by Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
Text: Psalm 119:97-104<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I. Some brethren are, well, squeamish when denominations are publicly refuted<\/p>\n A. There is a fear that visitors, their friends and relatives, will be offended by such\nplain language\n
B. In the end, there is more allowance for sin to continue unchecked.<\/p>\n C. Is it possible that we do not mind our friends following the broad road to hell as\nlong as they travel it in good humor?\n
II. There must be indignation aimed at error – Psalm 119:104<\/p>\n
A. Philippians 1:16 – Paul saw his duty in defending the gospel.<\/p>\n
1. Defense against what?<\/p>\n 2. There are always men who will modify the hope of our salvation –\nGalatians 1:6-10\n
3. Notice the strong language in these verses against any who alter the gospel.<\/p>\n
B. Matthew 15:1-14<\/p>\n 1. Jesus had strong words for the Pharisees. When his disciples pointed out\nthat his words were offending his audience, Jesus made no apology.\n 2. Yet, some brethren today would turn beet red if a preacher said such\nthings. “Why, you are driving off people!”\n
III. We have a misunderstanding of the words love and truth<\/p>\n
A. Ephesians 4:15-16 – “You see,” we are told, “growth comes from love.”<\/p>\n
1. Yet their love is one that never hurts.<\/p>\n 2. What if a parent so loved their children that they would never spank them?\n– Proverbs 13:24\n 3. Obviously, it is the definition of love that is in conflict with the teachings of\nthe Bible. Love requires correction – Hebrews 12:6-11\n
B. We have to teach the truth<\/p>\n
1. No where in the Bible does it say that the truth never hurts.<\/p>\n 2. Paul feared the Galatians would stop dealing with him because of his\ntruthful teaching – Galatians 4:16\n
3. The truth of the gospel is a two-edged sword – Ephesians 6:17.<\/p>\n
a. Brethren, swords hurt!<\/p>\n b. The truth can be misused, to cut where it is not required, but that\ndoesn’t imply that it should never cut.\n
IV. The denominational world is in a mess<\/p>\n A. Just this weekend the paper had an article about a group of denominations\norganizing to address racial issues.\n 1. Sounds nice, but “Full members commit to oppose all marginalization and\nexclusion in church and society on the basis of such as race, age, gender,\nforms of disability, sexual orientation and class”\n a. Now we have denominations claiming that homosexuality is a race\nissue\n
2. Almost every point in their agenda violates the Scripture<\/p>\n
B. Could such errors be addressed?<\/p>\n
1. Would anyone even listen? – II Corinthians 4:3-4<\/p>\n
C. Why are there denominations?<\/p>\n 1. Because various groups have developed doctrines and names unique to a\nparticular group\n 2. These denominations are not reluctant to advertise their names nor their\ndoctrine.\n 3. Why should those defending the truth tie themselves down and not refute\nthe falsehoods? – Jude 3\n 4. If the doctrine is accurately portrayed, then why shouldn’t it be compared\nto the doctrine of Christ? – I John 4:1\n
D. “Fine, but just don’t mention names.”<\/p>\n 1. Again, we assume that the beliefs of a person are fairly and accurately\nrepresented.\n
a. Often a doctrine can be addressed without a name being mentioned.<\/p>\n
b. But is it required by the Scriptures not to mention names?<\/p>\n
2. Why do we find the following?<\/p>\n
a. Hymenaeus and Alexander – I Timothy 1:19-20<\/p>\n
b. Hymenaeus and Philetus – II Timothy 2:17-18<\/p>\n
c. Diotrephes – II John 9-10<\/p>\n
d. Nicolaitans – Revelation 2:6, 15<\/p>\n
3. Note names are mentioned of individuals and groups. Why?<\/p>\n a. They are warnings to be on guard and, in particular, for what to be\nwatchful.\n b. When I traveled to the Philippines, I was warned not to drink the\nwater or use ice in my drinks. I’ve heard similar warnings for\nMexico.\n
(1) Is this being unfair to the Filipinos or Mexicans?<\/p>\n (2) Are they being harmed because I was warned about their\nwater supply? Are they being disparaged?\n
(3) Yet, when all is said and done, “don’t drink the water.”<\/p>\n c. Warnings are given about people and groups because their\nteachings are harmful. The warnings should be accurate, but\nwarnings are still needed.\n
V. It is the job of preachers to warn of false doctrines and false teachers – II Timothy 4:1-5<\/p>\n
A. The teaching is not just to the ones committing the error.<\/p>\n
B. It is also to warn others not to fall into the same trap.<\/p>\n 1. Propagators of falsehoods don’t want their names mentioned because\nfewer people would listen to them.\n 2. Propagators of falsehoods don’t’ want their doctrines described or refuted\nbecause they want a chance to persuade the naive.\n
C. Why make Satan’s work easy?<\/p>\n D. Do no hamper the spread of the truth by insisting that preachers and teachers\nrefrain from doing what Jesus and his apostles did.\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 119:97-104 I. Some brethren are, well, squeamish when denominations are publicly refuted A. There is a fear that visitors, their friends and relatives, will be offended by such plain language B. In the end, there is more allowance for sin to continue unchecked. C. Is it possible that we do not mind…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[32],"tags":[1277,300],"class_list":["post-63469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon","tag-denominationalism","tag-denominations"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":21780,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-the-bible-state-the-world-is-flat\/","url_meta":{"origin":63469,"position":0},"title":"Does the Bible state the world is flat?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 25, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: [This is the first point in an overly long document that was sent, purporting to prove there are errors in the Bible. This first point claims that the Bible states the world is flat. I'm not going to give space for false teaching, but I want to illustrate with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":53016,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-bible-is-understandable\/","url_meta":{"origin":63469,"position":1},"title":"The Bible Is Understandable","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 11, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 119:97-112 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0When it comes to religion, people seem to prefer having a mystery \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Those in leadership of many denominations prefer it because people depend on them for answers. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Those in the ranks of denominations are satisfied having others tell them what they need\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":40908,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/psalms-119\/","url_meta":{"origin":63469,"position":2},"title":"Psalms 119","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 10, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverb 4:10-17 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0How do you learn? What do you need to learn? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The evil decay, but a child of God must learn - II Timothy 3:13-17 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It is important for all aspects of life - II Peter 1:3 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Your parents have invested a lot\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":45571,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/to-call-or-not-to-call\/","url_meta":{"origin":63469,"position":3},"title":"To Call or Not to Call","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 22, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jefferson David Tant Names, that is. For some time brethren have discussed whether or not we can mention denominational names in our preaching. Some say we offend and drive people away when we mention the teachings of the Catholic or Baptist churches, etc. While we agree that such can\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9181,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-does-psalm-1048-read-so-differently-in-different-translations\/","url_meta":{"origin":63469,"position":4},"title":"Why does Psalm 104:8 read so differently in different translations?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 31, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have an interesting question. In the NIV it says. they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them. Psalm 104:8 NIV But in another version it says Mountains rose and valleys sank to the levels you decreed. Psalm 104:8\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16912,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-power-of-god-the-bible\/","url_meta":{"origin":63469,"position":5},"title":"The Power of God: The Bible","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 6, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 1:8-19 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Word of God is precious to believers, an object of desire - Psalm 19:7-11 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0O, how I love your law! - Psalm 119:97-100 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Longing for God\u2019s law - Psalm 119:40 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Desire it like a new born babe desires milk - I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63469","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63469"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63469\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}