{"id":232,"date":"2018-11-07T11:32:11","date_gmt":"2018-11-07T19:32:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/migrate.bettersermons.org\/?p=232"},"modified":"2020-06-01T11:40:30","modified_gmt":"2020-06-01T18:40:30","slug":"blind-obedience-to-a-leader-named-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/blind-obedience-to-a-leader-named-do\/","title":{"rendered":"Blind Obedience to a Leader Named Do"},"content":{"rendered":"
Blind Obedience to a Leader Named Do<\/span><\/div>\n

\".\"
\nGod’s calls us to an intelligent faith, one that examines evidence and understands the costs, yet still has the courage to follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Introduction<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nHumor:<\/strong>\u00a0Man at breakfast table on Sabbath morning: \u201cI don\u2019t want to go to church.\u201d Wife: Why? Church is boring, nobody\u2019s friendly to me, it\u2019s full of hypocrites. It\u2019s a hectic drive to get there. I don\u2019t like the potluck menu this week. It\u2019s too much; I\u2019m not going. Wife (who\u2019s the boss of the house anyway): You have to go. Put on your necktie. Husband: Why? Wife: Because you\u2019re the pastor, that\u2019s why!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2.<\/td>\nWhen a new Christian is baptized, who will they be following? \u201cFollowership\u201d devoted to whom?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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I.<\/strong><\/td>\nFive Levels of Loyalty<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\nA.<\/td>\nI Cor. 1:10-13:\u00a0I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe\u2019s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, \u201cI follow Paul\u201d; another, \u201cI follow Apollos\u201d; another, \u201cI follow Cephas [Peter]\u201d; still another, \u201cI follow Christ.\u201d Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nPaul personally baptized very few people; tendency to identify with and bond with the spiritual mentor who baptizes you<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\nB.<\/td>\nFive things happen at a baptism, when we are buried to the old life, resurrected to new beginning, a fresh start:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nYou feel an emotional bond to the pastor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nHe makes suggestions, points out a verse, asks a favor: YES!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nWe want to avoid being \u201cPastor X devotees\u201d; there IS a strand of loyalty<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n2.<\/td>\nYou are connected to THIS Adventist church; you are officially voted in<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nYou attend here, cast votes here<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nYour name is on the books here<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nYou hold church jobs here; you may serve on our board as a leader<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n3.<\/td>\nYou become a part of the worldwide Adventist fellowship, along with 14 million others. You are a Sabbath-celebrating, Second Coming-anticipating kind of Christian.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n4.<\/td>\nWhen people are baptized into Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, they enter into the full fellowship of the worldwide Christian Church<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nThis is one of the most thrilling, moving, awesome things a person can ever do<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nYou join the Body of Christ<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nYou are part of the church Jesus Himself started in 31 A.D.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nd.<\/td>\nJesus to disciples in Matt. 16:\u00a0\u201cWho do people say I am?\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Elijah, another prophet come back from the dead<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\ne.<\/td>\nJesus to Peter:\u00a0\u201cYes, but who do YOU say I am?\u201d<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nf.<\/td>\nFor once Peter got it right:\u00a0 \u201cYou are the Christ, the Son of the living God.\u201d<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\ng.<\/td>\nJesus: \u201cThat\u2019s right. And on that Rock, that statement, that core belief \u2013 Jesus being the Christ \u2013 I\u2019m going to build My church.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nh.<\/td>\nYou join the same Church as Martin Luther and the Reformers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\ni.<\/td>\nYou move into the ranks of a body of believers which spans the globe and the past 20 centuries<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nj.<\/td>\nYou are an integral, vital, priceless part of the Bride of Christ, the single thing Jesus loves most in His universe<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nk.<\/td>\nJesus loves His Church; He died for His Church; He leads and supports His church.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nl.<\/td>\nThere\u2019s no wiser, more intelligent, more eternal choice a person can make than this: to be a member of the Christian faith.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n5.<\/td>\nThe fifth and highest level of loyalty is: who is the Person you will follow? Who is the Man who will lead your life from now on?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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II.<\/strong><\/td>\nTragic Deception<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\nA.