Sermon Snippet – Slouching towards a Slippery Slope
INTRODUCTION – Christianity is based on evidence. It is not wishful thinking. Because our faith requires facts, we should be skeptical without becoming cynical. Since all areas of life fall under the solicitous sovereignty of our Savior God, we need to evaluate everything to see if it is consistent with the Bible. This spiritual scrutiny includes the assertions of those who purport to be prophets.
1. GOD SET STANDARDS FOR PROPHETS
Let us consider two general principles and one specific prohibition. Deuteronomy 13:1-5 establishes that a true prophet always led people to God, not away from Him. Every cult that I have studied claims additional revelation from God, yet these new doctrines lead to licentiousness (including in some cases the practice of polygamy) or to legalism (with manmade regulations abounding). Deuteronomy 18:20-22 requires that all the words of a genuine prophet had to come true; a majority, even a large majority, is not enough – for God is never wrong: 99% is not good enough. These two guidelines were perfectly fulfilled in Jesus’ ministry. Deuteronomy 18:15-18 predicted that the Messiah would be “a Prophet,” and Jesus kept that prophecy by predicting the place, time, and method of His death, as well as His Resurrection (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34; Matthew 26:2 – these are just some of His detailed predictions). We also need to heed Jesus’ specific words in Matthew 24:26, which tell us that anyone who presumes to predict the time of His return is a liar. Let us beware of such blatant falsehood.
2. GOD HAS ALREADY FINISHED THE FOUNDATION IN HIS COMPLETED WORD
Ephesians 2:19-22 tells us clearly that “the apostles and prophets” were employed by God to complete “the foundation” of our faith. Note that “Jesus Christ Himself [is] the chief corner stone”; thus, any manmade attempt to add to God’s Word is also a vain attempt to add to Jesus, God the Son. May we never stumble onto that perilous path of blasphemy and heresy! To say that the Bible is not enough for us (as some do say) is to say that the Savior is not enough for us. God’s Word is clear: “Whether there be prophecies, they shall fail [cease]” (I Corinthians 13:8b). The foundation is already laid.
3. GOD DOES NOT WANT US TO BE FOOLISH
In the Bible, a fool is someone who has not a lack of intellect but a lack of interest in the truth. For example, Psalm 14:1a states, “The fool hath said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” We are warned about foolishness, about not being discerning (II Peter 3:5 – “willingly” means “willfully,” indicating a decided act of the will; Titus 3:9; II Timothy 2:23). The strength that we need for this spiritual insight is spelled out in II Timothy 2:15-16: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.” All that we need in order to grow in our faith is written down for us in the Bible (II Timothy 3:16-17); do not be intimidated by those who falsely claim otherwise.
CONCLUSION – The odd title of this message (with apologies to the great Irish poet W. B. Yeats and a line from his renowned poem “The Second Coming”) is “Slouching towards a Slippery Slope.” Once we step outside the Word of God, decline and declension are inevitable. Let us not slink and slouch in that direction. Let us remember the admonition of moms everywhere: don’t slouch!