This Happens Over And Over, You Ask a Person What Their Favorite Point Of The Sermon Was 1 Minute After It Was Over and Watch Out You Don't Get Screamed At Because They Don't Remember, REALLY!!!

More To Follow

“Has The Church Become Dull Of Hearing?

Let's focus on two Dangers We have clearly noticed traveling Coast to Coast not just going to Church sitting through the Preaching, but also listening to Sermons in 7 States crossing the Country from California to New York 4 round trips and from Florida to New Jersey 3 round trips so it is not a small sample.

You must know this is not a rant, but a heartbreaking review and all I am asking is that you actually listen to the Sermons and stop being impressed by the Theologian quotes they employ to give them cover fire for the mess they are attempting to preach, and that for the record are the only parts of the message most can remember, so stop watching the shiny object and start listening to what is really being preached.

I will be breaking these messages in to two themes;

“Has The Church Become Dull Of Hearing?

Next “Is The Typical 3 Point Sermon Killing The Church?

“Has The Church Become Dull Of Hearing?"

This is the huge caution Jesus asks and we need to be aware of as we as a Church will always move this direction. Our observation has been two camps Liberal and Legalistic, and again this is based on PCA, OPC, EPC, DRC and Ref Church services only.

The introduction to our lesson is long, but I do believe is important and comes from a Coast to Coast review of “Reformed” Churches between 2012-2017, and as I will say it is NOT a small Sampling.

As I said in the beginning what we have observed is a huge caution Jesus asks and we need to be aware of as we as a Church will always move this direction.

We will as I said focus on two Dangers I has noticed traveling Coast to Coast Preaching but also listening to Sermons in 7 States crossing the Country from California to New York 4 round trips and from Florida to New Jersey 3 round trips so it is not a small sample.

All I am asking is that you actually listen to the Sermons and stop being impressed by the quotes that for the record are the only part of the message most remember, so stop watching the shiny object going back and forth and start listening to what is really being preached, you might not and should not like what your hearing.

Please read along, as I believe if we are honest this is the weekly issue.

Matthew 15:1-20, Mark 8:17-21, Hebrews 5: 5-14

1 ¶ Then some Pharisees and scribes *came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,

2 "Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."

3 And He answered and said to them, "Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?

4 "For God said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,' and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.'

5 "But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,"

6 he is not to honor his father or his mother.' And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition.

7 "You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:

8 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.

9 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'"

10 ¶ After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, "Hear and understand.

11 "It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man."

12 Then the disciples *came and *said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?"

13 But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted.

14 "Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit."

15 Peter said to Him, "Explain the parable to us."

16 Jesus said, "Are you still lacking in understanding also?

17 "Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?

18 "But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.

19 "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.

20 "These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man."

Mark 8:17 And Jesus, aware of this, *said to them, "Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart?

18 "HAVING EYES, DO YOU NOT SEE? AND HAVING EARS, DO YOU NOT HEAR? And do you not remember,

19 when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?" They *said to Him, "Twelve."

20 "When I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?" And they *said to Him, "Seven."

21 And He was saying to them, "Do you not yet understand?"

Hebrews 5: 5-14

5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, "YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU";

6 just as He says also in another passage, "YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK."

7 In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.

8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.

9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,

10 ¶ being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.

12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.

14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

(NAS95)

Let’s look at 3 questions, and note they are not 3 points

What are we being told?

What are the signs of Deafness and Blindness?

What can We Do About this, or is it our doing that is the Problem?

What are we being told?

It is important to note that the problem the Reformed Church is facing (here after the Church) is first and foremost not NEW!

It has been the same problem that plagued the Synagogues of Jesus day and plagues both Churches and Synagogues today, and has its roots in our natural heart.

We really struggle to see that the Bible is not a book of rules for us to be able to follow for salvation, but instead the rules answer the lie of Eden’s Garden when the Serpent slithered and suggested “We would be Like GOD” as the Law is telling us and dumbed down THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO BE LIKE GOD.

Next we are being told rather bluntly and THERE IS NO Wiggle room on this, YOU MUST PERFECTLY comply with as Jesus says Mt 5:17 ¶ "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

18 "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

19 "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

A poor reading of what Jesus is saying would tell us, “We need to Obey the Law or we can’t go to Heaven” when in fact a real understanding of what Jesus is saying, and there is zero wiggle room, “You are doomed as you must perfectly obey EVERY JOT and TITTLE and never Once in ALL of your life fail!” HE is honestly saying the Law points ONLY to me and I am the only one it ever pointed too.

Jesus follows up by saying what?

Yes if your righteousness 20 "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

IT Does NOT Say we must be like the Church Leaders, but must surpass the Church leaders, and in fact the Church leaders are doomed!!

Romans 3:10 as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;

11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;

So Jesus is in fact saying we are all doomed, but the Great News is that we are rescued in Jesus Christ alone by the will of the FATHER!

All three of our reading tell us our battle is indeed spiritual Blindness and Deafness and I will go further on that theme when we address the Killing of the Church in the typical 3 Point Sermon as they digresses into what we have to do, when trying to be good enough in our own mind is the problem.

So Jesus indeed is laying out the struggle of that the lye of the Serpent in Eden is still alive and well and preached weekly as we can NEVER be Good enough, but Christ alone is.

We must also be clear the ones who are not understanding are the very ones closest to Jesus and HE tells them so.

We will dig deeper in our next question, but for now I want you to look at this passage and tell me what you see and it is key to what is happening to the Church and Has been happening since it was the Synagogue;

Luke 18:35¶ As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging.

