Stop, Drop, And Roll Will Not Work In Hell!

 Dr. Mike Murphy

April 22, 2014

“How naive and selfish of me would it be to think Jesus is the only way to Heaven.”  “What makes me think as a Christian we have all the answers?”  “Jesus works for me, I am sure God uses other religions for other people.”

We have all heard these statements and heard the questions asked.  But what might surprise you is how many people within the Church are now asking the same questions.  In 2008, a poll was taken that showed 57% of Evangelical Christians said they believe that many religions can lead to eternal life.  In the last six years that number has increased to almost 67%!  Think about that.  Next time you are in church, look over to the person on your right, and then glance over at the person on your left.  The odds are that both do not believe that salvation can only be found in Christ.  If that does not scare you enough, then realize that polls also show that 50% of church-going Christians do not believe that Jesus is always the right answer.  The majority of people sitting with you in the pews on Sunday, do not believe the words they are hearing from the pulpit.

The effects this is having on the Church and society today is devastating.  But what is even more concerning is the effects this is having on our younger generations.  In the age demographic of 18-29 year olds, the majority do not believe there is an absolute truth.  They believe that cultural beliefs are more important that religious beliefs.  The do not believe the Bible plays any role in their decision making.  And they do not believe that sin is a problem they ever need to worry about.  This has lead to only one in three young people believing Christ is the only way to Heaven, or even see Him as a necessary part of their lives.  

The details of these polls are more than just troubling.  They show us a picture of not only a Church in decline, but a Church that unless it makes drastic changes, will continue to remain in decline. Our pick and choose approach to theology has led to a generation with an anything goes theology.  Faith is being defined by what not to believe, instead of why we should believe.  We have defined “tolerance” as an ecumenical, all encompassing, anything goes form of a faith.  In the name of tolerance, we have made Christ intolerant.  

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”(John 14:6).  This is not only a statement of our faith, but a statement for our faith.  The whole basis of our faith can be summed up in those nineteen words. Most know these words by heart, but do we know what these words mean?

I AM.  In Greek, the words used for “I am” had great meaning.  They carried a heightened and more profound meaning than we tend to read in the words.  The mean, “I, and only I, am”.  Jesus was not making a general statement, but a specific one in which He is proclaiming that He, and He alone had the authority to make.  We reads the words “I am” used seven times in the Gospel of John, and in each one Jesus makes this same proclamation.  These words show us a supremacy that only God Himself could make.  We see as Him proclaims these words in John 8:58, the leaders and the people knew immediately who He said He was.  As we watch Christ say “I am” in John 18:5-6, we see the soldiers that came to arrest Him fall to the ground.  Jesus is telling us that God, and only He as God, could make this statement.

WAY.   The Greek word for “way”, means “travelled or proven way”.  A travelled path was one that could guarantee you to reach your destination.  Those who had travelled the path could tell you what it was like.  And a travelled path did not carry the dangers that a wandering path would have.  Throughout His time on this earth, Jesus had told His disciples to “follow me”.  As often as they had heard this, the had questioned where He was going, and how they could follow.  In these words, Christ is not only showing us where He was going, but how we could get there.  He was providing for us a proven path.
The Bible tells us that our sin had separated us from God(Isaiah 59:2).  Christ came so that we would no longer experience that separation, and to provide a “way” for us to be reconciled with God(Romans 5:10).  Christ was that proven path, and as Peter would later proclaim(Acts 4:12), the only path that would lead us to salvation and a future with the Lord.  “I am the way” was Christ’ exclusive proclamation that only He was the travelled and proven path that would lead us to an eternity with the Lord. 
TRUTH.  We cannot describe truth in a single word.  Truth is a reality, a proven fact, something of certainty.  Truth was righteousness in the eyes of the Lord.  The Word tells us that God’s law is truth(Psalm 119:142), and Christ tells us that He came to fulfill that law(Matthew 5:17).  Christ is telling us that He alone is the source of all truth.  To explain truth, we only need to point to Christ.
So how do we know that Christ is truth?  Jesus not only spoke and lived the truth, but prophecy shows us the certainty in that truth.  Jesus fulfilled over three hundred prophecies in His first coming.  The odds that one man could do this are 10 to the 157th power.  That is far greater odds than there have been total people who have lived on this earth!  I defy anyone to show me one example of history that can be proven with a greater certainty!  To deny Christ is to deny the truth!