<\/td>\nThe story of \u201cDo\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nHe was a Bible study guide, a searcher of truth<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n2.<\/td>\nHis class enjoyed his leadership; they saw eye-to-eye with him; the class grew<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nGail Maeder, 27, sat at his feet, then wrote to parents: \u201cThis is like a new life for me. It\u2019s going great. I\u2019m learning so much.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\n\u201cBy the way, I\u2019ve stopped smoking. The entire group has stopped. They don\u2019t even drink coffee.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nGail and others were now living, for the first time, a life of sexual purity<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nd.<\/td>\nThe entire study group was trying to be obedient to the Bible and keep the 7th commandment<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n3.<\/td>\nIs this good news? Would we as parents like to get this letter from summer camp? \u201cI\u2019ve found a new life, a new experience: no smoking, drinking, premarital sex\u201d?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n4.<\/td>\n38 people accepted when Do said: \u201cCome, follow me.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nThey moved to Southern California with him<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nThey did whatever he told them to do: he shaved his head; so did they. He left his family; they did as well.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nHe underwent surgery to remove all impure desires; several went down to Mexico and followed his example<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n5.<\/td>\nMarch 22, 1997: Do mixed Phenobarbital with applesauce, washed it down with vodka, pulled a purple shroud up over himself, tied a plastic bag around his head and committed suicide.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nAll 38 cult disciples of Mr. Marshall Herff Applewhite followed suit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nThey had a last meal at Marie Callendar\u2019s and then killed themselves<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nWhy? Because they were disciples of Do; they were his \u201cfollowers\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nd.<\/td>\nWhen Do said they could \u201cshed their containers,\u201d hitch a ride in the tail of the Hale-Bopp Comet, they put Do\u2019s words higher than Jesus\u2019 words<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\ne.<\/td>\nThey lost their lives in Ranch Santa Fe, California<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\nB.<\/td>\nNewsweek<\/em>\u00a0cover story with religion writer Kenneth Woodward<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nHe introduced grisly topic with a Bible verse: Matt. 19:28, 29<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nJesus:\u00a0\u201cI give you My solemn word: in the new age when the Son of Man takes His seat upon a throne befitting His glory, you who have followed Me shall likewise take your places. . . . Everyone who has given up homes, brothers or sisters, father or mother, wife or children or property for My sake will . . . inherit life everlasting.\u201d<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nWoodward: \u201cThe words are from Jesus, but they were also gospel to [Do].\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nExtreme devotion is only good if it is extreme devotion to the right cause.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nd.<\/td>\nPiety given to the wrong person can be deadly.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\ne.<\/td>\nFierce loyalty to the wrong cause can break your heart.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n2.<\/td>\nYvonne McCurdy-Hill, 29, just gave birth to twins. She left her family, two bassinets, in Cincinnati, so she could join Heaven\u2019s Gate brainwashing party.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n3.<\/td>\nRio DiAngelo was the survivor who got the Fed Ex package with the chilling suicide video, warning authorities: \u201cYou might find something really devastating inside that house.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nHe abandoned his 11-year-old son: \u201cDaddy has to go off and learn how to get into heaven.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n4.<\/td>\nIn 2006, Warren Jeffs said \u201cFollow me\u201d to his community, the RLDS (Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nOn the FBI\u2019s Ten Most Wanted fugitive list: polygamy, sexual abuse of children, banishment of innocent young men, the \u201cLost Boys,\u201d so there are more \u201cwives\u201d for the elders.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nSome leaders claiming as many as 15 teen brides, while telling devotees: \u201cFollow me.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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III.<\/strong><\/td>\nOver-Confidence<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nA.<\/td>\nChristian says with confidence: \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Pastor. I have my inner conscience, my instincts, the reliability of my \u2018still, small voice.\u2019<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nIf something\u2019s crazy or way-out or filled with error, I\u2019ll know it.\u00a0 I\u2019ll spot it. I won\u2019t go nuts.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n2.<\/td>\nOur inner voices are not a reliable guide<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n3.