THE PASTOR AS…
THE ACCEPTOR OF ALL THAT IS FALSE
That we [henceforth] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. Ephesians 4:14, 17-19
We are told in scripture to “be no more children, tossed to and fro” and yet, there are pastors filling many pulpits who are guilty of this very thing. They will read a book and decide that they must implement a 40 Day plan within their church. Instead of teaching the bible, they feel they must follow after a man’s teachings without checking out the validity of what he is teaching. They feel they must have “cell” groups and small home studies in order to meet the needs of the people. And all the while, they neglect the meatier matters of God’s Word. They neglect to teach on sin and the need to repent of those sins. They preach God’s grace without preaching God’s wrath. They only give one side of the message while denying the power of God’s Holy Word to bring about change in the person.
“that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,”
Think about the “cussing” pastor for a moment. Consider how many thousands of people follow this man who uses “sex” to “sell” God to a lost generation of young people. He uses profanity in the middle of his sermons and yet there are Christian leaders who will tell you he is orthodox in his teachings. In other words, they are telling you that his teachings are in line with God’s Word.
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Ephesians 4:29
For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 1 Peter 3:10
Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet [water] and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? Either a vine, figs? So [can] no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. Who [is] a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. James 3:9-13
“Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.” To be pastor that is proud of being called the cussing pastor, is to be a pastor that is devoid of God’s wisdom. He is ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of God. He is trying to present himself as being a macho man for God in an effort to create “real men” of God that are not wimpy.
This is a common problem in many churches today. Pastor’s are trying to do so many things to “reach” the lost, unchurched person that they are willing to sacrifice true biblical preaching and teaching. They feel they must add something to God’s Word to make it more appealing to the masses. They ignore the fact that God’s Word will divide, not unite people of different faiths. We are not to become like the world in order to reach the world. We are not to get tattoo’s in an effort to reach people who have tattoo’s. We are not to cuss in order to reach people who like to cuss. We are not to sex up our talks in order to reach people who are involved in pornography. We are not to dress sloppily in an effort to make church seem like a place where we can come to relax in our lawn chairs, sing some rock songs and then say we are doing it for God’s glory. No. What is happening, is it is all being done for the glory of man. Man wants to continue living in sin and still say he is a Christian. That is not God’s way.
Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new [man], which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Colossians 3:9-10
Do you see the key word here? “after the image of ‘him’ that created him.” We are to put off the old self with our old deeds and we are to put on the image of Jesus with his deeds. Jesus did not walk around cussing. He did not go around sexing up his talks to bring people to himself. He did not go to a tattoo parlor so he could reach the wild people. He did not go to rock concerts, wear jeans with holes in them, and pierce his ears to look like everyone else in order to reach them. No. The pastor is to put off the old self. If he is still doing the things of the world, then he has not let go of his old lifestyle. He is trying to hold onto his old lifestyle and incorporate it into his ministry. There is no change in him from the world. Beware of that kind of leader.
Earlier in this chapter, you read Ephesians 4:29, Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Ephesians 4:29
It is important that you read the verses leading up to and after verse 29.
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his horough: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with [his] hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:22-32
This chapter could refer to the pastor who accepts and teaches falsehoods, but equally, it also could refer to the people who accept his teachings gladly without having a clue as to what God’s Word says about his teachings. Some people, pastors in particular, are very charismatic. They have the ability to get people to follow them. They smile, they entertain, they are funny, they act just like you do (the unchurched, the lost soul) and they have a gathering that is in the multiples of thousands. Discernment is just not found in the pulpits by pastors and it is definitely not found in the congregations. People do not want to stand up for God’s Word anymore and say something is wrong with a particular teachings. Kids in school are taught to accept all people. They must accept the gays, lesbians, transgendered people and if they say anything about their lifestyle being sinful, they are sent to the principal’s office. That attitude has prevailed inside the church now. If you do not agree with the teachings of a pastor, you are not allowed to question it or even present the biblical evidence of why it is wrong. You are cast out of the church. Do not beg to be let back into that kind of church. It is not a true church of God. It is a church of man and has nothing whatsoever to do with presenting the true gospel message of Jesus Christ.
If your pastor tells you about all of the books he is reading, just realize that means he is spending more time reading books made by man than he is in reading a book written by God. That right there should be a warning sign to you. Commentaries are good so long as they come from a biblical person with discernment. You can be sure that for every book written by a man of discernment, there are three books written by men with no spiritual discernment. By now, you have seen a few examples of different kinds of pastor’s who use trickery, deceitfulness and sly maneuvers to get people to follow them and come to church. Unfortunately, those terms precisely describe the one and only, Satan, the father of lies.
Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. 2 Corinthians 2:11
Are you ignorant of Satan’s devices? You might answer no, but unless God has opened your eyes, you most likely are ignorant of his devices. The truth is right there in front of you but unless God enlightens you, you will not be able to discern truth from error.
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Revelation 12:9
Satan desires to sift you as wheat. He will attack you all the more when you start to grow closer to God. If Satan is not attacking you, then it is most likely a result of you not being a threat to him, it comes from you not doing anything whatsoever for the Lord, it comes from not doing anything to bring others to Christ biblically. It is very important to realize that Satan is prowling around looking whom to devour.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 1 Peter 5:8
Rest assured of this one fact. The devil has infiltrated many churches in America and all across the world. Thousands upon thousands of people are following the lead of the devil instead of following after true men of God. Without discernment, pastors and congregations alike, have fallen for the lie, that you must do as the world does in order to reach the lost world.