Although truth is factual, it is far more than facts.  Truth is not just something we act upon, but something that acts upon us.  We are incapable of changing the truth, but the truth can and has changed each of us.  We can discover the truth, but are incapable of creating truth.  Truth is, well, true!  The proven reality that we base all the examples and the standards of our life on.
The Bible tells us we are to walk in the truth, love the truth, and to believe the truth.  Christ was the perfect example of all three.  Christ did not just show and teach us the truth, He was the model of truth.  To see Christ is to see truth.  Christ was the witnessing testimony of God’s Truth!

LIFE.  The dictionary describes life as “existence; the continual change preceding death”.  The disciples listened as Jesus talked to them of his coming death, and at the same time He claimed to be the origin of all life.  They were told that Christ would give His life for all, then claim that life back.  He then told them He had the authority to lay down His life, and to take His life back again(John 10:17-18).  I ask you one simple question.  Who has the authority and ability to not only take life, but give or create life?  Only one, God!  And many witnessed Christ do just that!  Countless numbers were firsthand witnesses to the Crucifixion.  Jerusalem at the time of the spring feasts would have been overflowing with people who witnessed His death.  And Paul tells us that over 500 people witnessed the risen Christ.(1 Corinthians 15:6).  There are over 5500 written scripts about the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ.  This in a day and age when writing materials was pricey and scarce, and only used to record the most important of events.  History proved the truth that Christ, and only Christ, fulfilled these promises.

But the promise of life that Christ was giving was far different than any had heard.  Christ told His disciples in John 14:19. “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.  In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”  The life that Christ was giving was an eternal one, free of the strains of sin and death.  Eternal live is a gift that God gives(Romans 6:23), but only through the “life” of Christ!

This verse is the perfect example to this nation and this world, if we get Christ wrong, it really does not matter what else we get right.  Everyone today, even atheist, have a theology.  The question becomes whether that theology is true or false.  We must begin to ask ourselves, is our theology truth-driven or is it popularity-driven?

There will always be those in the Church who will tell us that we have no right to tell others about the Truth that can only be found in Christ.  But I would ask those this.  As a person is crossing a road, a car is coming they do not see.  Is it the right thing to do to shout, warning them of the danger, or is it the correct thing to do by waving politely as we watch the car hit them?  The same can be said of God’s Truth and His Grace.  We must follow the call to tell others of God’s Truth, so they may know God’s Grace.  We must begin to understand, you cannot have truth without grace, and you cannot experience grace without truth.

The perfect example of this is a subject many today like to avoid or deny, Hell!  A friend of mine recently said, “stop, drop and roll will not work in Hell”.  Much of our nation today would consider such a statement as insensitive, nothing more than the rantings of wild-eyed, Bible- thumpers who only speak of God’s wrath.  But this view overlooks the obvious statement, if the Bible is real then Hell is also.  Jesus told us of Hell more than anyone else, describing it in graphic ways as a literal place.  Jesus said in Matthew 8:12 that unbelievers would be “cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  So are many now claiming they know more on the issue than Christ?  And if the words of Christ are true, then what does it say for us if we are willing to let those around go to such a place without first letting them know the truth?  It says we are hypocrites!  In the name of tolerance we allow the true grace that Christ came to offer to be withheld from society’s ears.

Many may see it as narrow-minded for us to say that Christ is the only answer, and the only way to the Father.  But the truth is far from it.  Our job is not to be the public relations staff for the Lord.  Or job is not to try to rewrite and improve on His Word so that more will feel comfortable with what is being said.  Our job is simple!  We are to tell all who will listen that Christ is the true “I Am”, and Christ alone is “way, the truth, and the life”!

