Authenticity

In our modern Christian vernacular the title Pharisee carries a markedly negative connotation, and rightfully so. In the days of Jesus, however, they were recognized as the most fastidiously observant religious leaders of the day. I suppose there exists some Pharisee in all of us, so it’s important to recognize their toxic attitudes and behaviors.

In a world of darkness, there should be a place where one can go to find the light of life. There should be a place where the seeking can find understanding, the hungry-hearted can find manna from above, and those bound by sin’s chains can be set free.

In John 14 and 15 we find the record of our Lord’s principal teachings about the Holy Spirit’s ministry to believers, and in these chapters we will also find access to miracles of a kind that those true to the Bible can expect to see.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday throngs of people followed Him. There are four components of that special day I would like to look at, and then make an observation about modern-day Christians.

Teen culture manufactures plenty of excitement and hype. Every new show or event is marketed as the greatest, coolest, most epic of its kind, ever. But what our pop culture lacks is anything that is genuine or meaningful.

The sheriff and outlaw stand at opposite ends of a dusty street, hands twitching with energy and deadly calm. Doors slam with locals rushing for cover, and curtains part for faces watching what’s to come. The sun glares straight overhead, but every store sign reads ‘CLOSED’ for this morose holiday.

One of the most maligned words in the current religious glossary is the term fundamentalism. The term is misused often. Dictionary definitions of fundamentalism acknowledge its original use in reference to what they call “a twentieth century movement in Protestantism” which emphasized “the literal interpretation of the Bible.”

Our first President, George Washington, had a motto for his life that he endeavored to live by: “Deeds, not words.” Reading this, I thought about how simplistic and yet how important it is that our lives as Christians be characterized by that motto.

Our natural tendency is to create our own definitions of purity—building longer and more impressive lists of rules every year. But if we want to please God, we must get our definition of pure religion from the Bible.

I recently preached on “Give Me that Old Time Religion.” But my text wasn’t from Jeremiah 6 about the old paths. In fact, the message itself wasn’t about the “old time religion” in the sense of preserving a culture from earlier days of fundamentalism.

In John chapter two, Jesus entered the newly refurbished Herodian Temple. What would His attitude be toward the pseudo worship of the Jews of His day? The building had not looked so good since the day of Solomon’s Temple, but buildings are not ends in and of themselves.

Someone has said, “The unsoundness of a vessel is not seen when it is empty; but when it is filled with water.” This is when you will see if it will leak or not.

What does God say about His own Word? Some appeal to history as authoritative proof that the Received Text has been passed down from one generation of Bible-believing Christians to the next.

Whereas Peter spoke of something more sure, today’s believer is constantly bombarded with a newer and better translation that does not generate more trust. Rather, it generates confusion, doubt, dissension, and unending debate.

The multiplication of “modern language” English Bibles is one of the most important religious phenomena of recent years. The abandonment of the King James Bible by churches has not been a good thing.

Sermon outline: This is an abbreviated outline with the complete sermon downloadable at the bottom of the post. When we consider the challenging, yet rewarding, aspect of leadership, the best and most reliable model for leadership will always be our Lord Jesus Christ.

The nation was in a free fall heading for destruction. Not a single drop of rain had fallen for three and a half years.

A few days ago I received a call from my credit card company’s fraud department. As I spoke with the representative, he began to verify some recent activity on my account. As he went through the list, there were two charges that I did not recognize. One was for $1.75, it was an online purchase from some company in the United Kingdom and the other was also an online purchase of over $1,200.00 to some construction company. I assured him those were not mine and he informed me that I was the victim of credit card fraud and my number had been stolen. He then immediately shut down my account and had new cards sent overnight for my wife and me.