36 Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was.

37They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.

38 And he called out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

39 Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

40 And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he came near, He questioned him,

41 "What do you want Me to do for you?" And he said, "Lord, I want to regain my sight!"

42 And Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well."

43 Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.

(NAS95)

This was chosen for our Opening to worship on purpose and the passage sets us up for question 2, but quickly did you notice who the only one to call Jesus by HIS Messianic Name?

Yes the Blind man!!! And He saw clearer physically Blind then the Sighted Apostles and Pharisees as the HOLY SPIRIT Opened His Eyes before Jesus physically opened them.

What are the signs of Deafness and Blindness?

The sad signs of a Church that is no longer seeing or hearing are actually very obvious and yet so overlooked.

One of the clear signs of becoming Deaf and Blind in the Church is to not be able to quote what the sermon was about only minutes after the Service is over, and we are NOT the only ones to notice this as a friend in Texas told us they too asked when a fellow congregant declared “what a great sermon” and the person asked “what was your favorite part?” and the reply was exactly the response my Wife has received since she started asking, and actually got me to listen to these “great Sermons” starting in 2006, The person asked could not recall the core point of the message and actually got VERY ANGRY at this person in Texas, and my Wife for asking a legitimate question, and not a week later but right after the service!

I witnessed more than one such encounter and was stunned at how Pissed the person my Wife asked got.

We might think since Jesus warns about Verse 16 Jesus said, "Are you still lacking in understanding also?” that the Church would be guarding against complacency, but remember strength comes from the HOLY SPIRIT alone by the will of the FATHER, in Christ Jesus our LORD and not because we are told what we need to do, that to be blunt is the lie of the slithering snake of Eden!

The Church will slip into this mess of Blindness and Deafness not because of people in the pews, but because the leadership is poorly trained, and in truth have NEVER really understood the Bible.

You might say, but Wallace, my Pastor has a Doctorate and must know the Bible right?

We let’s answer that one together, who did not get the point of the Bible, the Educated, or people like Ruth, a scrawny kid like David, a liar like Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob?

Yes it was the Educated that DID NOT get it, and yes by the will of the FATHER in Heaven alone.

You see the problem is the Seminaries, and the fact that most students come in too young with no real Bible Teaching Background and then are loaded down with and this is per semester, 25 Books to read, Weekly 5 to 10 page handouts and Studying Greek and Hebrew that train us in everything but the Context of the Bible.

For the Record I am thankful I went to the Seminary I attended as the actually had a 3 semester Preaching Course. You see we were told that most Seminaries have dropped the Preaching component and from what we have been listening too at the Famous New York “Reformed” Church, that we have now given up on attending, a Church just 6 year ago was the model for a Reformed Church, these Pastoral Kids are actually not just poorly skill in public Speaking but can’t connect a Bible Passage on a 101 level and I have written them and said I would love to help.

That brings us to our second sign of Deafness and Blindness;

The Trap of “Fellowship” or to be blunt, the Church Club!

Though I think you know what I mean, I will still explain, as we have seen this clearly;

True Bible Studies get changed into “Small Groups where the lazy Elder or Pastor plays a video series, that for the record comes with a question and answer page, and yet this is considered “Teaching” and yet this is a real and glaring sign as we have allowed for yes men to become Elders when the real skill we were to look for is the list in 1^st Timothy 3 that includes what, YES Teaching so why are they needing to play videos and unable to truly write their own lessons???

Because we have really become blind, and deaf!

The “Small Groups” also have digressed into, and you may have guessed it already, Fellowship times, with Gossip times disguised as Prayer request taking up 3/4 of the Study time.

There are more, but the final sign I will address in this lesson is the “Youth” Movement as we will never seem to learn from the Mistake of Rehoboam 1Ki 12:8 But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him.

A clear sign is to turn over the Church to and to try to “attract” the youth at the expense of the teaching and worship service.

We have to adapt to what the young people want, and yes this screams of Rehoboam, and yet is happening every day, and sadly the young pastors are not seasoned by life, nor have they been trained to even Preach.

I have mentioned before that we have had to walk out on every Sermon at Redeemer NYC location does not matter it has been each of them as the Preaching suggests the Pastors are NOT Bible Trained I will address three specifics in the final question.

When I applied for a Lead Pastoral role at Coral Ridge they had indeed gone the path of the Youth, and in my letter of introduction I said “ One of the first things I would do is reinstall the Traditional Service” Well I was passed over for the position as at 57 I am the “wrong demographic “ and have been told this 98% of the time.

But the rejection is not the point, as I was pleased to see that Coral Ridge after a couple of years has taken this advice and reinstalled the Traditional service along with the Contemporary, though my suggestion for a Saturday Night Service has not been done as we Christians Still think down deep That ONLY SUNDAY Morning Worshipers are Christians, as we don’t really trust the predestination of the LORD and that some Christians do indeed in the 21^st Century have to work on Sunday Mornings.

This will bring us to our third and most vital question;

What can We Do About this, or is it our doing that is the Problem?

First and this is HUGE, and indeed another sign of Church Deafness, and Blindness, WE CAN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!!!

That is one of the most glaring signs and yet we are indeed blind to it, just really listen to the Sermon if the quote 3 Star Authors or Theologians other than the Bible they are probably getting Cover fire as they find themselves trapped in a passage that is over their heads or have been poorly trained as even a good Seminary gives you 4 Classes in Bible Review out of 35 Classes you have to take. Sure you have other Bible Book classes you take, but for the most part these kids come out with NO Background, and are sadly “Impressed” with their Greek and Hebrew classes, but actually sound like they missed the point of the language classes.