<\/td>\nSome groups have departed from the safe road of Christianity; their web sites are beautiful! Well-organized, articulate, reasonable-sounding; they don\u2019t set off warning bells<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nHeaven\u2019s Gate cult was made up of web designers!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n4.<\/td>\nPeople with high IQs and college degrees have left the Adventist Church and gone out into completely secular lives \u2013 and do so with full conscious awareness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nThey did it while listening to \u201cthe little man inside\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n5.<\/td>\nAfter Heaven\u2019s Gate tragedy, Woodward wrote: \u201cHale-Bopp may be a rare celestial show to enjoy, but this Great Comet is also a reminder of how dangerous the human imagination can be.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nSmartness, sanity, sensory sensitivity will not always protect us<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n6.<\/td>\nJesus gives a \u201cFollow Me\u201d invitation in Matt. 10:37, 38 that is starkly similar to something we might hear from a compound in Utah:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\n\u201cAnyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.\u201d<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nIn Luke 14, Jesus adopted a metaphor suggesting that our love for God and His kingdom should be so strong, so overpowering, that our strands of loyalty to our families would be like \u201chate\u201d in contrast.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nHe doesn\u2019t mean it when He says, \u201cHate your wife \u2013 and follow Me,\u201d but He IS saying that our devotion to Him must be #1.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n7.<\/td>\nReality: this statement is one Jesus would say, but also a \u201cDo\u201d or a David Koresh.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nHow can we know that obeying Jesus will lead to fulfillment and joy and unselfishness and eternal life, while these other followers were victims led to mass graves and stories on the 6:00 news?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nWhat do we have for protection besides hindsight?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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IV.<\/strong><\/td>\nKnow the Evidence for Yourself<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\nA.<\/td>\nGod warns us against cult thinking or mind control<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nIsaiah 1:18:\u00a0Come, let us reason together.<\/em>\u00a0\u201cThe Message\u201d paraphrase:\u00a0Come. Sit down. Let\u2019s argue this out.<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nLet\u2019s think clearly and explore these questions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nLet\u2019s ask God to make us wise as serpents and harmless as doves<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nC. S. Lewis encourages even \u201cdim bulbs\u201d in a church to hang in there and grow:\u00a0 \u201c[God] has room for people with very little sense, but He wants every one to use what sense they have. The proper motto is not \u2018Be good, sweet maid, and let who can be clever,\u2019 but \u2018Be good, sweet maid, and don\u2019t forget that this involves being as clever as you can.\u2019\u201d (Mere Christianity<\/em>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n2.<\/td>\nPaul gives the highest marks to Berean Christians, who didn\u2019t fall over in a mental swoon: \u201cOh, Pastor Paul, you\u2019re so brilliant, we\u2019ll blindly accept any bible teachings you sucker us into.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nActs 17;11:\u00a0They received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nThey got out their own Bibles and highlighter pens for themselves<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nThey did not make Paul their Savior or cult hero<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nd.<\/td>\nGeorge Vandeman on\u00a0It Is Written<\/em>: \u201cKeep your eyes wide open and your own Bible close by.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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V.<\/strong><\/td>\nJesus is the Genuine Article<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\nA.<\/td>\nHe says Himself in Acts 4:12:\u00a0Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nJohn 14:6:\u00a0I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n2.<\/td>\nThe Christian religion offers us our only hope<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nIt has the only answer for our frustrations<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nIt is the only way we can learn to forgive others and accept pardon for ourselves<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nDon\u2019t take my word for it; don\u2019t join the \u201cPastor X\u201d Church<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nd.<\/td>\nRead your own Bible and then follow the Messiah found in its pages if it rings true to you<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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VI.<\/strong><\/td>\nBeware of a Religion of “Jesus Plus”<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\nA.<\/td>\nSome offer \u201cJesus plus this teaching\u201d; \u201cJesus plus that new interpretation\u201d; \u201cJesus\u2019 Word plus some other Bible\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nMen like \u201cDo\u201d have come along and said:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nJesus isn\u2019t enough. You need ME here too.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nYour ultimate loyalty should be to me.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nJesus in the background is fine, but I\u2019m the one you should be a disciple of.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nd.<\/td>\nFollow me to my new compound in the wilderness where CNN is kept away and where my words are the only ones you\u2019ll hear.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n2.<\/td>\nThat is the message of Jim Jones, cyanide Kool-Aid, and the fires of Waco.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
