Transcript

Childish Or Childlike? - Part Two

2 Corinthians 11:1-6
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Pastor Randy Smith

It's really hard to believe how young people process today. I mean, where is the common sense? Where are the convictions that shape their worldview?

High school freshman, Nathan Zohner urged his classmates to sign a petition that demanded the strict elimination of the chemical "dihydrogen monoxide." I believe he gave strong reasons for requesting their signature.

• It causes excessive sweating and vomiting.
• It's a major component in acid rain.
• It can cause severe burns in its gaseous state.
• It can kill you if accidently inhaled.
• It contributes to erosion.
• It decreases effectiveness on automobile brakes.
• It has been found in tumors of terminal cancer patients.

Fifty people were asked to support Nathan's petition. An overwhelming forty-three signed on. What surprises me is that six people we were "undecided." Can you believe that? What is there to be undecided about? How much more evidence could Nathan have provided for the evils of "dihydrogen monoxide?" What does it take to convince people of a cause nowadays?

Apparently, very little. Obviously these freshmen had yet to enroll in an introductory Chemistry class. Dihydrogen Monoxide - "Di" is two. Hydrogen is the element hydrogen. "Mono" is one. Oxide is the derivative of the element Oxygen. Two atoms of hydrogen with one atom of oxygen.The molecule is called, H20. Forty-three people were easily persuaded based on ignorance and false information to sign a petition calling for the strict elimination of water (Illustration modified from David Holwick)

Deception has also happened throughout the history of the Christian church. Intentionally or unwittingly, false teachers have entered our ranks and have spread lies about the faith. It's hard to find a book in the Bible that does not warn about these wolves outwardly dressed up in sheep's clothing. Take gullible people. Take people wanting to hear what they want to hear. Take a culture of relativity. And take an institution that calls for "faith" and you have all the ingredients necessary for just about anything to fly in the Christian church.

Review From Last Week (sermon points 1-2)

We learned last week in 11:2 that Paul was "jealous" for this Corinthian church. As he said in verse 2, he set up their marriage engagement with Jesus Christ. He said it was his desire as a "father "of this church (1 Cor. 4:15) to present the church to her Savior on the wedding day as a "pure virgin" (verse 2). Yet instead of staying true to Jesus, the Corinthian church was committing spiritual adultery with the false gods that were being introduced by the false teachers.

Paul compares it to Eve in verse 3. Satan enters the garden in the form of a serpent and deceives Eve. In the same way, Satan enters the church in the form of seductive teachers and deceives the Corinthians. And why were they deceived? Verse 3, because their "minds [were] led astray." Instead of determining truth based upon apostolic teaching, they believed most everything that came down the pike if it pleased their fleshly desires and carnal reasoning. As Paul says in verse 3, their "minds [were] led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ."

One, they outgrew a childlike love and devotion to Jesus. Two, the made the Holy Spirit into somebody He wasn't. Three, they went beyond the core boundaries of the Gospel. They traded truth for lies as quick and easy as changing channels on a television set. That is why Paul said in verse 4, "For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully."

Here's where I'd like to go this morning. Since these attacks are still prevalent today and the consequences are the difference between heaven and hell, let's examine these three essential components of our faith, comparing the lies with the truth as it is presented in the Scriptures. This is basically our third and final point from last week's sermon.

3. The Obstruction

Paul will now reveal specifically where this church is going off base. This is what the false teachers presented. This is what brought him "godly jealousy" (verse 2) and made him "afraid" (verse 3). Let's take these components one at a time.

A Different Jesus

First, they proclaimed "another Jesus." Verse 4, "For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached."

You see, the problem was not that the false teachers didn't claim the name of Jesus. They preached Jesus, but the Jesus they preached was not the historical Jesus of the Bible.

For example, Islam believes in Jesus. Muslims revere Jesus and believe in Him as a prophet (one of the greatest prophets). They believe He was born miraculously through virgin birth. They believe He performed many miracles. They believe He was not crucified. And they believe He was not God. Yet every good Muslim will say he or she believes in Jesus!

Mormons believe in Jesus. They believe His is the literal Son or God. They believe in His life, death and resurrection. They believe He is Savior, Creator and Judge. They also believe that Jesus is created, that the Trinity represents three gods and that Jesus atoned for sin both at the cross and in the Garden of Gethsemane. They believe Jesus was the product of relations between god and his goddess wife who used to be people from another world. They believe that Jesus is the literal spirit brother of the devil and of you and me. Yet every good Mormon will say he or she believes in Jesus!

Jehovah Witnesses say they believe in Jesus. Sure, He is the reincarnation of the archangel, Michael. Jesus to them is a created being, not God Himself. They believe Jesus proved His devotion to God by submitting to a horrifying death on a torture stake. They do not believe He was raised from the dead. Yet every good Jehovah Witness will say he or she believes in Jesus!