As I pointed out and was the reason for our walking out of 12 out 15 Redeemer NY “sermons” and causing us to Give up on them was;

The example of Jesus coming to and YES This was said, “Establish Justice” when Jesus would suffer though greatest injustice at OUR Hands, and had we been given Justice we would all be consumed to burning dust and sentenced rightly to Hell!

Next the Sad account of the Vine and the Vine Dresser where the kid saw the use of the Greek Abide (In English too) and suggested “We must abide, as this is the Point” well that is crap, and as I wrote them;

The point is the Vinedresser Jesus Clearly tells us is the FATHER, Jesus is the Vine, and HOLY SPIRIT is the very Sap in the Vine and must dwell in the Vine to give Life.

So the actual point is just as I suggested it was and as I wrote this kid it has NOTHING to do with US abiding, but the Vine Dresser grafting us in and caring for us in the vine!

I suggested to this kid, “Please take a chair go to Central Park pick a branch that has fallen to the ground and sit there for a month and report on the activity of the Branch.

But you say this Wallace is a waste of time as the Branch is going to do nothing at all!!!

Has the light switch gone on as this is a Sign of deafness and Blindness in the Church?

We actually think we can do something about the attendance through some program, or write some Bible Study as if the Bible is not good enough on its own.

We hire consultants to do Congregational surveys, or hire our new Pastor as if the Congregation is not better equipped to know the area and skills our new Pastor needs.

We also allow or encourage the Pastor to think he is the CEO of the Congregation, and as such get a Preacher who does not understand there is more to Shepherding than Talking to the sheep.

These signs are clear, and most Churches are suffering with them, as we have failed to see that the Church is Jesus Christ’s alone and our trust in HIM alone the proper path for a Healthy Church.

Another sign is when the Senior Pastor scolds the Congregation with “Lack of Commitment” and Yes we had this “Lesson” in December, when in fact had the Senior Pastor actually reviewed the Change in the Preaching at the Church from 2007-10, and now in 2016-17 they might actually had their eyes actually been open to see that the Crappy agenda driven gospel bankrupt preaching and culturally relevant direction of the 3 NYC Churches might actually be AND IS the cause!

When Our Eyes are off the LORD as the Rescuer of the Church and the Church Starts Hiring “Church Consultants” We Know the Congregation or leadership IS Deaf and Blind as Christ alone is our Leader and Shepherd.

But again How do we change?

WE DON’T Christ Jesus alone changes us and walks us to be more like HIM.

This why we learn what sanctification (becoming more and more Christ like) really means and we should have been taught that this is by the Work of the HOLY SPIRIT alone.

This may sound very blunt and we will indeed address this again at a future date as it is really important we actually pray for open eyes as the Religious Leaders Historically are NOT going to help the Church but indeed be the problem as it has been from the very beginning.

Pray for the Church and your Church Leaders as they are fellow sinners saved by Grace, and always remember unlike the program at Redeemer NYC said last July That said “we need to be quite and learn and not quick to talk”, we sure can ask questions of our leaders when sermon is not good, and the Kids sermon on Genesis 3 was another we walked out on as he was clueless but he can be helped, but the LORD is the only one who can open the eyes to ask for help.

Ezekiel 12:1-11

1 ¶ Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2 "Son of man, you live in the midst of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house.

3 "Therefore, son of man, prepare for yourself baggage for exile and go into exile by day in their sight; even go into exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will understand though they are a rebellious house.

4 "Bring your baggage out by day in their sight, as baggage for exile. Then you will go out at evening in their sight, as those going into exile.

5 "Dig a hole through the wall in their sight and go out through it.

6 "Load the baggage on your shoulder in their sight and carry it out in the dark. You shall cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have set you as a sign to the house of Israel."

7 I did so, as I had been commanded. By day I brought out my baggage like the baggage of an exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands; I went out in the dark and carried the baggage on my shoulder in their sight.

8 In the morning the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

9 "Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, 'What are you doing?'

10 "Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem as well as all the house of Israel who are in it."'

11 "Say, 'I am a sign to you. As I have done, so it will be done to them; they will go into exile, into captivity.'

This Is The WORD Of The LORD

Response By ALL: Thanks Be To GOD

“Is The Typical 3 Point Sermon Killing The Church?”

This is the Second Danger I have noticed traveling Coast to Coast Preaching but also listening to Sermons in 7 States crossing the Country from California to New York 4 round trips and from Florida to New Jersey 3 round trips so it is not a small sample.

We need to also understand this is not a rant, nor is it sour grapes, but meant as a wake up call, and not meant to hurt but educate, and I pray the HOLY SPIRIT allows this message to open eyes and ears that Historically in Churches and Synagogues have and will become dulled.

All I am asking is that you actually listen to the Sermons and stop being impressed by the 3 Theologian quotes (you will hear this again) that for the record are the only part of the message most remember, so stop watching the shiny object and start listening to what is really being preached.

“Is The Typical 3 Point Sermon Killing The Church?”

Matthew 15:1-20 & Hebrews 5:5-14

Matthew 15:1 ¶ Then some Pharisees and scribes *came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,

2 "Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."

3 And He answered and said to them, "Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?

4 "For God said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,' and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.'

5 "But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,"

6 he is not to honor his father or his mother.' And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition.

7 "You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:

8 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.

9 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'"

10 ¶ After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, "Hear and understand.

11 "It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man."

12 Then the disciples *came and *said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?"

13 But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted.

14 "Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit."

