Where Are You Standing?

Transcription

1 Name -- Page 119 CHAPTER 13 Where Are You Sanding? RATIONALISM, REVIVALISM, MODERNISM, LIBERALISM & FUNDAMENTALISM THE PROBLEM OF RATIONALISM Raionalism has been a problem hroughou he years of church hisory, especially in more recen cenuries. WHAT IS RATIONALISM? Why is i a problem? Why is i dangerous? When you hink of he word RATIONALISM you should hink of he word REASON. RATIONALISM is a RELIANCE upon REASON in order o deermine wha is rue. RATIONALISM places a high value on HUMAN REASON (wha man hinks) and places a low value (or no value) on DIVINE REVELATION (wha God has said in His Word, he Bible). The emphasis is upon REASON raher han REVELATION (God's revealed ruh). HOW SHALL I FIND OUT THE TRUTH ABOUT LIFE AND WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT? The Lord Jesus Chris said, "THY (God's Word) IS " (John 17:17). "If ye coninue in My hen are ye My disciples indeed (My rue disciples), and ye shall know and shall make you free!" (John 8:31-32). Raionalism says his: IF YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH, DEPEND UPON YOUR MIND AND UPON YOUR THINKING. Don' open he Bible, bu insead use your mind and THINK! GOD SAYS: "Trus in he Lord... and LEAN NOT (DON'T LEAN) UNTO hine own undersanding." Proverbs 3:5 RATION ISM SAYS: LEAN (depend, rely) UPON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING! See Isaiah 65:2

2 Page 120 Raionalism, Revivalism, Modernism, Liberalism, Fundamenalism WHERE ARE YOU STANDING? MAN'S REASON IS SUPREME GOD'S TRUTH IS SUPREME Of Myself, By Myself, For Myself I AM MY OWN FINAL AUTHORITY. Everyhing is judged and esed by human reason. "I mus be rue because i makes sense o me and o my way of hinking. I's reasonable. I's logical o me and o my way of rying o pu hings ogeher." THIS THINKER IS DEPENDING ON HIS OWN REASON. HE THINKS HIS THINKING WILL BRING HIM TO TRUTH. Everyhing is judged and esed by God's Word: "Prove all hings (es all hings by he Word of God)"-1 Thess.5:21 "I mus be rue because God says so. I know nohing. God knows everyhing." THIS BELIEVER IS DEPENDING ON THE WORD OF GOD. HE KNOWS THE BIBLE IS TRUTH. * RJ\TIONALISM * Wha man hinks MAN'S THOUGHTS Isaiah 55:7-8 * REVELATION * Wha God says GOD'S THOUGHTS Isaiah 55:7-9

3 in Name --- Page 121 Wha is wrong wih RATIONALISM? To answer his we mus answer anoher quesion: WHAT IS WRONG WITH MAN'S REASON? Wha is wrong wih man's hinking? MAN'S THINKING CANNOT BRING MAN TO A KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH! Why no? Ever since he fall of man (Genesis 3) he mind of man has been ou of une and ou of ouch wih realiy (because i is ou of une and ou of ouch wih God). Fallen men do no hink correcly. Sin has affeced he mind and he hinking of men. Noice his descripion of man's hinking before he grea Genesis Flood: "And God saw ha he wickedness of man was he earh and ha EVERY imaginaion of he of his hear (his mind) was only coninually" (Genesis 6:5). In he New Tesamen we have anoher descripion of he mind of fallen, unsaved men: "ha ye (empiness, heir, having he henceforh walk no as oher GENTILES walk, in he minds were devoid of ruh) of heir darkened (hey are blind), being alienaed (separaed) from he life of God (hey are dead, having ha is in hem, because of he (hardness) of heir hear" (Eph. 4:17-18). In ligh of his verse, consider wha he raionalis is sanding upon: no real and righ relaionship wih God), hrough he THE RA.TIONALIST (who depends upon his own reason and houghs) BLINDNESS DARKNESS IGNORANCE NO TRUTII Ephesians 4:17-18 See also Tius 1: 15 which ells us more abou he condiion of he mind of fallen, unsaved men: "Uno he pure all hings are pure: bu uno hem ha are defiled and unbelieving is nohing pure; bu EVEN THEIR and conscience is DEFILED." I is he mind ha is defiled and pollued by sin. "Sin has so wised and pervered he inellec of he naural man and Saan has so blinded his mind ha he ofen hinks he knows more han God. Pride leads him o exal his own menaliy o such an exen ha, if God says anyhing which his iny inellec and puny reason canno comprehend, hen he declares God's saying 'foolishness.' He boldly proclaims God's sacred ruh o be fable; God's eernal word o be an earh-born myh. His endeavor o fahom God's ocean of ruh wih his lile eacup of a mind is paheic, and his arrogan mehod of casing aside God's supernaural revelaion when i goes conrary o his sin-sauraed reason is piiful indeed." (Ruh Paxson, Life on he Highes Plane, p.74) Since sinful man is separaed from a HOLY GOD (Isaiah 59:2), he mind of sinful man is separaed from TRUTH because God is he SOURCE of all ruh. All ruh comes from God, and if a person is separaed from God he is separaed from he ruh of God:

4 Page 122 Raionalism, Revivalism, Modernism, Liberalism, Fundamenalism SIN INDEPENDENCE OF GOD -- BR EA TI-lES OUT CLOUDS OF UNBELIEF BLOCKING AND CHALLENGING THE SON OF GOD ( SINFUL MAN i:) z 0 -!;: GOD'S HOLINESS BLOCKS AND BARS SIN'S ENTRANCE, AND EXECUTES JUST AND RIGHTEOUS JUDGiviENT THE GOD OF TRUTH J "Bu he NATURAL MAN (he unsaved he man who is separaed from he God of ruh, he man >;Nho does no have he SPIRIT OF 1RUTI-I living in his hear) receiveh NOT he hings of he Spiri of God: for hey are FOOLISHNESS uno him: neiher can he know hem(he CANN OT KNOW THE TRUTH OF GOD), because hey are spiriually discerned" ( 1 Corinhians 2: 14). No only is he mind of man separaed from he ruh of God, bu he mind of man is acually OPPOSED TO GOD. Man's mind is AGAINST GOD and is an enemy of God! Romans 8:7 says, "Because he mind (he fallen, fleshly mind of man) is ENMITY AGAINST GOD." (I is HOSTILE oward God, a odds, a war, in rebellion agains God). The mind of man is a war agains God and i is a war agains wha God says. READ ISAIAH 55:6-9. MAN IS TO FORSAKE AND TURN AWAY FROM HIS OWN THOUGHTS Man is going he wrong way and hinking he wrong houghs (verse 7). MAN IS TO TURN UNTO THE LORD WHOSE THOUGHTS ARE HIGH AND HOLY AND HEALTHY. There is no problem wih God's hinking. Man needs o urn o Him and rus Him (verses 6-7). RATIONALISM is no a solid foundaion o sand upon. Raionalism will lead us asray. We mus no lean upon our own undersanding and our own reasoning and our own hinking. Here are some examples of how raionalism can ge people off rack: 1) The Word of God (he Bible) reveals ha here is ONE GOD and his ONE GOD reveals Himself in THREE PERSONS -Faher, Son and Holy Spiri. He is ONE bu He is THREE. He is THREE bu He is ONE.