I can keep going, but I think you get my point. Just because someone says he or she believes in Jesus does not necessarily mean they believe in the true Jesus presented in the Scriptures. They may believe in Jesus, but as Paul said in verse 4, it is "another Jesus," which in reality is no Jesus at all.

I'll use some exaggeration to make my point. Someone says to you, "You wouldn't guess who I met the other day!" You respond, "Who's that?" He says, "I met Billy Graham." You reply, "Really! How's he doing?" He says, "He looks great for a forty-year old guy. He was a bit down when I saw him drinking at the bar since he just came off his third divorce. That probably explains his foul language. Still he's hoping to get back on his feet and resume his career as an astronaut pretty soon."

Such a person can swear by that story. He can claim this man as his friend. He can even tell you the man's name was Billy Graham. But I can tell you right now that the man he met the other day was not Billy Graham, the world-famous evangelist!

I'll keep going for any that might still believe Mormon's and Jehovah Witness are brother and sisters in Christ. Let's pretend you're witnessing to me. You ask me if I'm going to heaven. I say, "Yes." You ask, "Why." And I say, "Because I believe in Jesus." I think most of us who shout out a hearty "amen" and move on to another subject. Yet you decide to probe me a little further. You ask, "And who is Jesus?" And I confidently respond by saying, "Jesus is this chair. I love Jesus. He's with me all the time." Now we have a lot to talk about! Most likely you'd say, "You don't know Jesus and with all due respect that Jesus is not getting you to heaven!"

John MacArthur would say anyone can put on a bathrobe, go down to the beach, claim to be Jesus and receive an instant following. Then again, he is speaking about people in Southern California!

So you believe in Jesus, great! Who is your Jesus? Can we agree that there must be some parameters that define who Jesus is! Can we also agree that He's more than just a good teacher and religious leader and man of compassion and political guru and wise philosopher and miracle worker?

Is your Jesus the true historical Jesus of the Bible? Was He born of the Virgin Mary? Does He have no beginning or end being God Himself? Is He fully man and fully God? Did He take on flesh to be a human reprehensive? Did He live without sin? Did He die to make complete atonement for sin? Was he raised on the third day? Is He the only mediator we need? Is He seated at the right hand of the Father prepared to judge the world? Is He both Savior and Lord? Is He returning?

We can't pick and choose what we want to believe about Jesus. If we choose to follow Him we must accept and adore Him for who He really is. And the determination of that is based solely on the presentation of Him found in the Bible. If you don't have this Jesus, you don't have Jesus!

So when Paul says, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Ac. 16:31), it's not your faith that saves you. What saves you is your faith in the true Jesus. Or when Paul says, "That I may know Him" (Phil. 3:10), it's seeking to know the true Jesus. Or when Paul says, "If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed" (1 Cor. 16:22), it's seeking to love the true Jesus.

It is tragic that millions on Judgment Day will say, "I know Jesus" to which Jesus will say, "I never knew you" (Mt. 7:23).

The false teachers presented Jesus, but it was a counterfeit Jesus. It wasn't the Jesus of the Bible and thus their Jesus was nothing more than a figment of their imagination. Their Jesus might have brought them false hope, but it was useless for true salvation.

A Different Spirit

Alright we need to move on. In addition to hearing from the false teachers about a different Jesus in verse 4, they also heard about a different spirit. Interestingly, Paul does not deny that they received a spirit, but whatever it was it was not the Holy Spirit that was presented by him.

So what spirit was being presented to them? I have to believe it was some kind of demonic spirit that twisted and maligned the character and work of the Holy Spirit. In 1 Timothy 4:1 we read the warning, "But the [Holy] Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons." The description of the Holy Spirit brought by the false teachers had demonic influences at its roots.

According to the Corinthian epistles, the church received a spirit, a counterfeit Holy Spirit that appeared to be nothing more than a wonder worker. He was a spirit that promised prosperity and a spirit that took pleasure in the showy and a spirit that delivered from all sufferings and a spirit that told you to let your mind go and a spirit that took the focus off of Jesus Christ and put it on Himself.

Contrary to what many believe, the Corinthian epistles are a rebuke to those who champion the work of this false Holy Spirit. Contrary to prescribing how the Holy Spirit acts, they describe exactly how He does not act and how these Corinthians churches were in error.

So who is the Holy Spirit according to the Scriptures and what does He do?

He is the third Person of the Holy Trinity. He is not a force, but God Himself. He is the author of Holy Scripture. He came in full strength at Pentecost and dwells within the lives of all true believers. We receive Him in His fullness at the moment of salvation.

He regenerates hearts. He baptizes believers equally in the body of Christ. He convicts of sin and grants repentance. He helps us to pray and understand Scripture. He leads us, comforts us, sanctifies us and empowers us for service. He seals us and provides assurance of our salvation. He distributes gifts. He brings unity and oneness to the body. He seeks to bring glory to Jesus Christ.

