Posted on 10/21/2013 1:18:40 AM PDT by jodyel
A Shepherd Guards His Flock Posted by Christine Pack
"And you've heard the rumor, that Pastor Jim killed the Beth Moore trip. Let me clarify that rumor: I killed the Beth Moore trip." -Pastor Jim Murphy
Thank you to a friend of mine at First Baptist Church of Johnson City, NY for sending me the sermon preached this past Sunday by his pastor, Jim Murphy. I thank God for pastors today, like Jim Murphy, who are boldly taking a stand and, lovingly and with great graciousness, and yet firmly, warning their flocks of false teaching. I am also thankful for pastors who recognize that the church is not "theirs" but belongs to God, and was purchased by the blood of Christ. It is an institution wholly unlike anything else on earth. It is not a business or a social club, and should always be dealt with with the utmost care. I'm thankful that there are at least a few pastors out there who do not fear man, who tremble at God's holy Word, and who are seeking, often against the tide, to fulfill their God-ordained responsibilities in shepherding their flocks:
"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood." Acts 20:28, my emphasis
"(An elder) must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." Titus 1:9, my emphasis
"I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears." Acts 20:29-31, my emphasis
As we have mentioned in previous posts, it's not like deception waltzes in with a sign hanging round its neck, announcing its intent. Deception is deceptive. In this sermon warning and exhorting his flock to train themselves in discernment that they might not be deceived, Pastor Jim Murphy does not hold back and names names in his sermon entitled The Subtlety of Satan:
Shane Claiborne
Doug Pagitt
Rob Bell
Tony Campolo
Rick Warren
Bill Hybels
Beth Moore
Dallas Willard
John Piper
Richard Foster
Margaret Feinberg
Francis Chan
Looking at this list, you might be thinking: are you saying that all of the above are false teachers? In truth, some of them are straight up false teachers. But some of them, while they are perceived to be solid, have begun embracing the mysticism of Spiritual Formation and the Contemplative Spirituality movement, both of which borrow heavily from Roman Catholic Monastic mysticism. (And again, I have to repeat something I feel I say far too often: what could lost, cloistered Roman Catholic monks dabbling in occultism, eastern mantra meditation and mysticism possibly be able to teach true, born again, in-dwelt Christians of today about deepening their relationship to God? But I digress....)
In this sermon Pastor Murphy gives a scathing indictment on what today's version of a "Christian" is:
"(Today's Christian is) someone who has made the decision to be an emotionally well-adjusted, self-actualized risk-taking leader who knows his purpose, lives a no regret life of significance, has overcome his fears, enjoys a healthy marriage, is an attentive parent celebrating recovery from all their hurts, their habits, their hang-ups, and that practices biblical stress relief techniques, is financially free from consumer debt, fosters emotionally healthy relationships with his peers, attends a weekly life group, volunteers regularly at church, tithes off his gross, and has taken at least one humanitarian aid trip to a third world nation......Never once do you read in that modern contextualized interpretation that a Christian is one who sees their sin, confesses their sin, repents of their sin, and receives the gift of salvation in Christ alone. That's how far we've come. So Christianity now is dictated and defined by culture."
Pastor Murphy also exhorts his congregation to "connect the dots," between the many dangers we are warned about repeatedly in Scripture and what is being taught under our noses in many churches and by many Christian authors and leaders today.
"The mood is that if you have a reformed soteriology you get a pass on everything else." -John MacArthur
I would also add the warning not to give an automatic pass to pastors perceived to be solid. We must always be Bereans, and we must always be holding all things being taught in the name of God up to the actual word of God. But please, don't just take my word for it, or Pastor Murphy's word for it, or even John MacArthur's word for it: all that I have written about here is a matter of public record for those who want to know the truth about what is being taught, and by whom. It's there for the finding for anyone who looks.
"And as Jesus sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?' And Jesus answered and said unto them, 'Take heed that no man deceive you.'" Matthew 24:3-4
"See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." Colossians 2:8
"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
Audio at YouTube link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3AZMS05G_A
Link to Jim Murphy's church here:
http://www.fbjc.org/fbjc/
Ping
Hi joydel,would you please add me to your ping list?
Was just googling some of the names in the posted article and came across this church in California.
Wow, this is a seeker friendly church if ever I saw one.
Yikes...listen to this from the home page:
Life In Color
Join us for our new series, “Life in Color,” as we focus on Happiness.
This week’s theme: Openness
This week’s color: Mint Green
We will spend 6 weeks fighting the epidemic of loneliness and despair and help you optimize your level of happiness in your life.
Continue the Life in Color conversation in a Community Group. Community Groups gather around the city during the week to explore the Scriptures and build relationships with others. You can find a group near you at www.mosaic.org/community...
OMG.....so, so, so, so bad!! What a stark contrast to the solid biblical teaching from Pastor Murphy. We need more people willing to stand up and be counted for the Lord in true old-style biblical preaching!
Cults and Cosmic Consciousness:
Religious Vision in the American 1960s
CAMILLE PAGLIA
http://www.bu.edu/arion/files/2010/03/paglia_cults-1.pdf
Can you give me the Cliff notes, Sir Francis? :)
Thanks for posting.
Sure thing, mitch5501!
God bless!
A shepherd guards his flock by making his sheep familiar with his voice. Calling everything in the pasture a wolf is foolish fear mongering.
Does the article say “everything”? Don’t think I saw that anywhere.
It is pointing out certain pastors as being unbiblical and pointing out their error.
Nothing fear mongering in that. True Christians are called to exactly do that.
Not so. You show people the Way by pointing to God.
Man gets messed up assuming man’s orthodoxy is God’s way and anything inconsistent with that man’s orthodoxy is apart from God.
Pointing out that some wolves wear sheep's clothing is not.
I disagree with you...I know God’s way and this post is for believers who might be falling into error. This is not for unbelievers that need directions on how to know God in the first place.
Spiritual deception is running rampant these days and false teachers abound and I’ll darn sure not be letting
them preach falsely without speaking out against it.
If you want to be part of the love everyone and don’t point out sin and error group, then be my guest but I will stick to biblical truths.
Thanks for posting.
402 ‘views’ ... but talk of racism in children’s books and millions are eager to listen in. Indeed, the subtlety of Satan is wooing so many to dissonant life. And at FR, we have a current thread running which poses the premise that Once Saved Always Saved is an erroneous notion!
In this era, with the dreck of Warrenism’s ‘purpose driven life’ and ‘Osteenism’-’Copelandism’ and ‘Bakerism’ rampant, it is very difficult to explain ‘the mystery of godliness’ to those expecting feelings to run their life and reinforce their works of ‘righteousness’.
"Did GOD really say..."
It’s truly becoming more difficult as time goes on to find a church that stays with strict Biblical teaching.
Indeed...it is so, so simple but no one will take heed.
I know....starting home churches with other true believers is a good idea and the day is coming when we’ll have to go underground anyway in order to worship.
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