Hoping all will remember, the need to stop, drop, and roll tomorrow, can be prevented if you will stop, drop, and pray today!

Where Have All My Watchman Gone?

Dr. Mike Murphy

April 7,2014  

Dawn brought fear to the eyes of the captain.  As he looked over the walls of the city, he could see that their enemy had mobilized, encircling them.  The cover of night had brought this surprise to his eyes, and  he knew his fate by what he saw.  The walls were his responsibility, and the watchmen that filled it were under his command.  His men were the eyes and ears of the city, and his sole purpose was to make sure the city stayed safe from all who would bring it harm.  As he looked at the mass of troops that would soon be approaching, he knew that the king would hold him responsible for this day.  The captain knew his fate would be far better to die in battle that day, than what the king would soon have in store.  As he stood alone on the wall that early morning, but one question came to his mind.  “Where had all my watchmen gone?”

Before the days of home alarms, our house and family was still well protected.  We had a Shetland sheep dog that guarded us, and our home, with her life.  At the slightest of noise, or the first glimpse of anything out of the ordinary, she sprung into action.  She would bark until one of us had gone to the window or door to see or hear what had alerted her. There was never a doubt that she loved her family, and she would have protected any of us at all cost.  She was on constant lookout for any danger, and not once did she fail to sound the alarm to warn those she cared for the most.  She was the gatekeeper of our house, always on watch.

In Biblical times, watchmen or gatekeepers played a very important role.  Most of the cities had thick walls that completely surrounded and protected them.  The watchmen were guards who would patrol these walls, looking upon the land to make sure all within were safe.  Only the elite, the best of the troops were assigned to this position.  They were trained to far higher levels than the average soldier, because of the importance of their responsibilities.  They were the most dedicated, the most respected, and the most honored of all troops.  They took this role so seriously, that if they witnessed a fellow watchman fail to uphold his responsibility, it was considered a crime to not report it.  The future and safety of all would often rest upon the shoulders of these men.

The Hebrew word for watchman is ‘tsaphah’, and it means to ‘ to look out upon or about’.  This word has multiple implications in its’ meaning.  It means to behold, to observe, to spy out, to wait for with expedience, and to keep watch for.  So these men would stand on the wall or in the towers, looking out in the distance at everything that may come their way. They would oversee the city, making sure all were safe.  They would watch for messengers, or as the king or top officials of the city returned.  And they would look for any sign of an approaching army that may bring harm their way.

Hebrew tradition tells us that these watchmen were often positioned throughout the kingdom.  They were positioned at the Temple, to make sure the Lord’s House remained safe, and did not fall into the hands of those that may corrupt it.  We are told they were positioned at the gates of many cities and on routes that were often travelled.  They would not only protect these key locations, but would make sure all were on the right path, pointing them in the right direction if they became lost.  We are also told they were positioned at the house of important people.  They would stand watch while the master of the house was away, and would keep watch for the master’s return.

Today, the role of the watchman carries just as much weight, and is just as important in the Lord’s eyes.  The modern watchmen, the pastors and Christian leaders of today, are called to their place on the wall.  Standing at the very gate of God’s Word, protecting it from enemies that would attempt to destroy it without thought. As watchmen, we are to protect the Church from worldly ideas, and the corruption that follow those ideas.  We are to stand true for the Word of God, unwavering and unfaltering, whatever may come our way.  We are called to protect the people, making sure they are not deceived by false teachings and wrong doctrines.  We are to protect the Church, the Lord’s House, making sure its’ walls remain the example for all the world to see.  We are to guard the crossroads of society, making sure all find themselves on the right path.  And we are to keep the Church and God’s Word safe, always ready to defend it, keeping this house ready for the Master’s return.

