Why is it harder to know the truth in an open and free society!
A. America is an open and free society.
1. Any one person can gather 5 other people to organize a church preach whatever they want!
According to law of the land, 6 American can organize a church!
And this is why there are so many different kinds of churches!
And each of them claim to preach what says in the Bible!
2. This by itself presents a big problem for those who seek to know the truth!
This is frustrating to me, when I told them this is the church of Christ,
we preach according to what says in the Bible! (1 Peter 4:11)
Their answer to this question: They all told me the same thing!
Except quoting 1 Peter 4:11!
3. Plus the environment in the society is this-->
People are forced to be very busy in “making ends meet”!
They do not have time to sit down and study the Bible to know the true!
Unlike Acts 17:11-12--> The Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians,
they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day
to see if Paul said was true.
Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek man.
4. This bring John 6:65 to my mind!
Jesus said: This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.
5. This fit into what 2 Tim.4:1-3 said!
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of
his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--
with great patience and careful instruction.
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.
Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers
to say what their itching ears want to hear.
6. This was what 2 Cor.2:17 talked about!
So many people wrap God’s word into different kinds of merchandise to trade in the market place for profit.
But we, like Paul said, “In Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God!
7. Ro.16:17-18--> I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create denominations and
put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned.
Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites.
By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
a. In an open and free society everyone is entitled to set up their ownkind of church.
Paul said, people should “watch out”, they join them!
b. Have you heard this saying: Join the church of your choice!
c. How they draw members? Adultery God’s word, using smooth talk and flattery words.
d. Yes, many in those churches are innocent and honest good people!
“By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naïve people!”
B. Under regulated society.
1. One kind or faith can only have one organized church.
All individual believers are to belong and worship under the direction of this one church.
2. This in turn fulfilled the prayer of Jesus recorded in John 17:20-23.
And this church in their society is to be autonomous from foreign control.
This fit into the teaching in Acts 14:23.
***3. Like it or not, this fit perfectly into Ro.13:1-2-->***
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which
God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted,
and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
4. One of their regulations is this. All teachers are to practice mutual respect.
Each is free to interpret the words recorded in the Bible.
Each is given time to teach classes in the church.
5. Believers are required to worship in this one church.
This creates opportunities for believers to be exposed to different interpretation of
the words in the Bible.
6. In turn this creates curiosity and desire to study the Bible themselves.
This gives believers to practice Acts 17:11. They have to examine each teacher’s teaching.
7. By far this is the most important one!
This give anyone who really appointed by God to teach the truth in the Bible!
8. Unlike in a free and open society where each create their own set of teaching and use smooth talk
and flattery to deceive innocent people!
And set up specific theologies to defend their teaching and organization against each other
and especially against those who really teach the truth in the Bible.
C. Real life examples for illustration!
1. Once I visited Qing Dao China, a brother in Christ helped us checked into a hotel.
Not long after we settled down. He brought with him a couple who were teaching religion in a family church.
(Family church means people meet for religious instruction against local authority!)
2. We know this is also against the will of God according to Ro.13:1-2!
We know many these groups are control, influenced and supported by foreign denominational churches!
At first the couples were very friendly.
But when we sit down and talked about how they teach salvation in the Lord Jesus.
They quoted Ro.10:9 and say all God has required of sinners to do is confess with mouth and believe in
their hearts they are saved.
I said, then, how do you teach Mk.16:16?
Then I explained to them, saying, Ro. 10:9 was written to defend the saved people in the church of Christ
at Rome, so that they will not be disturbed by the heresy recorded in Acts 15:1.
When comes to sinners in the world we must use Mk.16:16 and examples in Acts 2:36-38, 22:12-16 etc.
They didn’t even let me finish. They rushed out and gone!
After they left the brother who brought them, apologized to us!
But I said this is the tragedy I am talking about all the time!
Tragically, denominational people are trapped in this wrong teaching!
3. One time I was visiting in the Southern part of China. Not long after we settled into a hotel.
A friend of the local preacher brought to us a young preacher who practice preaching against government
regulation! He expected us to agree and sympathy with him.
When we talked about Salvation in Christ, they quoted Ro.10:9!
After the same talked with him he stormed out and within minutes police, government, intelligent,…
a group of government people rushed into our hotel room asked lots of questions!
We were invited by the government approved church leaders!
4. One time when we visited Beijing, my friend introduced me to meet with an old preacher who commanded high
respect by believers in Beijing! He was respected to the point that they allowed him to hold worship in
church building for the family church which he leaded!
I requested that his son and this preacher friend of mine be present when we study Bible.
During the study his son commented, “Father, why do you refuse to reason with him” several times!
Conclusion:
In regulated society people has more chance to know the truth!
May the Lord bless you and keep you forever! March 11, 2009.