Greetings to you, my friend! I’m Mack Lyon. The program’s “In Search of the Lord’s Way to become a child of God. Today’s message is titled, “Does It Matter What We Believe?” Most people think it doesn’t matter with God, but is that true? Let’s see what God has to say about that, what do you say?
Oh say, friend! What a joy it is to welcome you to a program of Bible study In Search of the Lord’s Way to become and to be a Christian. The Lord does have a way, you know. From my early childhood I have believed the Bible is the word of God. I don’t mean “a god;” I mean “God.” My mother was very religious. My father, while he was a good man, was not all that religious; but they both taught me and my siblings a deep respect, even a reverence, for the Bible as the word of God. I’m glad for that! I’m thankful for that bringing up.
Our friend Phil Sanders has prepared the message for us today. He’s titled it, “Does It Matter What We Believe?” And he asks a very good question, doesn’t he? Could it be that God cares what we believe and practice? Say, I think we had better be finding out about that, don’t you? Should you want to read it along with him, his Scripture text will be Matthew chapter 17, verses 1 to 5.
If you think you might want a free printed copy or an audio cassette tape or a CD of it, you might ought to jot down our address or telephone number right now. Our mailing address is In Search of the Lord's Way; P.O. Box 371; Edmond, OK 73083 or by e-mail it’s searchtv@searchtv.org; and if you’re into computers and all of that, you might want to visit our website. Not only will you find the copy of Phil’s message there, you’ll also find it streamed audio and video and, well, you see a lot of other good things there, too. Ken Helterbrand will lead us now as we sing; then Phil Sanders will be here to study with us.
Thank you, Mack! Our reading today comes from the Gospel according to Matthew chapter 17, verses 1 through 5. “Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” That is from the New King James Version. Let’s pray together. O Lord, we pray that You will help us always to listen to your Son, Jesus as our Lord and as our Savior; and to give Him our hearts. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Does it really matter what we believe as long as we love Jesus? Most people think one doctrine is as good as another and what you believe doesn’t matter to God. But is this so? Could it be that God cares what we believe and practice? In this lesson we are going to examine what God wants for us to believe. I often hear people say, “Well, it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you love Jesus.” Well, for them, loving Jesus is all that matters. Some quote John 13, verses 33 to 34, excuse me 34 to 35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” They correctly see love as an identifying mark of Christianity, and it is. The problem is they think love is the only identifying mark of a disciple. Are there any other things that identify a true disciple of the Lord? What else distinguishes a genuine Christian from others?
Well, Jesus himself distinguished his disciples not only by their love, according to John 13:34 and 35, but also by their willingness to remain in his Word. You know, the Lord said in John 8, verses 31 and 32, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” You see, “Continuing in His Words” matters to the Lord. It has always mattered what we believe. We can’t claim to be true disciples of Jesus, if we are not willing to abide in his words. That’s how the Lord distinguishes his followers. They listen to his words; they stay in; and live by His Word. You remember, Jesus once asked, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6 and verse 46)
For Jesus to be Lord of our lives means that He must rule in our lives. Jesus the Lord, you remember, said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14 and verse 15). Loving the Lord means obeying His Word; we need to do what He says the way He says to do it. The Bible warns us not to change the gospel. You remember, the apostle Paul said in Galatians 1, verses 6 to 9, “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.” Then He says, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! Now as we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel that is contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!” I tell you this is strong and frightening language.
Now, not only must we be careful what we teach, we have got to be careful what teachers, religious teachers that is, we support. The apostle John said that, “Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; now the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, (that is what John says) do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds” (2 John 9 to 11). Now, while some say this passage speaks about the deity of Jesus, and certainly that is a part of the context, there is a principle that we have to recognize and cannot ignore. The principle is this: to change God’s teaching is offensive to God and evil.
All of God’s word is sacred. Everything! And to change any of it or to go beyond its teaching is to take what is Divine and then to make it human. Man-made teachings step into a realm that belongs only to the Lord. We have no right to say to God, “We think our way is better than Your way, so we’re going to change the teaching and we are going to suit ourselves.” If you say that, those who teach those kinds of doctrines, those false doctrines; they choose what is human over what is Divine. Actually what they are doing is giving up on God; and whether we teach a false doctrine or support those who teach a false doctrine, we are guilty of committing an evil deed. My friend, it matters to God whether or not we support truth or whether we support error. Love to God means staying with His Word.
What God says matters! You remember that Jesus said that, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day” (John chapter 12, verse 48). My friend we can’t pick and choose what we like about God’s teaching and what we don’t like. The standard, which will judge us on the last day, is God’s Holy Word. God is God, and we are not! God is God and He does not take opinion polls to determine what is true. We live in an age that stresses political correctness, but I want you to understand that God who made us, our creator, is not subject to our culture. Our culture is subject to God! While we see changing opinions in our culture, the Bible teaches very clearly that God has spoken to all people in all places for all time (Jude 3). And His will does not change!
Now, rather than thinking that we can say and do religiously as we please, we should seek God’s face and follow His will. The real issue of our day is this: Are we willing to yield our will to God’s will and to make Him Lord of our lives? Are we willing to listen to God? Many people seem to think they can live and believe as they wish; that God won’t know or God won’t care! But, my friend, God does know and God does care. We can’t believe man-made doctrines and practice man-made traditions and then expect God to be pleased about it. He wants us to follow His will and to give glory to His name. My friend, you can’t serve God and also serve yourself!