But as we look at the Church today, we hear the Lord reverberating the call of the captain that frightful morning, “Where have all My watchmen gone?”  As we look at the vacant walls of the Church today, the words of Isaiah echo through my mind.  “ For the leaders of my people, the Lord’s watchmen, his shepherds are blind and ignorant.  They are like silent watchdogs that give no warning when danger comes.  They love to lie around, sleeping and dreaming.  Like greedy dogs, they are never satisfied.  They are ignorant shepherds, all following their own path and intent on personal gain.  “Come,” they say, “let’s get some wine and have a party.  Let’s all get drunk.  Then tomorrow we’ll do it again and have an even bigger party!”  Isaiah 56:10-12.

As I sit here today, I cannot help but wonder, what has become of the Church’s watchmen?  Why does it’s walls and gates stand empty?  Have they become disheartened, giving up on the very cause that brought them to the wall in the first place?  Have they left the gates, falsely thinking there is no threat on the horizon?  Have they left their post out of greed, falling victim to the world’s values?  Or have they dropped their weapons out of pressure, putting greater value on what those outside the city may say instead of the words of their King?

As we look at the Church today, we see those who no longer are looking for a gatekeeper, they want a doorman who will simply open the gate for everything and anything to enter.  They seek leaders who tell them what they wish to hear, without showing them the consequences of their actions in God’s Word and Law.  They only seek gatekeepers who will not bar the gates, no matter what they may do inside or outside of the city’s walls.  And unfortunately, the leaders we often find inside of our walls fare no better.  We find leaders who fail to confront the sinfulness inside their own churches, shepherds who have blindly lead their flocks into perdition.  Without wisdom and understanding in God’s Word, they find greater offense in pointing out sin than committing sin.

Within the last few days, we have seen three examples that make this very point.  We have looked on as true watchmen have been mocked for pointing out the enemy as they have seen it approach.

We have recently watched as Hollywood released a movie that mocked the story of one of the Bible’s patriarchs.  When asked about the movie, the co-writer and director replied that this would be the least Biblical movie ever made.  The director, a self-professing atheist, did not use the Bible to tell the story, but chose instead to use obscure Gnostic writings and the mythical beliefs of Kabbalah to tell the story.  Several pastors and Christian leaders were quick to point out just how unbiblical this movie was, warning all from seeing it.  But while these watchmen pointed out the dangers of this movie, many, if not most church leaders did not.  They either ignored the issue, or simply did not have the necessary knowledge of God’s Word to be able to recognize the danger in the movie.

Then there was another group, a group of ‘so-called’ pastors and Christian leaders who mocked and demeaned those who pointed out the truth of the movie.  One of these ‘so-called’ leaders had this to say about those within the Church that spoke out against the film,  "It’s embarrassing to belong to a faith that attracts a group of people who always have to be right, and when something pushes them just a bit, they want to shut it down or keep people away."  To this man, silence in the face of evil was of greater quality, than watching as thousands were lead to a false sense of God.  I would love to ask these ‘so-called’ leaders if they have every taken the time to read what God had to say about the issue,  “If I warn the wicked, saying, 'You are under the penalty of death,' but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths.”  Ezekiel 3:18.

Another example came when I read an interview with Franklin Graham the other day.  In the interview, He said that some people working in this current administration were “hostile to Christians”.  He went on to say, “And when I say White House, I’m not saying the president, because I’m not sure how much of this he’s aware of. But it’s people that work for him that have power, that are sitting in offices, and they are hostile to Christ.”  “They are anti-Christ in what they say and in what they do,” said Graham. “And they are pushing this agenda into the military. It’s scary.”

Franklin Graham, a watchman for Christ, securing the gates and pointing out the evil he sees on the horizon.  Since this interview, I have watched as leader after leader within the Church has belittled, mocked, and disparaged the warning of this watchman.  They see it as a greater offense to warn of this evil than to ignore God’s Truth.  I go back to the above verses in Isaiah 56:10-12.  Have these leaders become so drunk on the world’s wine that they no longer care to see evil as it approaches?