5 Name Page 123 To many people his does no make sense. How can He be THREE and ye ONE? I is no logical. I seems o go agains reason. Therefore many people do no believe in he Triniy. They lean upon heir own undersanding and heir own undersanding does no help hem know WHO GOD REALLY IS. There are many hings ha our lile, puny minds canno undersand and canno grasp. God wans us o BELIEVE even hough we may no undersand. I may no make sense o us, bu i makes sense o God! 2) A man migh reason in his way: "Every person ha I have ever known has had a faher and a moher. There is no one man on earh ha did no have a faher and a moher a one ime. Jesus was man, herefore He mus have had a faher and a moher oo. He mus have been a man like all oher men ha I know." This may be logical and reasonable, bu i is very wrong. The Lord Jesus was a Man, bu He was a UNIQUE MAN. He was no like every oher man. He had a moher bu had no earhly faher. He was he Son of God and was born of a virgin. God was His Faher. He was a Man bu He was also God! He was he Son of God and He was God he Son. Reason apar from revelaion will lead you asray. 3) Miracles go agains reason. The Bible ells us abou many miracles which God accomplished by His power and for His all-wise purposes. For example, i does no make sense ha a man (Peer) could walk on he waer. Everyone knows ha people canno and do no walk on waer. Also i does no make sense ha a crowd of 5000 people (no couning women and children) could be fed from jus five loaves and wo fish. This is unreasonable. I could no happen. I is physically impossible. Man's reason says, "I T IS IMPOSSIB LE." 1.). 1 "\'1 I 'I. 1. IVme reve awn says, n 'H C'OI) ALL,.I'H I- Nrc's " R, uc)ss s LI.'..J"..... j '!,. 1i.. 1,, 1., " ( see L UKE 1:37). Unbelieving men using heir reason ry o explain away he miracles in a way ha will saisfy heir minds. Here are examples of a couple of foolish explanaions: "The Lord did no really walk on he waer, because ha is impossible. Insead He was acually walking on a sandbar. When Peer go ou of he boa, he oo sepped ono he sandbar. Bu afer a few seps he walked off he sandbar ino he deeper waer. The Lord had o reach ou and pull him back up." "The crowd of 5000 was no really fed from jus five loaves and wo fish because his is impossible. I is impossible because my mind jus canno see how his could happen. This is wha really mus have happened: The crowd was very selfish. They all had heir lunches hidden away under heir unics. When hey saw he young lad share his lunch wih he Lord hen hey all fel ashamed ha hey had been so selfish and hey began pulling ou heir lunches. Thus here was pleny of food for everyone and even much food ha was lef over." Wha do you hink of hese explanaions? Do hey make sense? Are hey reasonable? Do you see any problems wih hem? I is much beer jus o believe wha God says and ake Him a His Word!

6 Page 124 Raionalism, Revivalism, Modernism, Liberalism, Fundamenalism Wha is i ha governs your life? Is i your houghs or God's houghs? Is i your reason or God's revelaion? Is i your wisdom or God's Word? WHAT ARE YOU STANDING UPON? Lisen o Paul's wise words spoken nearly 2000 years ago: "Tha your faih should no sand on he wisdom of men bu in he PO\VER OF GOD. PI 1 COR. 2:5 "I am rusing man's wisdom and rr.an's hinki.n " " I am rusing God and His Word" TIIE 'WISDOM OF N TIIE POWER AND 'WISDOM AND 1RU1HOF GOD THE PROBLEM OF REVIVALISM Tha which is dead or nearly dead needs o be REVIVED. There is he righ kind of revival which comes from GOD (He is he Source of all LIFE) and here is he wrong kind of revival ha comes from MAN. Wha we are considering in his secion is he WRONG KIND of revival. DEADNESS has been a very real problem hroughou he cenuries of church hisory. The religion of man is ofen very dead and lifeless. People gaher in a church building and hey follow a dead riual. They go hrough he moions wihou any meaning. They sand up and si down and ligh candles and repea phrases, bu none of i has anyhing o do wih realiy and life. The reason for he deadness is ha here is no real and righ relaionship wih he God of life. Many people hroughou he years of church hisory have recognized he deadness and have cried ou for somehing more. They go ired of siing in he middle of a dead and impersonal church building and going hrough he weekly riual. They waned a religious experience ha would be real and exciing and meaningful and personal. Wha hey needed was a PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP wih Chris, bu ofen wha hey looked for was a PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. They waned somehing ha hey could ouch or feel or sense. The emphasis was no on BELIEVING bu on FEELING. This wrong kind of revivalism is seen in many groups hroughou church hisory such as he Quakers (wih heir emphasis on he "inner ligh"), he followers of Edward Irving in 19h cenury England (wih heir many prophes and prophecies) and he Penecosal/Charismaic