Again it comes back to learning from and examining everything we hear with the Word of God. 1 John 4:6, "We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." Apostolic teaching! The Bible!

A Different Gospel

A different Jesus, a different Spirit and lastly, a logical consequence of the first two, a different Gospel. It was not the same Gospel message that Paul brought that they originally accepted. Paul, in verse 4 called it "a different gospel which you have not accepted."

Like Jesus and the Spirit, we can't just simply accept any Gospel message and believe that is our ticket to salvation. There is only one saving Gospel -the Gospel message contained in the Bible. Remember what Paul told the Galatians? "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ" (Gal. 1:6-7). He goes on to warn, "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!" (Gal. 1:8-9).

Here are some of the key ways heretical teachers have maligned the true Gospel, turning it into a false Gospel.

Instead of preaching the historical Jesus found on the pages of Scripture, they have invented a Jesus that is more acceptable to what unbelievers in the world might want. Instead of prioritizing the cross of Jesus where He accomplished His work of redemption, they either ignore the cross or find a different purpose for the cross, such as Jesus simply wanted to prove His love for us or Jesus showed His loyalty to the Father or Jesus revealed it was noble to die for a cause. Instead of believing that one is saved by grace and faith alone, they teach that Jesus if fine, but human achievement is also necessary to obtain salvation. Instead of teaching that Jesus is sufficient, they add legalistic requirements necessary for salvation. And instead of promoting righteous living that should and will follow on the heels of all true converts, they teach that once one is saved obedience to the lordship of Christ is optional.

I ask you, 2,000 years later, have the lies changed?

So what is the true Gospel, the biblical Gospel that saves? It teaches that God is perfectly holy, separate from sin and will never allow sin into His eternal presence. It teaches that all humans are guilty of sin from the time of their birth with no hope of salvation apart from God's divine intervention. It teaches that God in love and mercy sent Jesus Christ to die for our sin purchasing by His work on the cross a full pardon of forgiveness to all who will receive Him. And it teaches that we receive Jesus Christ on the basis of faith, trusting the One who paid the full penalty for our sins in their entirely and on the basis of repentance, a commitment to turn from our sin and follow Jesus as Lord.

I just presented to you the four core elements of the Gospel. The holiness of God. The sinfulness of man. The Person and work of Christ. Faith and Repentance. If you prefer one word headings: God-Man-Christ-Response.

So with all the lies believed today, let's see what happens when this foundation is shaken.

We'll start off at the beginning with the fact that God is not holy. He's the man upstairs. He's the punchline of jokes. He's taken in vain, His name being used as a figure of speech. He's blasphemed in movies. He's uninvolved in creation. He's an impotent, grandfatherly type figure that winks at sin and lets everybody go to heaven.

Well, if God is not holy, then man is not sinful, or even if he is sinful, God will not punish or there's no hell to send him to. Like when my daughter's high school class was reading Jonathan Edward's puritan classic, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," how students who likely believed in "God" would either sneer or mock at the words spoken of in the sermon. "People are basically good. God is not an angry God. He would never send anyone to hell. That's not the God I know!"

And then if we throw away guilt and accountability before a holy God, we can easily let Jesus Christ slip out of the picture as well. Take away the wrath of God and Jesus Christ becomes nothing but a big yawn. "What need to I have for a Savior? God already loves me. I'm basically a good person. We all go to heaven and I deserve it more than others."

Get rid of Jesus and you obviously get rid of the need for faith in Jesus, the primary response the Bible claims is necessary for salvation. Faith in Jesus is just believing He existed - similar to the way you believe in George Washington - no devotion, no loyalty, no obedience is necessary. Or even worse, faith now becomes whatever object you wish to believe in. "I'm up for a little spirituality, so I'll choose meditation or nature or astrology or pleasure or false religion or whatever to get me there."

This was not what the Corinthians were first instructed to believe when Paul was in their midst. But he leaves and the false teachers enter. They contradict the truth with their error and as Paul says at the end of verse 4, "you bear this beautifully" (cf. 2 Cor. 11:20). NIV - "you put up with it easily enough." Instead of rejecting the lies, they tolerated them.

There's been a rush of books available detailing the accounts of young children and their near-death experience in heaven. Some Christians I know have been drooling over these books to get their information about the details of heaven.

Two days ago I received an e-mail describing how one of those boys in the book, "The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven" recently made the following confession. "I did not die. I did not go to Heaven. I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention." He goes on to say, "When I made the claims that I did, I had never read the Bible. People have profited from lies, and continue to. They should read the Bible, which is enough. The Bible is the only source of truth. Anything written by man cannot be infallible. Those who market these materials must be called to repent and hold the Bible as enough."

That's how we must do business as a church. We must understand why the Bible is the sufficient Word of God and we must center all of our instruction about whom God is and what He expects from us from the Bible alone. No teacher in this church is ever above the Bible. And no Christian in this church should ever accept anything that adds to or contradicts biblical truth.