VII.<\/strong><\/td>\nWhat About Doubt?<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nA.<\/td>\nWe wake up some days and our faith in Jesus as our only Savior isn\u2019t very strong<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nSometimes atheism looks pretty smart; evolution looks realistic<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n2.<\/td>\nSometimes a person hurts your feelings<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n3.<\/td>\nSometimes belonging to a church feels like a trial<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n4.<\/td>\nSomething in a sermon or a hard verse in your own studying seems out of touch with reality<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nYou wonder if the whole thing is a hoax<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nDo we really want to follow this Man from Galilee who got successful fishermen to leave their families just by saying, \u201cFollow Me\u201d?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nB.<\/td>\nEven giants in the faith can lose their faith<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nSome big \u201cnames\u201d have gone from following Jesus to following their own doubts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n2.<\/td>\nC. S. Lewis used to encourage other people to have faith and almost sneer at them if they didn\u2019t.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\n\u201cDon\u2019t complain if there\u2019s pain in your life. That\u2019s God\u2019s megaphone to rouse a slumbering world.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nThen he lost his own wife, Joy, to cancer.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nNow he knew about pain and unanswered prayers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nd.<\/td>\nHe prayed and almost heard God saying, \u201cGo away; no one is home.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\ne.<\/td>\nIn fact, God didn\u2019t say anything; it felt like God was double-bolting doors and then hiding in a back room.\u00a0 Go away!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n3.<\/td>\nYears later faith slowly crept back into his soul<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nLewis writes about how our confidence level can be like a snowflake facing a blast furnace.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n4.<\/td>\nWe must set our beliefs before us every day<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nJust as we set the table for supper each night<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nWe must look at, examine, meditate on our belief system each day<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nRead a little bit every single day about the things of God\u2019s kingdom<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nd.<\/td>\nExpose yourself each day to something, some little piece of the Jesus puzzle: His words, life, teachings, miracles, death on the cross, His care and love for you<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\ne.<\/td>\nLewis: \u201cWe must train the habit of faith.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nC.<\/td>\nI choose to study and explore the great classic books of our faith<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nRead about people who have been through fires and trials and came through courageously on the other side.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nI still \u201cwobble\u201d about some ideas, but I never wobble now about Jesus being my only hope<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nI don\u2019t blow from east to west and back again, wondering if He is alive in heaven today and able to answer my prayers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nI don\u2019t ride a roller coaster of indecision wondering whether or not he\u2019s the author of our salvation and the finisher of our faith.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nD.<\/td>\nI have a child\/grandchild named XXX.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nI want him\/her to grow up and be strong in the things that matter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nFlexible and forgiving and adaptable and open-minded in the human areas of life…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nBut quietly and happily settled into the truths and the \u201cfollowership\u201d that sees a person safely into their heavenly home.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n


\nSubmitted by David B. Smith. Better Sermons \u00a9 2005-2007. Click here for\u00a0usage guidelines<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Blind Obedience to a Leader Named Do God’s calls us to an intelligent faith, one that examines evidence and understands the costs, yet still has the courage to follow. Introduction …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=232"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":233,"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232\/revisions\/233"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=232"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=232"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=232"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}