7 Name Page 125 movemen of oday (wih he emphasis on experiencing he gif of ongues, and having dreams, prophecies, added revelaions, miracles, healings, ec.). Where are you sanding? Consider he char on he following page: WHERE ARE YOU STANDING? MAN'S EMOTIONS ARE SUPREME "I don' wan o believe. I wan o feel and experience!" BASED ON SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE "I mus be rue because I'VE EXPERIENCED IT!" "This is how I feel!" GOD'S TRUTH IS SUPREME "I wan o use he mind God has given me o learn His ruh as He eaches me." BASED ON OBJECTIVE TRUTH "I mus be rue because GOD SAID IT!" "This is wha God has said!" Emoimal RE\'IVALISM How man feels BASED ON FEELING (EMOTION) Biblical REVELATION Wha God says BASED ON FACT (TRUTH) Le's compare all hree of hese foundaions (only one of hese hree foundaions is ROCK SOLID):

8 Page 126 Raionalism, Revivalism, Modernism, Liberalism, Fundamenalism "This is wha I hink. I seems o make sense. I hope I'm righ. I hope my mind does no II RATIONALISM Wha man hinks grea! I've ad a super experience. I really feel alive. I hope his feeling I as s. I hope I have his feeling omorrow. hope I don' feel like I did serday." I REVIVALISM How man feels "My hinking apar from God's Word A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP TO GOD'S RIGHTNESS AND GOD'S REALITY MAKES FOR MAN'S HEALTHY THINKING AND FEELING can ge me ino rouble. I mus lean hard on God's wisdom. I know nohing bu He knows everyhing. I'm no seeking an experience. I am seeking a real and righ relaionship wih. Chris--o know and HIM!" REVELATION Wha God says

9 Name Page FUNDAMENTALISM Wha is a FUNDAMENTALIST? A fundamenalis is a person who sands firmly upon he solid foundaion of God's Word (like he person on he diagram above). The word "fundamenal" is relaed o wo Lain words: 1) fundus (ground, he boom or base of anyhing) and (2) fundamenum (a foundaion, basis). Thus when you hink of he word FUNDAMENTAL you should hink of he word FOUNDATION. A fundamenalis is a person who sands firmly upon he fundamenals. A fundamenalis sands firmly upon THE SOLID FOUNDATION of God's Word, he Bible. During he 20h cenury here has been a grea bale raging beween hose men and churches who believe he Bible and hose men and churches who do no. In 1910 a very imporan se of books was published by a group of Bible believing men called THE FUNDAMENTALS. These books conained many aricles which presened he ruh of God's Word and urged men o sand firmly upon rock solid foundaional ruhs of he Bible such as hese: I believe hese 5 grea ruhs and I believe ev ery hing else God has sa id in His Wo rd!" 1. The Bible is TRUE and mnains no errors 2. Chris was VIRGIN BORN (He was God come in he flesh) 3. Chris died on he cross as man's SUBSTITUTE 4. Chris rose again from he dead--physically and bodily 5, Chris is coming again o his ea rh -physically and bodily A FIRM FOUNDATION THE PROBLEM OF MODERNISM AND LIBERALISM Modernism and Liberalism are wo names which basically describe he same hing. Boh of hese movemens could be described by anoher erm: UNBELIEF! Boh of hese movemens deny and disbelieve he Word of God. This is illusraed on he following page:

10 Page 128 Raionalism, Revivalism, Modernism, Liberalism, Fundamenalism Times have changed. We live 1n a modern age, Thinking people do no believe he Bible any more. People used o hold hese silly ideas bu no any more. Belief in he Bible is old fashioned and ou of dae. THE MODERNIST THE THOUGTS, OPINIONS, IDEAS AND PHILOSOPHIES OF MEN Liberalism is jus anoher name for modernism. The modernis and he liberal are really one and he same: THE THOUGTS, OPINIONS, IDEAS AND PHILOSOPHIES OF MEN "I'm open minded and I'm broad minded. Bible believers are oo narrow minded. Times have changed. We need o hink differenly. We need o have new ideas. We should no believe he same silly hings ha our parens and gran arens believed." THE LIBERAL Are here some hings ha never change? Does he Lord Jesus Chris ever change (Hebrews 13:8)? Does God's Word ever change (Mahew 24:35)? Do he houghs, opinions, ideas and philosophies of men ever change? How solid a foundaion does he liberal sands upon? On he following wo pages here is a helpful char which shows he differences beween LIBERALISM (Modernism) and TRUE CHRISTIANITY (Fundamenalism). CONCLUSION Where are you sanding? On wha are you sanding? Wha is your FOUNDATION? How solid is your foundaion? Is your foundaion a ROCK SOLID foundaion such as we sudied in ch'l12er 1 of hese noes? How firmly are you sanding on his foundaion? In hese lessons on church hisory we have seen some of he many problems ha arise when men refuse o sand on he solid foundaion. May we no repea he misakes of he pas. May he God of ruh and he ruh of God be our sure and safe and solid foundaion now and forevermore!

11 Page Name The Difference Beween LIBERALISM and TRUE CHRISTIANITY Liberalism (Modernism) True Chrisianiy "hey have REJECTED They have RECEIVED he Bible he Word of he LORD no as he word of men bu as i is in ruh, he Word of God and (1 Thess. 2: 13; John 17: 17) and wha WISDOM is in hem?" hey possess he WISDOM OF GOD (Jeremiah 8:9; Proverbs 1 :7) (1 Cor. 2:13-14; Eph. 1:17; Prov. 1:7) *The Bible CONTAINS he Word of God. We The Bible IS he Word of God. All Scripure can subjecively pick and choose wha pars of is given by inspiraion of God (1 Timohy he Bible are rue. 3:16 and compare 2 Peer 1:20-21) *Jesus Chris was a GOOD MAN, probably he BEST MAN ha has ever lived. Jesus Chris is he GOD-MAN, he CREATOR, he blessed Son of Man, he eernal Son of God (John 1:1,2,3,14,ec.). *The birh of Jesus Chris was NATURAL The birh of Jesus Chris was (see Isaiah 7:14 in he Revised Sandard SUPERNATURAL (Mahew 1:20-23 and Version) Luke 1:37). *Jesus Chris died as our EXAMPLE God is he FATHER OF ALL MEN (he universal Faherhood of God) Jesus Chris died as our SUBSTITUTE (Isaiah 53:6 and 2 Corinhians 5:21). GOD'S CHILDREN are only hose who have pu heir faih in Chris (John 1:12). Many people have he devil as heir faher (John 8:44). All men are BROTHERS (he universal No everyone belongs o he same family. broherhood of man) There are TWO FAMILIES (1 John 3:10). *Man is he produc of EVOLUTION Man was CREATED direcly by God (Gen. 1:26-27; 2:7 and Mahew 19:4). *Man is he unforunae VICTIM of herediy Man is a SINNER, fallen from original and environmen, bu hrough self-culure and innocency, and unless he receives he Lord self effor, he can save himself. Jesus Chris, he is eernally los (John 3:16-21; Rom. 3:23-24). *Man is jusified by WORKS in following Man is jusified by FAITH in he aoning Chris's example. The resul: naural blood of Chris. The resul: supernaural developmen from WITHIN regeneraion from ABOVE (John 3:3; Rom. 5:1,9; Ti. 3:4-6). There are MANY ROADS ha lead o Heaven Jesus Chris is he ONLY WAY (John 14:6; Acs 4: 12). ALL MEN WILL EVENTUALLY BE SAVED (UNIVERSALISM) ONLY A FEW WILL FINALLY BE SAVED (Mahew 7:13-14), alhough God's salvaion is freely offered o all (Rev. 22: 17). *Those secions marked wih an aserisk (*) are aken from or adaped from he excellen rac by Franklin G. Ruling eniled Fundamenalism vs. Modernism--Wha is he Difference?

