I missed the first 15 minutes of this message.
The speaker said, "If no one has accused you of saying God doesn’t care how you live, then it’s likely you’re not preaching grace." It would be better said, "If someone HAS accused you of saying God doesn’t care how you live, then it’s likely you’re not preaching grace the RIGHT way!" Where did ‘mid-Acts-ers’ get the idea that in order to preach grace, you cannot identify sin or say anything about it? Is their philosophy, ‘Don’t name or mention any sins, lest you offend someone’? Jesus spoke the truth, and ‘let the chips fall where they may’:
Matt 15:10-14 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
Knowing God’s judgment to come at the end of the world on those that obey NOT the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thess 1:8-10), it would be worth the risk of insult to warn the wicked (Ezek 3:18-19, 33:8-9), instead of feeling like we are trying to run their life because we opened our mouth:
Matt 13:40-42 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
We ought not be insensitive, but discerning, on how to really ‘help’ others.
It is not being bossy to give instruction from the scriptures:
Jude 1:22-23 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
The speaker expressed a typical ‘mid-Acts’ viewpoint, that being in a church is worse than being in a bar, because people in church think they are okay, and people in bars know they’re not. That kind of perspective is an arrogant attitude over other Christians that love the Lord and seek to please Him, even though they have some incorrect theology.
Overall, the speaker filled his time reiterating ‘mid-Acts’ doctrinal points. But there are no verses for statements, such as, ‘The distinctive ministry of Paul was that he preached a unique gospel,’ and ‘The body of Christ does not start in Acts 2, but in Acts 9.’
I agree that liberty can be misinterpreted, but I believe that ‘mid-Acts-ers’ are the ones who abuse it.
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
