Rev. David Holwick ZB After Acts: Early Church series #10
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
August 17, 2004
Matthew 7:15-23
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I. Veering off track.
A. Daniel Holwick's new 4-wheel-drive Izusu Rodeo SUV.
1) Wants to get off-road. "Baja-ing"
2) So far he's only been able to take it to Wal-Mart.
B. Early church changed quickly.
1) By the second century, prayers to saints, adoration of the
Virgin Mary, and infant baptism are all in place.
2) Did they go off track, or have we?
C. Baptists are different.
1) Most denominations today emphasize "smells and bells."
a) Ornate churches and vestments.
b) Ornate worship rituals and calendars.
2) Baptists go against the flow.
a) Simpler, down-home services.
b) Bible emphasis.
c) Stress on being born-again.
3) How close are we to the New Testament?
a) Christian worship in Haiti house church - small group,
women's heads are covered, sexes are separated.
b) It is not the size, or even the simplicity, that is
important.
c) Staying true to Jesus and Bible is what really matters.
II. Jesus anticipated the departure from truth.
A. His warnings on wolves.
1) They present themselves as genuine prophets, but are not.
B. Fruit is the key.
1) Judge teachings (and historical developments) by their
spiritual outcome.
2) Do they encourage Christlikeness, or not?
III. Why the church changed.
A. Power won out over servanthood.
1) The rapid growth of the church called for new leaders.
a) They adapted, just as Moses met a new situation by
appointing judges to help him.
1> Bible doesn't specifically mention Sunday School
teachers, but it is reasonable to have them now.
b) Part of their adapting was the consolidation of power.
1> Early on, church leadership followed the pattern
of the Roman government.
2> Local leaders, regional leaders, finally national
leaders.
2) The origin of the Pope.
a) Five key centers of the church were led by patriarchs.
1> They saw themselves as equals, but Rome believed
its patriarch (the Pope) was more equal.
A> Matthew 16:18-19 is used for support.
2> The others did not accept this, and still don't.
A> This month the patriarch of Russia refused to
let Pope John Paul II visit their country.
b) Each patriarch sought earthly power.
1> In the middle ages, they claimed supremacy over
secular kings and fought for political power.
2> They controlled vast areas of land and had their
own armies.
3> Corruption set in, and the church suffered.
B. Materialism won out over spirituality.
1) Church leaders began to copy Roman officials.
a) After the time of Constantine, some church leaders
lived in palaces and ate luxurious food.
b) Their wealth cut them off from the common people.
2) Two tier system of spirituality.
a) The monks and nuns are holy and spiritual.
b) Regular people don't have to live up to the Bible.
3) Modern church stumbles at same issue.
a) Do we love middle-class lifestyle more than Jesus?
C. Paganism infiltrated the church.
1) Rather than making a clean break, they absorbed paganism.
a) Sun-worship was incorporated.
b) The birthday of the sun - December 25!
c) Some early Christians bowed to the sun before
entering St. Peter's basilica.
2) Worship of Mary.
a) She is honored in Bible, but not worshipped.
b) Growing tradition: sinless, perpetual virgin.
c) Many teachings grew out of pagan goddess worship.
1> Worship of Artemis was carried over.
2> Also the Egyptian goddess Isis, who had similar
"Madonna" poses.
3) Praying to saints.
a) Cult of martyrs got out of hand.
b) Relics - fighting over hermits' bodies. (cf. Ayatollah)
c) The church historian Theodoret boasts that in many
places saints and martyrs took the place of pagan
gods, and their shrines the place of pagan temples.
d) One priest wrote:
"We almost see the rites of the pagans introduced into
the churches under the pretext of religion.
Ranks of candles are lit in full daylight.
And everywhere people kiss and adore some bit of dust
in a little pot, wrapped in a precious fabric."
4) Infant baptism.
a) Earliest baptistries are large enough for immersion.
b) Change to infant baptism lowered the commitment of
members.
c) Membership was automatic, whether you were saved or not.