My last, but far from my least example, took place at the recent conference of the Religious Communicators Council in Nashville.  For those who may not know, the RCC is an organization of marketing, communications, and public relations officers of several faiths.  It is an interfaith group, that says it comes together to handle the challenges that the world and all religions face.  While I have many problems with the very concept of this organization, within it are many who claim to be leaders of the Christian faith.  As this recent conference, Dr. Bill Warner and a group of Christian leaders asked to address the conference about the issue of Christian persecution that is on the rise throughout the world today.  They were not only not allowed to speak, but the RCC even refused to address the issue.  The RCC went as far as to tell this group of watchmen that they were barred from even being in the premises of the conference.  They called these watchmen trespassers, rebel rousers, and even traitors, claiming this was a non-issue.  We are told that in 2012 over 100,000 Christian were martyred because of their faith, and in 2013 that numbered over doubled.  A non-issue?

The ‘so-called’ Christian leaders that are a part of this organization can call themselves this in name only.  They have willing tried to make God into a god.  In replacing the capital ‘G’, they have lost the very call that Christ places on our lives.  They have replaced God’s wisdom, with man’s logic,  and they have willingly chosen inclusion over God’s Truth.

I see these stories, and again the captain’s call comes to my mind.  “Where have all my watchmen gone?”  We look at the wall, and those who stand on it are sparse.  We see the gates open and the walls left all but unprotected.  We watch as the unexpecting citizens of this city mock and make fun of those that dutifully remain on the wall.  They look up, and cannot believe these few watchmen still stand there.  The citizens ask themselves why they are still there, thinking no enemy would ever approach this city.  They ignore the warnings of the few watchmen that remain, seeing them as demented fools that still stand on an unnecessary wall.

My words today are not a call, and are far more than a warning, they are a plea.  Would the watchmen please come home, return to their place on the wall.  Before our enemies see us vulnerable and unprotected,  Before our Master returns home to find what is left of His city.

I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost.  There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint.  Habakkuk 2:1

The Sound Of Silence; The Sin Of Nothingness

Dr. Mike Murphy
March 19, 2014

“Vice is a monster of so frightful mien, As to be hated needs but to be seen;

Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face, We first endure, then pity, then embrace.”

For years we have watched as the vice of this nation continues to grow.  What we once thought as unthinkable, we know view as acceptable.  We began to see the face of our vice enough that it became viewed as inevitable.  We then grew to identify with it, taking sympathy with the effect it has on our life each day.  Then the day came we accepted our vice, taking its’ cause and use as our very own.

What is the vice of this nation I speak of? Sin!  We have watched for years as sin has become a common part of our society and culture.  We have watched as this nation has endured, pity, and now embraces sin.  We have even seen our nation go one step further, we now openly encourage it.  

Many have watched in horror as this has happened in front of our eyes.  The Church has sat in shock as God’s Word has been replaced in our society by man’s desires.  But as we have watched, we have seen the Church’s vice also take form.  What is this vice of the Church I speak of? Silence! Nothingness is our greatest vice.  

“When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.” , Ezekiel 3:18.  The Church today has forgotten the words that the prophet Ezekiel spoke.  We have found it easier to sit in silence than to speak from our convictions.  We refuse to realize that God sees our silence as great an offense as the act committed by the wicked man himself.

When we find ourselves silent in the face of sin, we become no better than the sin itself.

 And when we find ourselves silent in the face of evil, we take the power out of the Lord’s hands to reach and change the heart of others through us.  Our silence borders on blasphemy, we deny the Holy Spirit the opportunity to speak through us to those that need to hear God’s Word the most.  James tells us, “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”(James 4:17).  James shows us that good is much more than the absence of doing wrong.  When our actions or our voice do not find us on the side of good, we are sinning.

When we look into the face of evil and we do nothing, we are falling short of the glory of God.  If our words are not heard, or our actions are not seen, we cannot find ourselves magnifying the very name and person of God Himself.  We not only silence our voice, we silence God’s Word.  Satan takes pleasure not only when we deny God's Word, but when we choose to ignore and not publicly speak God's Word.  Our apathy, our choosing to not publicly proclaim the values found in God's Word have gotten us to where we are today.  And we need to realize, history shows us exactly where our silence today, will lead us tomorrow.