12 Page 130 Raionalism, Revivalism, Modernism, Liberalism, Fundamenalism Liberalism (Modernism) Concerning HELL: A loving God would never condemn anyone o hell. The LOVE OF GOD is over-emphasized and he judgmen and wrah of God is rarely menioned. NO WARNING is given abou false docrine, false eachers, ec. The liberals recognize and olerae "MANY FAITHS" and "many faih expressions" ECUMENICAL--hey seek he compromising UNION of all churches and all faihs SOCIAL GOSPEL and social acion Seek o mee man's PHYSICAL NEEDS (food, clohing, medicine, ec.). Concerning he RESURRECTION: "he influence and example of Jesus lives on" There is an avoidance of and a disregard for PROPHETIC TEACHING especially concerning he second coming of Chris Key Message: "LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR" "Do uno ohers" "Obey he Golden Rule" ec. (MAN-CENTERED) Em:ghasis: The emphasis is placed on he Gospels--he earhly life and minisry of Chris (Jesus as a FELLOW HUMAN). True Chrisianiy Those who rejec Jesus Chris are condemned already (John 3: 18). HELL is very real. The judgmen and wrah of God is carefully augh (Rom. 1:18,32; 2:3,5,16; ec.) and he love of God is presened in full view of Calvary's cross (Rom. 5:8; John 3: 16; ec.). Warning is a key par of a faihful minisry (Acs 20:28-31). Bible believers recognize ha here is only ONE TRUE FAITH (Jude 3 and Eph. 4:5,13). SEPARATISTIC--hey separae from hose churches and individuals who deny he "docrine of Chris" (2 John 9-11; Rom. 16:17-18; ec.). CHRIST -CENTERED GOSPEL and missionary zeal Seek o mee man's SPIRITUAL NEEDS (salvaion from sin) firs and foremos The Lord Jesus ROSE AGAIN BODILY from he grave and is exaled a he righ hand of God (1 Corinhians 15; Eph. 1:20-23) The propheic saemens of Scripure are acceped a face value and he Bible has much o say abou he blessed hope ha Jesus is coming again (John 14:3; Tius 2: 13) "Believe on he Lord Jesus Key Message: Chris and hou shal be saved (Acs 16:31; and see 1 Cor. 2:2 and 1 Cor. 15:1-4) (CHRIST-CENTERED) Emghasis: The emphasis is placed on he crucified, risen, exaled, heavenly Lord who is coming again! (Jesus as GOD WITH US and GOD FOR US!) Noe: In Acs hrough Revelaion here are 183 verses on he deah of Chris; 97 on he resurrecion; 162 on he heavenly life and minisry of Chris; 203 on he second coming and only 5 verses on he earhly life and minisry of Chris (Acs 20:35; Acs 2:22; 1 Tim. 3:16; 1 Tim. 6:13 and 2 Peer 1:15-18)! SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF LffiERAL CHURCHES: The people mee for worship on Sunday morning only. Mos liberal churches do no have an evening service or a mid-week prayer meeing service. The people rarely carry Bibles o church and Bibles are no usually found in he pews. The "clergy" always pray and he people in he pew are never called upon o pray. The "miniser" (ofen called "miniser" raher han "pasor") will never preach verse.by.verse hrough a book of he Bible. The sermons are usually based, no so much on a Bible ex (alhough verses will be referred o during he course of he sermon) bu on some even ha was recenly in he news, some poliical happening, somehing ha was seen on elevision, ec. An inviaion for salvaion will never be given from he pulpi. The erms "saved" and "unsaved" are rarely used. NOTE: This char describes hose liberals in he "Proesan" radiion. However, some of hese liberal characerisics may be found and noiced among cerain Caholics as well. The Middleown Bible Church 349 Eas Sree, Middleown, CT (860)