The Betrayal of the Ages
Author: Rev. Esther Holmes
May 10, 2018
Think about it! Judges 17 Micah wanted his own
religion – sad when Christians allow the world to crowd them. Judge
18:1-6, 14-21 Everyone did right in their own eyes. Levites were
given no land here on Earth but their inheritance was to know God! This
Levite wanted more, he also wanted the possessions of this world so he
compromised and lived in the house of an idolator.
Expedient Christianity – Pragmatism
– if it works, its true, if it feels good do it.
To the world, Noah would be looked
at as a failure – in 120 yrs of ministry only won 8 people. Jeremiah
would be looked at as ineffective – he lost out with the people and could only
please God. Jesus didn’t build a school, followers scattered.
What is the standard of
success? Is God an ends or a means? Will we be Levites who are
looking for recognition and put a value upon our self? He sold himself to
religion for 10 shekels and a shirt.
Humanism – describes salvation as
getting all the happiness you can get out of life. The end of all men is to fulfill
the happiness of men. I’m only human. God understands.
Christians aren’t perfect, they’re forgiven.
Philosophy – is the searching for
man’s deepest thoughts, a search for the ultimate reasoning in a dark empty
shell.
Science – the searching for an answer
in nature.
Micah wants to have a little chapel,
a little prayer, because then he thinks God will do him good. It’s so
subtle – Christ exists for the happiness of man. Men reason – didn’t God intend
to make man happy? That’s a byproduct – not the prime product. Serving
God for what He can do for you. Worship God so you can feel good; giving tithes
so Satan can’t steal your money. Intentions are selfish.
What is the Philosophy of a
Christian? Is it to go and tell people how to get to Heaven to make the
world a better place? Go for the sake of Christ who suffered and died for
man. Christianity says the end of all is the glorification of God.
The Christian sees his crime against God. Why did you repent? You
need to weep for your sins. Not because of the thought of going to Hell
but because you have sinned and offended God. Serve Him for His Name’s
sake. See He is good and we deserve Hell – He deserves obedience.
If we repent in order to stay out of
Hell, we have missed it; it is a selfish reason. Can you say God I’m
going to serve you and obey you all the days of my life no matter what because
He deserves your obedience because of what He did? You’ve been bought with a
price.
You go to the cross so that He gets
glorified – not so you can be known as a success. If you do it for
yourself you’re like Micah the Levite. I can do nothing of myself.
Some want the fulness of God in order to use God. They want the power in
order to be heard of. Is He your end or your means?
A man from China was asked what
impressed him the most about America. He said it was how much you can
accomplish without God.
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