D. The Bible was trumped by traditions.
1) In Middle Ages, even many priests did not read the Bible.
2) It didn't matter much, since so much accumulated customs
were more important.
E. Salvation became a system of works.
1) Good deeds get you to heaven.
a) Eventually, you could purchase your good deeds.
2) Bad deeds put you in purgatory.
a) Your suffering there got your sins settled.
1> It might take 10,000 years.
b) Purgatory is nowhere taught in the Bible.
1> It eliminates the need for the cross.
IV. Getting back to the basics - the Baptist approach.
A. Jesus as Lord.
1) We do not follow any human - not even a pastor - only Jesus.
2) Jesus says he is truth, and truth shall set us free.
Southern Baptist leader Albert Mohler:
"Truth is an essential, authenticating mark of the church.
It is non-negotiable." #19521
B. Bible as benchmark.
1) We aim for same approach to Bible that Jesus himself took.
a) All human traditions must be held up to Bible.
2) Traditions vs. traditionalism.
Church historian Jaroslav Pelikan makes an interesting
statement on this:
"Tradition is the living faith of those who have passed
and traditionalism is the dead faith of those living."
#28258
a) We do not discount the wisdom of the past.
1> We can learn much from them.
2> This is why I have done a series on church history!
b) But put God's Word higher.
C. Worship must be sincere.
1) Worship in New Testament is free and spontaneous.
a) They had no buildings, stained glass or organs.
b) Each person contributed to the experience.
2) Beware of formalism.
a) Visual clutter can get in the way.
A few years ago the Scripps Howard News Service profiled
former lawyer James Kelley of Washington, D.C.
Kelley was one of a small group at his local church who
were enthusiastic Episcopalians but who did not believe
in God.
Said Kelley, "We all love the incense, the stained glass
windows, the organ music, the vestments and all of that.
It's drama. It's aesthetics. It's the ritual.
That's neat stuff.
I don't want to give all that up just because I don't
believe in God." #28255
3) A genuine worship experience focuses on God alone.
D. Local leadership.
1) Perhaps we should not go beyond the New Testament.
a) The word "Church" is never applied to all Christians.
1> The power of the church was in local congregations.
b) Jesus: my kingdom is not of this world.
1> It is not our role to replace the government.
2> Jesus says true leaders are servants, not tyrants.
2) Even in Bible, leadership can get corrupted. 1 Sam 2:12
a) Tragedy of high priest Eli and his evil sons.
b) New Testament teaches that leaders must be accountable.
c) They lead by serving. 1 Peter 5:2-3
3) Bible ideal - everyone is a minister.
a) Each one has a spiritual gift for the common good.
b) Those who lead must be called by God.
4) We fall short of the ideal.
a) We will come closest to it at end of August.
b) Entire early service worship team will be gone!
E. Salvation by grace.
1) Bible is clear that we are saved by God's action.
a) We don't deserve salvation. Rom 5:8-10
b) But God takes the initiative in saving us.
c) We must respond in faith and repentance.
1> Our good works show our gratitude to God.
2) Religion is much more than morality.
a) It is new birth - being "born again."
b) Yet true religion will be evident in the fruit.
V. "Lord, Lord" doesn't hack it. Matthew 7:21-23
A. Fake Christianity can seem quite realistic.
1) Note miracles they experienced.
2) Only problem - they didn't know God.
a) (better: he didn't know them)
3) Evidence - their deeds were evil.
B. How will your faith stack up against the test of time?
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
#19521 "Scripture Defines What Is The True Christian Church," Michael Foust,
Baptist Press, http://www.baptistpress.org/, July 11, 2001.
#28255 "Episcopalian Atheists," Chuck Shepherd, News Of The Weird internet
newsletter, August 13, 2004.
#28258 "Dead Formalism Or Living Faith?" Rev. Keith Geiselman, in Rev. Brett
Blair's Illustrations by Email, www.sermonillustrations.com,
August 11, 2004.
These and 25,000 others are part of a database that can be downloaded,
absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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