Jesus said in Matthew 7, verses 13 and 14, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” You know, these verses in Matthew 7: 13 and 14 surprise most people; because they think nearly everybody is on the right road, but that’s not the way things really are. The broad way is easy and filled with people. It’s going to be popular; but it also will be tragic. Not many people are willing to study for themselves and find out what the truth is by looking into the words of Jesus Christ. My friend, acting on our own wisdom, our own judgment, rather than obeying God is always foolish. Solomon said, you remember, in Proverbs 3, verses 5 to 7, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.” We must believe in God’s wisdom, and not our own. God sees and knows things that we cannot see and know. His understanding is unlimited; we need to trust what He teaches is right. Even when we don’t understand why He says what He says, we need to trust His wisdom.
Now, let’s ask about what we believe and practice as Christians, the things that we do and the things that we believe: “Are they man’s will or are they God’s?” By that, I mean, can we read about this belief or this practice in the New Testament? Or is this a belief or practice that came in later centuries by the design of men? If we can read what the Lord or His apostles taught, this belief, this practice, then we can have confidence that God approves of it. But if it is something that began much later and is a departure from the Truth, it should have no place in the life of a faithful Christian. We should leave the human theology and return to the Lord’s way, the Lord’s will! People should investigate their beliefs and practices, asking the question, “Is this Biblical or is this something from men?” Now, this would mean that you and I would have to do some deeper study into the Word, to see what we would find. If we find it is Biblically approved, let’s stay with it; but if it departs from the New Testament, we should abandon it. Thirty-five and more years ago I was preaching in a country church in Oklahoma; and I met a sweet, wonderful lady named “Oleta.” She had been sprinkled as an infant in her church; and when she became an adult, she got acquainted with some members of the church of Christ, and they began talking about the Bible.
Well, when some of the members of the church told her that we baptize by immersion and only people old enough to believe and repent, she questioned that. And the members replied, “Well, that’s the way they did it in the Bible.” Well, this upset Oleta. She was just sure that what she had been taught was in the Bible! So, she got out her Bible, and she studied and studied, and looked and looked. She looked for verses to show the sprinkling of infants; and the more she read, however, the more she realized that what her friends had told her was right. Oleta said, “I was studying to prove them wrong, and what I found was that Oleta was wrong.” This honest lady saw that even cherished beliefs can be human and can be wrong. Now, it wasn’t easy for Oleta to come to that conclusion, but she was honest with God and with herself.
Christian baptism is a burial. The very word “baptize” means immerse. The Bible says in Romans 6 and verse 4 that, “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” The Bible also teaches that the early church baptized only penitent believers. Acts 2 and verse 41 says, “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” Acts 5 and verse 14 says, “And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.” It doesn’t say anything about children. Acts 8 and verse 12 says, “But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” These were people old enough to believe and receive the Word. They weren’t infants.
In Mark 16, verses 15 and 16, the Lord gave His great commission. “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Preaching and faith were to precede baptism; and once people heard and believed the gospel they were baptized, and this resulted in their salvation. They were baptized so that their sins would be forgiven and washed away (Acts 2:38 and Acts 22 and verse 16). My friend, infants are sinless; they don’t need baptism. Further, when they are baptized, it is against their will. Oleta had to think through these issues, and the more she studied, the more she saw that she needed to be immersed in water as a penitent believer for the forgiveness of her sins. My friend, you too might need that.
Some today think that every doctrine of every church is okay, and that every doctrine is as good as every other doctrine. But is that so? It might sound neighborly to say that, but what if you accepted a “distorted” gospel? What if you were given false hope, believing everything is all right when it is not all right? Wouldn’t that be cruel? Wouldn’t it be better to stay on safe ground? In the Bible we can read the things that God approves and teaches. We can know that His will for our lives, and for our churches, and for our beliefs. Do we agree with Him and His words in the New Testament? Why not study for yourself and find out? You might find that you are like Oleta. Examine what you believe! See if it is according to what the Bible teaches.
Jesus went up into a high mountain to pray and He took Peter and James and John with him. He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. Jesus, Moses, and Elijah were talking about Jesus’ departure. When Peter saw Moses and Elijah, he said, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” And the Bible says while he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”
God’s declaration in Matthew 17 and 5, “Listen to Him,” is still relevant today. There are a thousand voices clamoring for our attention religiously, but God points us to His Son Jesus. Moses was a great lawgiver, but God points to His Son. Elijah was a great prophet, but God points to His Son. Only Jesus has the words of life (John 6 and verse 68). We don’t need three tabernacles; we just need the Lord. We need to love Him, follow Him, obey Him, and serve Him. My friend, examine the Scriptures and then examine your life. See whether you are walking in the Lord’s way or in your own way. If you can’t read it in Scripture, what you believe and practice, why not abandon those things and come to the Lord. Let’s pray. O Lord, we pray that You will help us to be honest with ourselves; to look into Your Word and to do only those things that we know are right because they are found in Your Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Oh say! Phil! You convinced me that I must respect, even revere, the word of God, believe what it says and let it determine my faith and practice. Thank you, thank you, thank you! We will ever be indebted to you! If you agree with me and Phil about that, well, even if you don’t agree with us, you might want a free printed copy of the message before us. If you would like an audio cassette tape or a CD of it, you need only to address your request to In Search of the Lord's Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083, or by e-mail to searchtv@searchtv.org. Or, our toll-free telephone number is 1-800-321-8633. That means we will pay for the call if you use it. If you’re into computers, you may access our website at www.searchtv.org.
Well, we are presented here by some friends of yours in the viewing area of this station. They are all members of some of the churches of Christ in the area. They would be so happy to have you attend church with them. We’d like that, too. Why don’t you just do that? If you need help locating one of those churches, let us be that help. You have our address and our phone number; write us or call us. Will you? We hope to be back next week, and we hope that you will, too. You may plan to do that and invite your friends to see the program, too, and we will have more. In the meanwhile, God bless you. We love you.
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