Few today know the name of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  During the early 1930’s, Bonhoeffer served as a pastor and lecturer in Germany.  As Hitler came to power in early 1933, Bonhoeffer began to see the dangers that would come to the nation of Germany, and to its’ people.  Many, professing to be Christians in Germany, sat quietly as the Nazi’s put forth teaching that went against the Word of God, and said nothing as they began to persecute God’s Chosen People.  When most lost their voice, Bonhoeffer gained his.  Along with a group of fellow pastors and theologians, Bonhoeffer started the Confessing Church, a movement to counter the false teaching of Nazism.  

During this time, Bonhoeffer served as a teacher at an underground seminary, because he was banned to speak publicly.  Soon the underground seminary was discovered and destroyed, and many within the Confessing Church movement became silent, no longer willing to speak out against the growing threat of the Nazis.  It was at this time that Bonhoeffer chose to speak louder.  He became a double agent.  He signed up with the German Secret Service, travelling to church conferences throughout Europe, supposedly collecting information for the Nazi government.  But instead he was helping Jews escape the horrors that the Nazis had brought their way.  On an afternoon in April, 1943, Bonhoeffer was discovered, and taken to Tegel prison.

Bonhoeffer served two years in prison.  He was eventually transferred to Buchenwald, and then to the extermination camp at Flossenburg.  On April 9, 1945, one month before Germany surrendered to the Allied forces, Bonhoeffer was hung as a traitor to Germany.

Years later, a camp doctor who had been present at Bonhoeffer’s hanging, described the events he saw that day.  “Through the half-open door in one room of the huts, I saw Pastor Bonhoeffer, before taking off his prison garb, kneeling on the floor praying fervently to his God. I was most deeply moved by the way this lovable man prayed, so devout and so certain that God heard his prayer. At the place of execution, he again said a prayer and then climbed the steps to the gallows, brave and composed. His death ensued in a few seconds. In the almost 50 years that I have worked as a doctor, I have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God."  Even at the moment of his death, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was not silent, he brought glory to God.

Bonhoeffer’s words should ring true with us today.  “Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility.”  The Church needs to have those words etched into our minds.  We see far too many churches and Christians doing nothing.  They stand idle, nothing but spectators, as the events of this nation unfold around us.  If good prevails, they cheer, joining in the celebration, having done nothing to aid in the victory.  If evil prevails, they are the first to complain in the quiet of their homes, although their own inaction brought about the defeat.  They choose to ignore the words of Edmund Burke, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”  When good men do nothing, then nothing good gets done.

Before it is too late, it is time the church once again found its’ voice.  We must no longer just shake our head in disgust from the pews at the direction this nation is moving.  We must be willing to take a stand, to put action into the Word that God has given us.  We must clear our throats, and begin to speak clearly God’s Word to this nation.

Simon & Garfunkel once sang,  "Fools," said I, ‘You do not know.  Silence like a cancer grows.  Hear my words that I might teach you.  Take my arms that I might reach you.’  But my words like silent raindrops fell.  And echoed in the wells of silence.”  Our silence has become our cancer.  But we have a choice, and must ask ourselves this question.  Will we now stand up and fight this cancer with every fiber of our being, our will we sit quietly and watch as this cancer consumes us?  We need to know going in, this will not be an easy fight.  The odds are greatly stacking against us each day.  Each day we are silent the enemy grows stronger.  And this could be a fight that will cost us all dearly, with the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer echoing in our minds.  But this nation, and God’s Word is worth fighting for.  I, for one, am ready to fight!  I will not go quietly!

Praying the Lord always finds each of you with a strong voice!

Do You Need To Apologize For The Apology?

