Open your eye, recognize it, man has 3 ways to believe Jesus!
1. Bible or not, as long as I feel good about it!
2. According to some in Bible, some not in Bible!
3. According to what is in the Bible.
A. In my 40 years of preaching in N.Y.C. item #1 is typical!
1. "Jesus' Believers" in N.Y.C. care not what is in the Bible! Their attitude is as long as I feel good about it!
2. Whenever you ask them:
Do you know the church you go to do not teach what is in the Bible?
Their answer: Oh, Ya! But I feel good about it!
3. Apostle Paul wrote about this type of believers! Gal.6:7-8
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.
For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
B. Believe Jesus according to some in the Bible and some not in the Bible!
1. In reality this is the most common one in the world!
2. Watch out what Jesus said about these people! Mark 7:5-7
And the Pharisees and the scribes ask him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with defiled hands?
And he said unto them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honor me with their lips, But their heart is far from me.
But in vain do they worship me, Teaching (as their) doctrines the precepts of men.
3. Watch out what Apostle Paul said about these people! Gal.1:8
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!
C. Why do you think Christ shed his blood to establish the New Testament Bible?
1. Take note to what Apostle Peter wrote! 1 Peter 1:22-25
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever."
And this is the word that was preached to you.
2. This is why in chapter 4 verse 11 Apostle Peter wrote:
If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.
If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.
To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
D. Open you eye and use your God given common sense to verify!
1. 2000 years ago preachers sowed the seed, preached the word of God, what churches did they produce?
2. The Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Acts 2:47
3. The churches of Christ salute you. Romans 16:16
4. Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops,
to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood. Acts 20:28
5. This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Luke 8:11
6. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matt.16:18
E. What kind of people do not understand these teachings?
1. 2 Cor.4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
2. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish;
because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
3. They rather live as children of the devil! 1 John 3:10
In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever does not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loves not his brother.
4. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Romans 1:18
5. What kind of people afraid to attend church of Christ preaching meetings?
Ro14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
All unritheousness doing people should be afraid!
May the Lord bless you and keep you always! Preach this on December 28 2014.
Video: English Cantonese – Recorded 12/28/14
Part 1