Twitter is basically ground zero for pontification: lots of people making lots of emphatic points, with little attention paid to those on the receiving end, or whether that 2-tweet series of emojis was even actually a point “Show and Tell” or overly esoteric work presentations-- These can have a very “look what I did” feel to them, instead of focusing on what really matters: conveying how your presentation topic matters to your colleagues.

Pontification is Rampant

The Bible warns of this

2 Timothy 4:3–4 ESV

3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Because our culture largely has determined that there is no truth except for what the individual says is truth...

We quite naturally have increased the measure of Pontification of all kinds

This is wrong and dangerous

it is self seeking and must stopped and recognized for what it is

Titus 1:11 ESV

11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.

The lure of money is not new and it has created havoc for people in search of “The Way” to live meaningful, purposeful lives, which carry with it eternal benefits

The prevalence of false teaching far out weighs the existence of what is right and true

2 Peter 2:1–3 ESV

1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

Pontification bends reality to the individuals will and purpose

It’s results are everywhere today

We do not want to live in reality today

and are quickly searching out ways to replace it with

virtual reality

and alternate realities

Pontification is an answer to why there are so many churches today...

Denominational Christianity is Pontification

When we disagree with the truth and want to create our own way of doing things

we divide from the truth

add to the truth

subtract from the truth, the result being...

We operate as something different than the truth because we have doctored it to our own dogmatic purposes

Jeremiah 23:27–32 ESV

27 who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal? 28 Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the Lord. 29 Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? 30 Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who steal my words from one another. 31 Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who use their tongues and declare, ‘declares the Lord.’ 32 Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the Lord, and who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or charge them. So they do not profit this people at all, declares the Lord.

Scripture when handled correctly will not feed the ego but it will protect the soul

it will not give you status and social admiration it will cause you to be a peculiar people

it will not make you rich and famous but it will make you a Royal Priesthood

Denominational believing is operating at less than full capacity

at less than a full reward

Heaven is the full reward and

anything less than

anything added too

anything divide by

is less than a full reward that scripture can deliver

which denominational-ism cannot deliver

2 John 7–11 ESV

7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. 9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

Christianity that deals in reality however is different

It attempts to communicate the reality of God and His Will for mankind

It is not the Pontification of a human individual

When one speaks the oracles of God

He does not speak on his own

He stands on the shoulders of

the Prophets

of Jesus

and the Apostles

The message is not his own, it is the words of the Christ...

Christianity not Pontification

one formula of pontification is to multiply words

big words and many of them

listen to what Jesus says about pray...

Matthew 6:7 ESV

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

God doesn’t need you to pontificate,

He wants you to communicate

The truth stands on it’s own

The underhanded and disgraceful tamper with the word when they Pontificate

Here Paul as the Spirit moved him in his writing to the church in Corinth...

2 Corinthians 4:2 ESV

But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.

The Church itself has Pontificators and some will identify themselves so be aware

Beware of peddlers of truth who are not called by God

but called by the all mighty dollar...

2 Corinthians 2:17 ESV

17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

One way to distinguish Pontification is the absence of the whole counsel of God

When you pick and choose what you like and don’t like, you have left the authority of God’s Word...

Acts 20:27 ESV

27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

Today I pray we have achieved communication

I wanted you to know the difference between communication and pontification.

I wanted to warn you of the difference between truth and error from a Biblical perspective.

I wanted you to have some righteous indignation, that so many only think of themselves when teaching the Gospel or pro port to speak truth.

I wanted you to feel that something needs to be done about this error that endangers souls.

I want you to come or return to the ancient faith that uses the Bible alone for doctrine, reproof, correction and training in righteousness.

I hope you can receive the gift of this message

and that gift is the salvation of God...