15 Peter said to Him, "Explain the parable to us."

16 Jesus said, "Are you still lacking in understanding also?

17 "Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?

18 "But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.

19 "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.

20 "These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man."

The Holy Gospel Of Our LORD Jesus Christ

Response By ALL: All Glory To YOU LORD Christ

Hebrews 5:5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, "YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU";

6 just as He says also in another passage, "YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK."

7 In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.

8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.

9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,

10 ¶ being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.

12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.

14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

(NAS95)

This Is The WORD Of The LORD

Response By ALL: Thanks Be To GOD!

“Is The Typical 3 Point Sermon Killing The Church?”

We will again answer 3 questions and have one Blunt Point this week as we examine what has been and IS crippling the Preaching in the Reformed Church.

Background

1 What is a 3 point Sermon?

2 What Are We Really Listening to, is it 3 points or 3 Sermons?

3 Why the wheels fall off in the dreaded Application?

4 Reformed Sermons MUST Point to Christ alone and NOT our need to Change!

Background

First this week I return to separating the reading from the Message as a way to allow us to focus on the separated yet connected two.

Next I would like to point out two people who actually wrecked my ability to “happily” go to Church week in and week out and sit there and like I fear most turn my ears off to the “preacher almost from the moment he started “preaching”.

These two people are my Wife Robin who in the Fall of 2006 caught me reading the Bible researching a question asked by a Sunday School Student instead of paying attention to the “message”.

When she caught me She simply stated, “If I have to listen to this CRAP, you do too!!”

Well I started to listen to the “messages” week in and week out, and to be blunt I was horrified!!!

One week Robin while reading the passages to be preached on, said to me “I can’t wait to see how he is going to tie these two passages together, as the don’t connect” Well she was right and the message as was week in and week out turned out to be a mess and far from the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but another legalistic Pharisaical diatribe. It was exactly like the garbage preached at my Dad’s Funeral as the message had NOTHING to do with the passage my Dad loved so much 2^nd Corinthians 5:1 ¶ For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (NAS95) Somehow the Pastor was able to talk about scales, and thus throwing off the mind from a Promise of Christ and getting us to even suggest scales and a balance system are in play. When the scales of righteousness are hopelessly out of balance for us as we provide wreck and sin, Christ ALONE provides the Righteousness.

The Pastor did give his mess the three Theological Star cover fire that we heard week after week Sermon after Sermon in State after State. It is actually listening to the Sermons that had us walk out of 20 out of 25 Sermons at Redeemer New York (Various Locations) and to be blunt out of the other five only the 1^st Sermon we heard when we got back June 2016 was worth sitting through!

This was the Church back as a few years in 2007-2010 when we attended was the model of a Reformed Church and no this is not a Joke, as you can go back to Sermons from the period and hear for yourself.

The Next person who wrecked going to Church for me was Dr. Samuel Lamerson President of Knox Theological Seminary, who in Class warned us that “Be careful of the 3 Point Sermons as the Majority of these Sermons are actually 3 Sermons 1 point a piece and NOT Connected” He was cautioning us on not falling into the same trap of not connecting our sermon points.

Sadly from what we have witnessed this is exactly what we have heard and as warned in majority of the Sermons!

If you are struggling to believe this stay tuned, and have an open mind, no this is not a rant as I promised. I should say at this point “May the HOLY SPIRIT open our eyes” as was done to me, and as you might be experiencing I too was stunned.

This takes us to our first question;

1 What is a 3 point Sermon?

A three point Sermon is exactly what you might think, but it is how they are normally taught to be laid out that is I humbly suggest what is killing ALL Churches though I am sticking with the Reformed Church in this Lesson.

We are tough to

First Give the Background of the Passage

Second Give the Original Audience and Cultural Interpretation

And third Apply the passage to our current times and our personal lives.

It perhaps the third point that gets grossly miss interpreted, as it for the vast majority of these messages digresses into a How “we” need to Change our lives, a point I will address later, but will only say it is our trying over thousands of years that IS Destroying the Church!

It must also be understood not connecting the points is also a killer, but not on the scale of this final “what YOU need to do point” as if we can actually do anything to save ourselves.

I need to be clear the three point Sermon is NOT the Killer, but the way it has been used and poorly taught to Pastors is!

WE were told at Seminary that most of the Seminary’s no longer have Preaching Practicum courses and it actually is proved week in and week out as we have to sit through Sermons that show the Pastor is estranged from the Passage, and how to present it, though at Redeemer they do have the NPR thing down and NO I am not being a sour grapes guy as the LORD just opened my ears.

This will set us for question 2

2 What Are We Really Listening to, is it 3 points or 3 Sermons one point each?

Our reading purposely tells us that Jesus, Isaiah and the Author of the Letter to the Hebrews are cautioning about the disease that has a firm grip on the Church, becoming Dull of Hearing, and having eyes but not seeing, and YET week after week we “Do Church”, as the new Pastor in Plano, Texas a PHD, proclaimed and as the guy who sat in front of Robin and who walked out with His wife the same the same time Robin and I did said “That guy is full of Shit” this was in Texas the Wife was embarrassed but I said to her, I too am a Pastor and your Husband is correct! We also catch people who go for the “Fellowship” when that is the Bonus not the purpose of Worship.

Worship is how the LORD walks us to enter HIS Worship on as an Earthly perspective, and is to be an Aroma Pleasing to HIM alone, and not about our feelings.

Genesis 8:21 The LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, "I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.

Exodus 29:18 "You shall offer up in smoke the whole ram on the altar; it is a burnt offering to the LORD: it is a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD.

