Before Christ’s ascension, He commissioned the New Testament Church to preach the gospel, baptize the converts, and teach them to observe all things that He had commanded, Matthew 28:18-20. No other license is needed, nor does this regular work of the church depend on other things to be its cause or catalyst.
The magical combination of power to reach lost sinners has always been: “the preaching of the gospel” (1 Corinthians 1:21) and “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). In Luke 16, the rich man who died and in hell lift up his eyes, cried that if one went back from the dead, his brothers would repent. But the answer was, “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” Multitudes of decisions, made in every religion, are made due to fear, emotional upsets, human persuasions, passions, coercions, etc., but the facts are that human awakenings, reformations, passions, intentions and commitments are not the same thing as a conversion wrought due to the sowing of the incorruptible seed (God’s Word) and the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. Paul stated that he had planted and Apollos watered, but God gave the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).
God’s people are commanded to pray without ceasing. Without prayer, there is no effective watch against temptation, and no real connection with the Lord’s leadership and power. Jesus taught that prayer is not a matter of an outward display, but an effectual, fervent communication on the individual’s part with God.
God commands the Body of Christ, i.e., the local church, to be doctrinally pure and sound. We are to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered. We are to speak and stand for sound doctrine. We are to remain separate from everything not according to the true doctrines of the scripture. We are commanded to try the spirits whether they are of God or man (1 John 4:1) and to prove that which is acceptable unto the Lord, and have no fellowship with that which is not (Ephesians 5:10-17). We are to reprove doctrinal instability (Titus 1:9), rebuke those things that are not upright according to the truth of the gospel (Galatians 2:14), and come out from among that which is false, that we be not a partaker of their sins (Revelation 18:4).
Yet today, when the religious initiatives of men are put forth, by even those known to espouse false doctrine, if you don’t join up with their initiatives, recommend their productions, and laud the positive aspects of their works, the ecumenical spirits accuse you of missing the boat. As a preacher of the 1950’s said, “They tell me that I missed the boat, but I wasn’t looking to get on board.”
“By their fruits ye shall know them.” If the movies and ecumenical services had any real gospel impact, the first people being converted from error unto the truth, would be the makers and producers themselves. But that’s not happening! Rather, they are just being strengthened in their own religious error, while turning the sentiments of people against those who join not in with their religious errors! BE NOT DECEIVED!
SHARING
