DON TARBET
INTRODUCTION
I. A great passage of scripture is found in the book of Jeremiah of the Old Testament.
A. Here, God is speaking through His inspired prophet about a horrible thing that had happened in the land. (Read Jer. 5:30-31, slowly with emphasis)
1. God names what the terrible and horrible thing was, as divided into 3 parts.
a. 1st, the prophets were prophesying falsely in telling the people that the warnings God had been giving through Jeremiah and the other inspired prophets were not to be taken too seriously, and that IF they were ever taken captive by the Assyrians and Babylonians, that it would not last long and they would soon be back home.
b. 2nd, that the priests (the religious leaders) were ruling from their own power and not God’s.
c. 3rd, THEN the worse part of all was, that the people believed what they were told, and loved what they heard—it made them feel good,.
2. NEXT, the question God posed was, “But what will you do in the end?”
B. Today, this question is still pertinent, as to what will people do in the end of the world and the day of judgment, when they have been told that the Bible is outdated, and is either wrong or obsplete, and is no longer applicable, or is the figment of man’s imagination.
II. Let’s examine a few of the issues where people are being misled.
DISCUSSION
I. 1st, in the matter of SALVATION FROM PAST SINS.r
A. Undoubtedly millions of souls have lived and died loving what they have been told, that baptism in water is not necessary to being saved.
1. If such is not true, just why would Christ and the apostles have taught such in the first place?
2. In Hiscox’s Manual for Baptist Churches, it is stated, “In the first century, when there was but one church and no denominations existed, that baptism was the door into the church, but now it is different”….so their membership is determined by their being voted on by the church.”
a. Hiscox admits that there was a time before the Baptist or any other denomination existed, and baptism was essential then, but now it is different, and baptism is no longer necessary.
b. But, what does GOD say in His word?
1) Remember, that Jesus, the sole authority in religion, said His teaching is for all the world, and is to last till the end of the world. Matt.28:18-20
2) Jesus placed baptism before salvation, making it a necessary requirement. Mark 16;15-16; cf Acts 2;38; 1 Pet. 3:21; John 12:48; Jas. 2:24
B. A more recent doctrihne (in the last 100 years) is THE doctrine of easy salvation, is that of offering what is called “The Sinner’s Prayer”, which is especially used in Baptist churches.
1. According to the New Testament, prayer is a privilege for those already saved. John 9:31; 1 Pet. 3:12
2. What is wrong with the “Sinner’s Prayer” being used to obtain salvation?
a. 1st, nowhere in the scripture that says anything about being saved by offering this prayer.
1) Peter’s command to people who wanted to be saved was “repent and be baptized.” Acts 2:37-38
2) Later, Philip told an erring church member (who had already been baptized) to pray for pardon for sins committed after baptism. (Acts 8:13-22)
b, 2nd, the “sinners’ prayer” is inconsistent with authorized prayer, as it is offered to Jesus, in the name of Jesus, rather than to the Father in the name of Jesus.
II. 2nd, in the matter of THE CHURCH OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.
A. God has set a “pattern” for the church in the gospel age, just as He did for the tabernacle of old.
1. God was specific and firm regarding the tabernacle (which was a type or pattern for the church), so why would He NOT be particular about the finished product—that which was to be built according TO the pattern??
2. Some preachers have argued that to look back to “restore” the New Testament church is to be “past oriented”, when we should be looking to the future, and that God doesn’t want the church to always be “first century” orientedl.
B. Let’s see what would have happened long ago if NOAH, MOSES and AARON had applied the kind of “reasoning” some are using today. For instance, Noah’s sons might have built their own little arks of cedar, pine and redwood, and then argued that “one ark was as good as another, and each builder could select the wood of his choice,and STILL be saved from the impending flood.” But, what would have happened at the flood—would you have preferred to be in any one of the three little arks that Shem, Ham and Japheth had built instead of the ONE ark Noah built that God authorized? OR, the 3 sons of Noah might have “argued:” that as long as they were in God’s “invisible ark”, THAT was all t hat mattered, and then one could get into a “visible” ark that these men built. (Denominational preachers argue ths way today—claiming that as long as one is in Christ’s “invisible” church (being saved by “faith only”, or the “Sinner’s Prayer”), THEN one can be in any one of the “visible” churches men have built. Was Noah’s ark “invisible”, while the other 3 small arks “visible”? Neither does GOD have an “invisible” church, and also many “visible” churches or denominations?
Shem also might have argued, “Well,our 3 arks are ALL the ONE ark that God authorized Noah to build. Friend, how on earth can 3 different kinds of arks be ONE ark, when they were built by 3 different men and wore different names? YET, that is the way religionists “reason” today—that ALL churches are really the ONE church described in the Bible, though they are founded by different men and wear different names. How absurd! Yet, some of our brethren are drifting into THAT kind of religious philosophy.
Then take MOSES. He might have modernized the temple, and substituted brass where God said use gold, and left out part of the structure that prophetically pointed to Christianity. He might have put NO veil between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place—would God have been pleased? AARON might have decided to build a large sand temple on a beach to please the people—would that have been okay? What would Noah and his sons,Moses and Aaron have done in the END if they had followed modern day religious philosophy??
C. Let’s note a few scriptures. Exo. 25:9, 40; Heb. 8:4-5; 9:23-24
D. God warned of those who attempt to change the word of God. Matt. 15:9; 1 Tim. 4:1-2; Gal. 1:8-9; 2 John 9-10
CONCLUSION
I. Jesus foretold that “many” will SAY erroneous things in the judgment day to seek self-justification. Matt. 7:21-23
A. Regarding ”salvation”, some may SAY: “Lord, Billy Graham told us we didn’t have to be baptized.”
B. Regarding the “church, some may seek to justify their efforts to make the church a human denomination by quoting one or more of our liberal preachers to justify their departing from the truth.
II. The judgment day will be too late to repent and get right with God.
A. What will “do” in the end?
B. Your soul wil go the place prepared for you, for which you have prepared yourself. 2 Cor. 5:10