Ex 29:25 "You shall take them from their hands, and offer them up in smoke on the altar on the burnt offering for a soothing aroma before the LORD; it is an offering by fire to the LORD.

Ex 29:41 "The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it the same grain offering and the same drink offering as in the morning, for a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD.

I will only say that if we don’t see ourselves as deserving to be in the Fire, then we don’t understand the reality of our Sin, and Jesus Christ Righteousness.

We listened just this weekend to a Sermon from the late 1990’s and by a Pastor we all respect out of Philadelphia and this Sermon is why we cannot become dull of hearing as the Pastor’s Sermon was good, but failed the accuracy test as he said “The Jews arrested Jesus and indicted HIM at night and this was illegal according to Jewish Law, so far 100% correct, but then he made the same horrifying mistake that my History of the Church Professor would years later when he said “The Jews were unable to execute under Roman Law”….

I paused hoping you too are as shocked as I was sitting in the class, as my friends this is NOT from the Bible, and was NOT the Reason the Jews handed Jesus over to the Romans, and shows these two Bible Superstars with tons of books to their credit prove WE MUST know our Bibles as they obviously, though published, didn’t!

To say ““The Jews were unable to execute under Roman Law”…. and for that to come out of the mouths of two world renowned Theological Stars mouths should shake you to the core, as it is very poor exegetical preaching and very poor contextual application.

But Why, I hope you don’t have to ask?

Because it is NOT the Biblical account, nor even close as I am sure St. Stephen, and St. Paul who both were stoned and Stephen of course does not revive, and St. James the Less killed by order of Herod by the sword would beg to differ with “The Jews were unable to execute under Roman Law” and might suggest that is pure Bull Crap!

For the record Jesus was handed over to the Romans as they just didn’t want him dead but also accursed by GOD as they could not Crucify (Hang on a Tree), and the Jewish Religious Leader knew full well remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear.

22 "If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree,

23 his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance.

Ga 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE" --

(NAS95)

This is again why WE NEED, by GOD’S Grace alone to learn the Bible, as so many preaching to us DON’T know it at ALL!

Now let’s help see if this is a 3 point Sermon or 3 Sermons 1 different Point Each?

Are we staying on the same point or are we introducing subjects not in the verses or context of the passage being preached?

I would suggest yes, and we are on a clear Biblical Path and not a Book review of the latest Theological Star’s opinion of the Bible.

Are we as at my Dad’s Funeral hearing a passage that only looks forward, and yet somehow scales and a past & future balance introduced that the text doesn’t come close to supporting as it is a future view only?

Or and this is the worst but happens more than you might think, Does the Sermon and the verses have NOTHING to do with each other!!

As witnessed in a Sermon delivered in our hearing at one of the Redeemer New York Churches that I did address with the Lead staff so I am not talking behind the Churches back. This Sermon was on the Vine & Vinedresser passage from John 15, and had the Pastor missing the point and in fact leading the Congregation astray by missing the very context.

In this example the Pastor preached the point was to “Abide” in the LORD as if we have EVER been able of our own strength to do such, and because he saw abide mention three times.

What he missed was right out of the gate, and why we as a Congregation need to pray for our Pastors, and to the LORD weekly for Open Ears, as the John 15 passage puts our abide in the PASSIVE, and the ACTION is taken by the FATHER as the Vine Dresser choosing to graft us in and care for the VINE, the VINE our LORD Jesus Christ alone who gives us life, and the SAP The HOLY SPIRIT alone who gives us the Life in the Vine alone.

I suggested to this New York Based group, If you were to go to Central Park, or any tree and find a branch that was on the ground, and we asked you to sit there for a month writing down the movement of this branch, what would observe?

Yes the Branch is doing NOTHING, on its own, and the only hope for life the branch, even if it had just broken off, unless the FATHER the Vinedresser takes action and grafts us in the Branch would be dead and incapable of living.

That friends is the secret to our very salvation period, as it ALL of GOD and has nothing to do with us.

This leads us to our third question

3 Why the wheels fall off in the dreaded Application?

This is the Black Hole and where the vast majority of these Sermons fall apart as the Application digresses into a Pharisaical, Legalistic “You Must correct yourself, and what you need to do to be Good stuff”

Simply put we get a list of how we need to improve ourselves that includes, but not limited too;

Read our Bible more

Love More

Treat People as Jesus would

Just plain be a better Christian

Give more time to the Church

On their face each seems ideal and yet unless the HOLY SPIRIT do the work, each are completely worthless to say as GOD alone Changes a life in Christ Jesus.

The FACT remains WE cannot be good enough EVER and Jesus said so!

Mr 10:17 ¶ As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

18 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.

Yet week after week in Reformed Pulpits that are supposed to know better we hear the same message “Preached” to us as the Message given Eve by the slithering Serpent of Eden, “You will be like GOD” in this case in the Synagogue “You have to be more Like GOD” and in the Church “You need to be more like Christ” As if the idiots preaching this crap have never read anything Jesus said.

THIS MY FRIENDS IS THE VERY SAME MESSAGE THE SERPENT GAVE and YES I am Screaming!!!!

They are all meant just as the Pharisees did to guilt us into being “better Christians”, and yet I will address in the final Blunt point, this has been the case for thousands of years destroying the Synagogues and todays Churches as well and what does Jesus say about such,

Mt 23:1 ¶ Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples,

2 saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses;

3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.

4 "They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.

5 "But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.

6 "They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues,

7 and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men.

