Pastor s Bible Study Tuesday, October 30, :30 pm. What the Bible Says About Cults/The Occult

Transcription

1 St. Matthew A.M.E. Church 336 Oakwood Avenue Orange, NJ Rev. Melvin E. Wilson, Pastor/Teacher Cell: (914) Pastor s Bible Study Tuesday, October 30, :30 pm What the Bible Says About Cults/The Occult

2 I. FOLLOW-UP FROM LAST WEEK S STUDY ON FORGIVENESS Take The Forgiveness Quiz Page 7 II. WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT CULTS/THE OCCULT: DEFINITIONS Cult - A group or sect bound together by devotion to or veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc. A cult is a perversion, a distortion of biblical Christianity and/or a rejection of the historic teachings of the Christian church. A cult can also be defined as a group of people polarized around someone s interpretation of the Bible. It is any religious group which differs significantly in some one or more respects as to belief or practice from those religious groups which are regarded as the normative expressions of religion in our total culture. The Occult secret, hidden, concealed. Occult is a term that covers wideranging practices including astrology, other forms of divination, Spiritualism, magic, witchcraft, Satanism, and Hindu/occult ancient wisdom groups such as ECKANKAR, Theosophy, Rosicrucianism, UFO cults, self-styled prophets, and the New Age movement. Outside the United States the occult takes the form of voodoo and macumba. What is behind the notion of the occult is gnosticism - the desire to find hidden knowledge not available to the average person and to control life with this knowledge. The occult openly credits Satan or the spirit world for their abilities. The main difference between a cult and the occult is that cults are usually focused around the beliefs and teachings of a charismatic leader; the occult deals in secrecy. Occultic groups are entirely opposed to Christ and Christianity. III. IV. WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THEM A. The Bible does not specifically address the existence of cults or the occult (the word cult does not appear in the NIV Bible). However, the Bible does specifically address these related issues: 1. Worshiping any other god, human, image, idol, etc. except Yahweh God and his son Jesus Christ 2. Believing in secret gods or things - 2 Cor. 4:2 3. Entertaining demonic or other-worldly spirits WHY DO PEOPLE JOIN CULTS? A. Cults provide answers 1. Seem to offer spiritual significance B. Cults meet human needs 1. Emotional, psychological, physical, spiritual 2. The breakdown of the family C. Cults make a favorable impression Page 1 of 7

3 D. Cults address people s ear of the unknown/the future E. The church doesn t CONSISTENTLY do its work of Evangelism and Discipleship. Our voice and our information about Jesus Christ is not heard in public, and therefore, not considered. V. CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTS A. They offer major deviations from orthodox Christianity relative to the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith. 1. Salvation ( soteriology ) 2. Jesus Christ ( the anointed messiah or the anointed savior ) 3. Holy Spirit ( pneumatology ) B. They claim to have new truth C. They offer new interpretations of Scripture D. They present non-biblical sources of authority 1. Book of Mormon E. They offer another Jesus (2 Cor. 11:14) F. They engage in double-talk G. They usually offer a non-biblical teaching on the Nature of God (Trinity) H. Their theology always changes I. There is often strong, dictatorial leadership J. Many claim that salvation is by works, not grace (Ephesians 2:8-9) Christianity Grace Christian Science Correct thinking Islam By Allah s grace and man s works Jehovah s Witnesses Keep the commandments, being in their organization Mormons Resurrected by grace, saved by doing good works K. They major in false prophecy VI. HOW DO YOU REALLY KNOW IF IT S A CULT? A. While not every group that possesses these characteristics can be labeled a cult, beware of a group that embraces some of these features. The sure mark of a cult is what it does with the person of Jesus Christ. All cults ultimately deny the fact that Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, and mankind s only hope. B. Other Important Factors 1. Mental manipulation 2. Time manipulation 3. Manipulation of reality VII. CULTIC GROUPS EXISTING TODAY A. Pseudo-Christian Cults 1. These organizations claim to be Christian, claim to believe the Bible, but they speak about some new revelation or a man-made teaching Page 2 of 7

4 which they say is greater than the Bible. They end up denying the central doctrines of historic, orthodox Christianity. 2. Top 10 Most Dangerous Cults (Christian.net) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormonism) The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovah s Witnesses) The Church of Scientology The Twelve Tribes The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (Unification Church) The International Churches of Christ (Boston Movement) The Family (Children of God) Christian Identity Movement (Aryan Nations, Christian Identity Church, Ku Klux Klan) The Nation of Islam (Black Muslims, W.D. Fard) United Pentecostal Church (UPC) B. Oriental Cults 1. These organizations have their basis in oriental or eastern philosophy. a. Hinduism, Buddhism, Hare Krishna, Christian Consciousness, The Divine Light Mission of Maharishi Gee, I Ching, Transcendental Meditation, Zen. C. New Age Cults 1. Those organizations that combine evolutionary humanism of the west with eastern Hindu mysticism (Shirley MacLaine). They believe they can tap into a spiritual force apart from God. Page 3 of 7