DO NOT BELIEVE THE LIE!
That we [henceforth] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. Ephesians 4:14, 17-19
We are told in scripture to “be no more children, tossed to and fro” and yet, there are pastors filling many pulpits who are guilty of this very thing. They will read a book and decide that they must implement a 40 Day plan within their church. Instead of teaching the bible, they feel they must follow after a man’s teachings without checking out the validity of what he is teaching. They feel they must have “cell” groups and small home studies in order to meet the needs of the people. And all the while, they neglect the meatier matters of God’s Word. They neglect to teach on sin and the need to repent of those sins. They preach God’s grace without preaching God’s wrath. They only give one side of the message while denying the power of God’s Holy Word to bring about change in the person.
“that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,”
Think about the “cussing” pastor for a moment. Consider how many thousands of people follow this man who uses “sex” to “sell” God to a lost generation of young people. He uses profanity in the middle of his sermons and yet there are Christian leaders who will tell you he is orthodox in his teachings. In other words, they are telling you that his teachings are in line with God’s Word.
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Ephesians 4:29
For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 1 Peter 3:10
Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet [water] and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? Either a vine, figs? So [can] no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. Who [is] a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. James 3:9-13
“Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.” To be pastor that is proud of being called the cussing pastor, is to be a pastor that is devoid of God’s wisdom. He is ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of God. He is trying to present himself as being a macho man for God in an effort to create “real men” of God that are not wimpy.
This is a common problem in many churches today. Pastor’s are trying to do so many things to “reach” the lost, unchurched person that they are willing to sacrifice true biblical preaching and teaching. They feel they must add something to God’s Word to make it more appealing to the masses. They ignore the fact that God’s Word will divide, not unite people of different faiths. We are not to become like the world in order to reach the world. We are not to get tattoo’s in an effort to reach people who have tattoo’s. We are not to cuss in order to reach people who like to cuss. We are not to sex up our talks in order to reach people who are involved in pornography. We are not to dress sloppily in an effort to make church seem like a place where we can come to relax in our lawn chairs, sing some rock songs and then say we are doing it for God’s glory. No. What is happening, is it is all being done for the glory of man. Man wants to continue living in sin and still say he is a Christian. That is not God’s way.
Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new [man], which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Colossians 3:9-10
Do you see the key word here? “after the image of ‘him’ that created him.” We are to put off the old self with our old deeds and we are to put on the image of Jesus with his deeds. Jesus did not walk around cussing. He did not go around sexing up his talks to bring people to himself. He did not go to a tattoo parlor so he could reach the wild people. He did not go to rock concerts, wear jeans with holes in them, and pierce his ears to look like everyone else in order to reach them. No. The pastor is to put off the old self. If he is still doing the things of the world, then he has not let go of his old lifestyle. He is trying to hold onto his old lifestyle and incorporate it into his ministry. There is no change in him from the world. Beware of that kind of leader.
Earlier in this chapter, you read Ephesians 4:29, Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Ephesians 4:29
It is important that you read the verses leading up to and after verse 29.
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his horough: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with [his] hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:22-32
This chapter could refer to the pastor who accepts and teaches falsehoods, but equally, it also could refer to the people who accept his teachings gladly without having a clue as to what God’s Word says about his teachings. Some people, pastors in particular, are very charismatic. They have the ability to get people to follow them. They smile, they entertain, they are funny, they act just like you do (the unchurched, the lost soul) and they have a gathering that is in the multiples of thousands. Discernment is just not found in the pulpits by pastors and it is definitely not found in the congregations. People do not want to stand up for God’s Word anymore and say something is wrong with a particular teachings. Kids in school are taught to accept all people. They must accept the gays, lesbians, transgendered people and if they say anything about their lifestyle being sinful, they are sent to the principal’s office. That attitude has prevailed inside the church now. If you do not agree with the teachings of a pastor, you are not allowed to question it or even present the biblical evidence of why it is wrong. You are cast out of the church. Do not beg to be let back into that kind of church. It is not a true church of God. It is a church of man and has nothing whatsoever to do with presenting the true gospel message of Jesus Christ.
If your pastor tells you about all of the books he is reading, just realize that means he is spending more time reading books made by man than he is in reading a book written by God. That right there should be a warning sign to you. Commentaries are good so long as they come from a biblical person with discernment. You can be sure that for every book written by a man of discernment, there are three books written by men with no spiritual discernment. By now, you have seen a few examples of different kinds of pastor’s who use trickery, deceitfulness and sly maneuvers to get people to follow them and come to church. Unfortunately, those terms precisely describe the one and only, Satan, the father of lies.
Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. 2 Corinthians 2:11
Are you ignorant of Satan’s devices? You might answer no, but unless God has opened your eyes, you most likely are ignorant of his devices. The truth is right there in front of you but unless God enlightens you, you will not be able to discern truth from error.
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Revelation 12:9
Satan desires to sift you as wheat. He will attack you all the more when you start to grow closer to God. If Satan is not attacking you, then it is most likely a result of you not being a threat to him, it comes from you not doing anything whatsoever for the Lord, it comes from not doing anything to bring others to Christ biblically. It is very important to realize that Satan is prowling around looking whom to devour.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 1 Peter 5:8
Rest assured of this one fact. The devil has infiltrated many churches in America and all across the world. Thousands upon thousands of people are following the lead of the devil instead of following after true men of God. Without discernment, pastors and congregations alike, have fallen for the lie, that you must do as the world does in order to reach the lost world.
DO NOT BELIEVE THE LIE!
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