You might note if you read your Bible daily and that too is a gift from GOD, that Jesus attacks the Religious Leaders, and I fear this is still due to the great lie in Eden’s Garden that we can somehow be like GOD, when from the very beginning was and IS IMPOSSIBLE!

The Standard of the LORD in the Goodness Business is what?

Yes Perfection and that is 100% compliance EVERY Second of Everyday and NONE of us are close, so we cannot better or save ourselves period.

So let us get to the Blunt point, and you may not like this, but I just ask, listen to Sermons from the 1990’s -2010, and listen to today’s “Reformed” sermons as you may be as shocked.

4 Reformed Sermons MUST Point to Christ alone and NOT our need to Change!

We really need to get back to understanding what a Reformed (True message of the Bible) Sermon actually looks and sounds like.

First it does NOT focus on us changing ANYTHING, but realizes that The TRIUNE GOD needs to do and in fact, does EVERYTHING!!!

This may sound simple, because IT IS!

The Bible is NOT about us coming to Jesus Christ, but Jesus Christ coming to us and making us alive in HIM alone. If you don’t believe this reread Genesis 3, who finds who in this passage???

Ephesians 2:1-9 is not mistaken somehow as YES we all start off Dead in our sins and a Dead person just like a dead branch can do nothing to make themselves alive.

Read this passage please

1 ¶ And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

4 ¶ But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

When we hear the Lead Pastor at Redeemer New York Eastside stand up and say “We are going to write a Bible Study to get you to love the Bible more” it shows they are NOT Reformed, as again the Church Leaders are going to write a Study, instead of praying the HOLY SPIRIT open the eyes of the Congregation as we return to reading the Bible together and trusting the WORD of GOD to do what it does best.

To be more blunt remember I told you we have broken off going to Redeemer after going there from 2007-2010, even though we looked forward to returning only to find out in horror the Councilors of Rehoboam as they too have been bitten by the No Teaching experience necessary crowd but young people only apply.

What also is a key to knowing the Pastor is in trouble;

Quoting 3 Theological Stars and not the Bible, to give their mess cover.

It is NOT a Book Review or video Series review, recommending the Latest Book on the subject they are preaching on instead of the Scriptures they should be preaching themselves.

And last for now, as we could go on, telling you a story that has NOTHING to do with the Sermon, what I call the filler in the Grade school hamburger (90% filler 10% meat).

But Beloved if you think this is all on terrible Churches, it is not, as what is also killing the Church is the apathy in the Congregation. You see the fruit of Regeneration is an active Church that doesn’t even know they are active a healthy as the HOLY SPIRIT alone is moving our works.

If you think I have been harsh these last two posts I ask you take a deep breath, bring a note pad, and an open Bible. and write down the sermon points, Please truly match them to the Bible. Also Write down those 3 Theologian quotes, they will be there and cry, as they won’t be Peter, David, Paul or Jesus HIMSELF but most likely CS Lewis, RC Sproul, Tim Keller ect.

Pray the HOLY SPIRIT give us a zeal for the Scriptures bath in them enjoy them as a fruit of true regeneration, and yes HOLY SPIRIT Please by the Mercy of GOD The FATHER through our redemption in Jesus Christ our LORD alone open our eyes and ears to actually hear the message and pray for our Pastors to LOVE the scriptures again.

Mark 2:14-20 & Luke 18:9-14

Mark 2:14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He *said to him, "Follow Me!" And he got up and followed Him.

15 And it *happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him.

16 When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, "Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?"

17 And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

18 ¶ John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they *came and *said to Him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"

19 And Jesus said to them, "While the bridegroom is with them, the attendants of the bridegroom cannot fast, can they? So long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

20 "But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.

Luke 18:9 ¶ And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:

10 "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

11 "The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

12 'I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.'

13 "But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!'

14 "I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

The Holy Gospel Of Our LORD Jesus Christ

Response By ALL: All Glory To YOU LORD Christ

Spreading Religion and Not the Gospel

Or Why I think Madison Square Garden Could Be the Best Example Of What a Cathedral Should Be

This is a Lesson I had hoped to not be writing, but it really is important and as the posting is between St. John the Baptist Birthday and Martyrdom Sunday has traditionally been a time I teach on the Struggles we have seen in the Church, I had hoped to continue the Matthew Lessons.

First why I think Madison Square Garden Could Be the Best Example Of What a Cathedral Should Be?

Well if we were in Madison Square Garden and the Referees where the Pastors , the Crows has an honest way of evaluating the Referees performance night to night, if you have been there you know what I mean, but for those who have not, let’s just say calling a Referee and A.H. or suggesting the Call was B.S. is bluntly expressed.

I think the Church could be more honest, with the “speech” givers if we shouted the same thing at these people.

I also read in the last few days (of June 25 through July 2) I saw these tweets from some of the Stars of the modern Religious teaching, and felt compelled to call this out as Religious and far from Christian.

By the way our “stars’ sure like to call out others as they apply their Religious instruction.

Our Passages we be from 2nd Timothy 3 and the Letter to the Hebrews 5, and will be posted below the Lesson.

I also think these passages will Help as Jesus and Luke are pointing this real problem and the Church too has and were going to be susceptible to this problem,

Mt 13:15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.'

Ac 28:27 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES; OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM."'

(NAS95)

Ephesians 2:1-10

1 ¶ And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

4 ¶ But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Please believe me, I not suggesting I am a know it all and that all should follow me because I am soooo great, as I am the opposite, I don’t want you to believe me, I want you to actually search the Scriptures to see if what I am writing is a fruit of a person regenerated by the HOLY SPIRIT or not.

Every week like the Bereans in Acts17:10 ¶ The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.