5 a. Age of Aquarius, channeling, spiritism, astrology. D. The Occult 1. Fortune telling, ufo s, crystal balls, tarot cards, psychics, witchcraft, wiccas, satanism, seances, mediums, clairvoyants, Ouija boards. VIII. WHY ISN T ST. MATTHEW CHURCH OR THE A.M.E. CHURCH A CULT? THE 11 COMMANDMENTS OF CULTS VS. RELIGION 1) CULT: Single, unquestioned leader who makes all the rules, with no accountability to peers, a presbytery, a chapter, or co-leaders. RELIGION: Plurality and hierarchy of leadership, accountable to one another with a charter or church constitution including a mechanism in place to remove leaders who abuse their power. 2) CULT: Cohabitation. Members often live in a group or commune, often with the leader. RELIGION: Members have their own lives and homes and come together to worship or socialize, then go back to family homes. Page 4 of 7

6 3) CULT: Isolation. Members are often not allowed to interact/socialize with outsiders, and frequently are required to separate from their friends and families. RELIGION: Respect the friends and family of their adherents, almost always encouraging family relationships, even with family members not part of the religion. 4) CULT: Coercion. Coercive recruitment methods, often including sleep deprivation, withholding of food or bathroom breaks, locking the initiate in a room with a succession of people hammering in the group's ideas. Essentially, these are classic brainwashing techniques. RELIGION: Members, including new members, are free to come and go as they please. 5) CULT: Repetition. Members are told what to believe on a daily basis, with intense, though often subtle, indoctrination techniques used to hold members. The few items that distinguish that cult are repeated endlessly. RELIGION: Teaching and study groups are mutually encouraged with all members free to contribute insights. A variety of subjects are discussed. 6) CULT: Exclusiveness. Initiates are often told that only "select" members of the cult will reach the ultimate goal. This is incentive to stay and to be more dedicated to the cult. RELIGION: All have the same requirements and opportunities for advancement, leadership positions and participation. 7) CULT: Bread trails. The dogma is fed to the initiate in small pieces, and gaining more knowledge about the dogma requires a greater commitment to the organization. RELIGION: Typically all beliefs are publicly available with no effort made to keep some beliefs secret. 8) CULT: Alienation. Adherents are encouraged or even bullied into thinking in terms of "us versus them" with total alienation from "them." RELIGION: Members are encouraged to quietly show themselves as exemplary among their peers in secular workplaces and in public. 9) CULT: Seclusion. Members are often not allowed to leave the cult or even the cult compound. Even temporary excursions among outsiders are done in pairs or in groups with a trusted member always present. RELIGION: Gatherings are held at regular intervals with members free to come or skip as they please. 10) CULT: Totalitarian. Cults ask significantly more time and money from their adherents, often asking for a person's life savings to progress in the organization. They Page 5 of 7

7 are usually totalitarian and demand that the individual give themselves up to the organization or theology. RELIGION: The tithe (10% of income) is a good example of what a religion may ask of its adherents, and rarely will anyone check up on members to make sure they are doing this. In pretty much all churches, this is strictly voluntary. 11) CULT: Secretive about the workings, the leadership, and the finances. No one but the leader and perhaps a trusted member are aware of where the money goes. RELIGION: Respect individual freedom and ask for a commitment typically less than a person devotes to their work and family. There is no secrecy over the leader's activities, typically these are very transparent, with the congregation knowing the salary their tithes pay the clergy members, the amount going to building upkeep, and how much goes into helping the needy, community charity, etc. Financial statements are typically available to church members. Page 6 of 7

8 THE FORGIVENESS QUIZ The Forgiveness Quiz is designed to teach the Body of Christ biblical truths about biblical forgiveness. The quiz consists of 25 true/false questions. Each question has a biblical answer. Circle T for true or F for false on the line provided. 1. If we do not forgive each other, we will not be forgiven. T F 2. There are some sins that Christians are not to forgive each other for. T F 3. When we convert sinners from their ways, we aid in hiding a multitude of sins. T F 4. Christians are to be forgiving when dealing with confrontations. T F 5. Jesus told Peter that we are to forgive a brother up to seven times. T F 6. When a Christian repents of sin, we are to enforce church discipline. T F 7. When we forgive a Christian of their faults, we stand a chance to be tempted by the same sin. T F 8. Paul encouraged the church in Corinth to forgive rather than punish a brother. T F 9. Originally, God forgave the sins of His people through sacrifice as an atonement for their sins. T F 10. Forgiveness can be obtained without the shedding of blood. T F 11. When we humble ourselves, turn from our wicked ways, and pray, God forgives us. T F 12. The psalmist asked the Lord to remember the sins of his youth and forgive him. T F 13. When we turn from evil and keep God's commandments, our sins will not be mentioned. T F 14. The Lord blots out our transgressions for the sake of His children. T F 15. Before Christ, a priest would offer up the atoning sacrifice on behalf of the people. T F 16. The law of Moses can justify sinners. T F 17. When sin is not imputed, a man shall be blessed. T F 18. When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming, he declared to the crowd that Jesus would judge the world. T F 19. Jesus taught His disciples to ask for forgiveness in prayer. T F 20. We have redemption through Christ's blood. T F 21. The Pharisees believed that Jesus was blasphemous because He forgave sins. T F 22. There is a sin that cannot be forgiven. T F 23. The prophet Micah claimed that God delighted in mercy and cast sins in the depths of the sea. T F 24. Christ asked God to judge those who crucified him. T F 25. Because Christ was the ultimate sacrifice, there is no need for continued sin offerings. T F Page 7 of 7