11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

Now let’s look at these Tweets and review why they are actually “Religious” mumbo jumbo and NOT Christian.

I also want us to really read these and pretend they are not from Pastors, as we will see that they could as well be said by Buddhist, Hindus, Jewish Rabies or Philological Humanist.

On Church Discipline, ask you Pastor what plan is in place to treat the person placed out of the Church like a Gentile or a Tax collector, no really ask them what this means, I am sure they will tap dance as they HAVE no Gospel true Christ Centered plan.

The answer is after the abused Matthew 18 Discipline passage that seems to forget how Jesus treated the Gentiles and Tax Collectors

Matthew 18:14 "So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

15 ¶ "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.

16 "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED.

17 "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Does your Church practice this example or are they the Pharisees & Scribes

Matthew 9:10 Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples.

11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, "Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?"

12 But when Jesus heard this, He said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.

13 "But go and learn what this means: 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

For the record it is important to note that Matthew 9 of course predates Matthew 18, so it helps explain the point of Church discipline.

Now to these Religious Tweets that are tweeted daily and FAR from Christ Centered Gospel, though I will ask you to read them and tell me why below.

“Being staunchly orthodox and biblically faithful means not only that we don't compromise our doctrine but that we don't compromise our love for one another.”

“Churches that don't practice church discipline because they think it's unloving are in fact not loving churches, nor are they real churches”

Burk Parsons

“For the record, it stands to say that if each friend says to the other, "I will treat my selfishness as the main problem in this relationship," you also have the prospect for great things.”

“Some people are really, really the wrong person to marry. Everyone else is still naturally incompatible.”

“Friendship does not flow out of great sexual chemistry. Sexual chemistry grows out of terrific friendship.”

Tim Keller

"The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater" @JRRTolkien

Core Christianity

“ Placing his hands on the head of the sacrifice, the high priest would symbolically transfer the guilt of the worshipper to the scapegoat that was then sent out, exiled, cut off from the people as their substitute.”

“In the classical philosophical and theological tradition, Christianity was to express and reflect “the good, the true, and the beautiful.” Goodness, truth, and beauty all held a place in the vision of the Christian life.”

Daily Horton

We call it “Romans Revolution,” because we want to see a new reformation in our churches. Such reformations always have something to do with rediscovering this epistle. http://bit.ly/2FJCxkh

The White Horse Inn

Monergism Books Heralds

“Is the Scripture Necessary for Salvation?”

“Holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict." - Titus 1:9

The Necessity of Scripture, WSC 1.1 @Monergism”

Then list these Books one should collect, please guess what is missing from the List????

The Law of God by John Calvin

The Westminster Larger Catechism By the “Westminster Divines”

Systematic Theology Complete Edition By Louis Berkhof

Taking God at His Word by Kevin DeYoung

From The Mouth Of God By Sinclair Ferguson

The Word is Truth By E.J. Young

Thy Word is Still Truth by Lilliback Gaffin

God’s Word Alone, The Authority of Scripture by Matthew Barret

The Inerrant Word: Biblical, Historical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspective by Ed. by John MacArthur

These Individuals have thousands of Followers, Hundreds of likes, and yet what is missing in each example, Don’t believe me follow them on Twitter or request their emails to hear this daily “religious” Pharisaical Training.

Some of these gentleman even belong to Organizations claiming to be “Reformed” or a Members of a “Gospel “ spreading club, when in fact they are spreading the same “Religious” crap the Pharisees did throughout the Old Testament.

Okay what is missing in ALL of the Tweets???

Yes NO Mention of Jesus Christ at all, nor our complete and utter helplessness in changing our lives as we start out really DEAD in our sins, so how can we change ourselves?

Yes it is ONLY by the pre-ordained will of GOD the FATHER, through the full redemptive purchase of HIS SON Jesus Christ and the full Regeneration of our Dead Souls by the HOLY SPIRIT alone!!!!

Yet NONE of the tweets come close to proclaiming the truth and put the burden on us to change a formula proven throughout the Bible to be useless and enslaving!!!

No this is not Wallace saying this as Jesus call both us and the Religious Leaders (A true caution for today’s Pastors) Mt 7:11 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

Mt 12:34 "You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.

It is also why the Presbyterian Church of America, the Denomination I am Licensed in has been on an apology tour since 2013, Apologizing for every Racial, and Gender misgiving, heralding the “First Asian Moderator, and now the First African American Moderator” as an example of Racial reconciliation when in fact describing a fellow human by their race is indeed RASCISM.

We note when Jesus talks to the whore at the Well, it is not Jesus who addresses her sect but her, in fact, though kindly and honestly explaining her past to her, Jesus also

Yes we start out Dead and are considered Evil!

We must also understand, that if by the Grace of GOD we were really Regenerated by the LORD, We could NOT be prejudice Period!!!

In fact the fruit of the real Christian is to NOT have the ability to prejudice, and need to write such admonitions screams that the Presbyterian Church in America is perhaps a Religious Club, and NOT a Church of Jesus Christ as they are racist, and practice as, most denomination Age Discrimination, and it is WELL now and acknowledged.

If you are 33-44 Married with Children you are 90% likely to receive a call, if you are over 50 they may ask you to work for free, regardless of our Biblical and life experience, and yes these are confirmed facts, as I was told this one minute after acing my License Exam!

Next let’s look at the list of books in the email “Is the Scripture Necessary for Salvation?”

What did you notice and it is HUGE?

NOT ONE BIBLE is listed, but plenty of “Protestant Popes” to tell us in their books what the Bible says, as they don’t have the faith that the LORD alone through the HOLY SPIRIT opens eyes and explains HIS WORD.

I know this message is different in format then most lessons, but I do think it is very important as there really IS a difference between Religious lessons and Christian Lessons, and most are defiantly Religious, but how do we know??

One Simple rule is to listen to who the Burden to change is place on.

What do I mean?

It takes really listening, but if you do I mean really do and are honest you will get up and walk out on the speaker as you are not hearing nor are they teaching the Gospel and Christian message.

These speakers are true hack, but before we boo them off the stage, we need to know they have been trained in everything BUT the Bible by their “Reformed” Seminary, as such are indeed poorly trained.

You see and is most amplified in the third point and Why last year I wrote the lesson, “Is the Three Point Sermon Killing The Church” you can read it on the webpage https://sites.google.com/view/itsallaboutjesus-paulwallace/learning-to-listen-again

It’s the second Lesson on the “Learning to Listen” again Page, below the “Fractured Fairy Tales” Lesson (Well Worth reading), as you will hear 99% of the time “how we must change” or “How we must Love more” or “How we must read the Bible and Pray More” and this next line may actually shock you, but that is NOT THE GOSPEL, but is the same crap the Old Testament Rabi’s and Pharisees pushed, and now the prominent third point on today’s talks each Sunday.

You see unless the HOLY SPIRIT opens our eyes, we will NEVER CHANGE PERIOD!!!!!!

I plead with you as I am going actually call out a Club here that we had one time though was the “Model of a Reformed Church” before we left for California in late summer 2010, but when we returned June 2016, we found each location to be a complete NIGTHMARE and a true Religious Club and by far NOT a Church, yes it is the group of Redeemer Churches, where we ended up walking out on 23 out of 25 Sermons finally giving up as we were never going to hear the Gospel but a list of how we must and NOT the how the HOLY SPIRIT works in us.

Think I am over reacting, well in the South Side Church the Speaker tells us of Jacob and His Wife Rebekah, oh yes he said it, and even doubled down on it (For the record Jacob’s Wife was Rachel, Isaac’s Wife was Rebekah) we got up and left, Next on the East Side We heard how we must abide in the vine, and not the point of John 15 that places the burden on the vine dresser (The FATHER, and the Life provided in the VINE Christ, and the SAP that brings us to life of the HOLY SPIRIT) we walked out, and the examples where constant, yet not everyone walked out but why, see the last thought as remember Jesus cautions again being dull of hearing!

Mark 8:17 And Jesus, aware of this, *said to them, "Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart?

18 "HAVING EYES, DO YOU NOT SEE? AND HAVING EARS, DO YOU NOT HEAR? And do you not remember,

That is what you are listening for, when the Pastor, who also has to have been regenerated too, says “Beloved look at how the HOLY SPIRIT works in you” or “How HE conforms you More and More to the model of Christ” you actually are hearing the Gospel. No the Gospel is NOT what you must do, but what Jesus Christ has already done for you!

What do you see as the key change, and take a second to admit, NO you are NOT hearing this in your PCA, OPC, EPC, PCUSA, Reformed, or Methodist Church, THE ACTION OF CHANGE IS ON THE HOLY SPIRIT by the Will of GOD the FATHER, through the Full Purchase of Jesus Christ and NOT at all on us!

My Friends, it is only the HOLY SPIRIT who causes us to Love the Bible More, causes use to Love of Neighbors and Enemies as we should, proclaim the Gospel as we should.

IT IS NEVER ABOUT US NEEDING TO CHANGE, BUT How the HOLY SPIRIT Changes us PERIOD!

This is rampant in the Church and it is not only Robin and I who have experienced it, in fact when we walked out of the Plano, Texas PCA Church one Sunday in 2016, the Couple who walked out just ahead of us the husband was heard to say “That guy is full of shit!”, the Wife was all apologetic, but I said to her “Your Husband is 100% right!”.

Next after a Service at Redeemer McKinney PCA later in 2016 our friend Nancy’s Husband said “If you ask people immediately after the message what the sermon was about they can’t remember the main point at all, and yet they say “what a wonderful service”.

Well He is right and we have experienced this at the Hackettstown OPC Church, after a horribly disconnected Sermon, at the Methodist Church in Hackettstown, and I could go on.

Please by the Grace of ALMIGHTY GOD Our FATHER plead for your ears to really be opened, though you too may, and YES should be walking out on these Religious instructors as they don’t know what they are talking about.

Let’s close by answering the problem with each Tweet, they really are Man centered, and not from the perspective of the most vile creature ever saved by Jesus Christ, your writer of this lesson.

Please remember the LORD Chooses US, We don’t Choose the LORD, HE Changes us, We can’t change ourselves (as we are dead), and if you are hearing the opposite and every week you are how we are to change and be more loving, it is NOT the Gospel, since those in Christ Change by the Power of GOD alone.

2nd Timothy 3

1 ¶ But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.

2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,

4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.

6 For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses,

7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith.

9 But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes' and Jambres' folly was also.

10 ¶ Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance,

11 persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me!

12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

13 But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them,

15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

(NAS95)

This Is The WORD Of The LORD

Response By ALL: Thanks Be To GOD

Heb 5:1 ¶ For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins;

2 he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness;

3 and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself.

4 And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was.

5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, "YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU";

6 just as He says also in another passage, "YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK."

7 In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.

8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.

9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,

10 ¶ being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.

12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.

14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

(NAS95)

This is The WORD Of The LORD

Response By ALL: Thanks Be To GOD