Dr. Mike Murphy
March 13, 2014

A young pastor was giving his first sermon to the congregation of his new church.  He decided he would preach his first sermon on the truth in the message of Christ, and how Christ was the only way.  As he spoke the words, he noticed the shaking of heads and constant ‘sighs’ coming from the congregation.  As the service finished, a couple in the church approached him.  They warned him about the message he had just preached.  “We just do not do that here”,  the wife said.  “A message like that might offend many in the community who believe other religions.”   

So the next Sunday, the pastor decided he would preach on marriage.  During the sermon he mentioned that God saw marriage as the bringing together of one woman to one man.  Again he saw the looks and heard the ‘sighs’.  After the final song was sang, a member of the church board came over to him.  “Do you see Mary Sue over there?”, he asked the pastor.  “Her daughter is a lesbian so we never discuss such issues in this church.  I think the board needs to meet with you for a few minutes before you go home today.”

The pastor, not knowing what to think, entered the room as the board was gathering.  “Pastor, we do not come here each Sunday for you to upset people, so I think there are a couple of issues we need to straighten out.”  The head of the board continued, “I think the first thing you need to do is apologize to the church for the messages you have given these last two Sundays.  I guess we need to also discuss with you what we expect from you in a sermon.  There are parts of the Bible we are just not comfortable talking about, so it is best if you just avoid those.”

The young pastors asked the board, “Could you tell me what parts of the Bible you do not want me to teach?”  The head of the board quickly answered.  “Well, let’s see.  We do not talk about the Creation, that might upset the evolutionist.  We do not talk about the Garden of Eden, the last time we did the Satanist that meet down the street got mad at us. We never talk about Abraham and Isaac.  The Muslims were enraged the last time that happened, and we do not want an episode like that again.”  “Then we never teach about...”, the head of the board paused.  “On second thought, it would be a lot easier if we just marked the passages in your Bible that you can preach from.  Do not worry, this will not take us but a second.”

Way too often today, we see church leaders that feel the need to apologize for what the Word of God has to say.  To upset or offend someone has become a far greater transgression than to live our life outside of what God’s Word tells us.  We watch as they try to redefine sin, and confuse the purpose of a true apology.  If they could just understand what the term ‘apology’ originally meant, they might begin to understand what true transgression is.

The word ‘apology’ was created from two words, confess and repent.  When we take a close look at these two terms, we see exactly why they combine to make the word apology.  Confess comes from the Greek word ‘homologeo’, homo meaning ‘same’, logeo meaning ‘word’.  Together they mean that when we confess we must find ourselves with the same word as God.  In other words, we are in agreement with God.  Repent comes from the Greek word ‘metanoeo’, meta meaning ‘change’, noeo means ‘think’.  So when we repent, we change the way we think.

So when we apologize, we change the way we think to find ourselves in agreement with God.  We see this in the root of the word ‘apology’.  It comes from the Greek word ‘apologia’, meaning ‘to speak in one’s defense’.  An apology, as its’ original term, is not saying you are sorry, rather it means to make a ready defense using God’s Word. If an apology is a defense of what you know to be true, then an apologist is one who makes that defense.   It is from this that we get our term Apologetics. a defense of our faith.  

When we look at the word, and the origins of its’ meaning, we see that we cannot offer a true apology outside of God’s Word.  Through the years, man has changed the word by taking God out of its’ intent, and replacing Him with a humanistic purpose of the word. We see the same within the Church today.  We see many who find it easier to apologize, say they are sorry, instead of forming an apology, defending our faith.

We need a return to the heart of the word apology, Holy Spirit filled defenders of our faith.  This is why Peter warned us that we should always be able to defend our faith(1 Peter 3:15).  Apologetics carries an important role in our everyday walk with Christ for several reasons, one being why Peter stated the above.  Simply put, God commands it!  Paul also confirmed this in Philippians 1:7, “For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.”  Paul tells us he was a defender of the gospel, and that we are to be defenders with him.  We are commanded by God to show those around us, that truth starts and ends in God’s Word, and cannot be found outside of it.

Apologetics also requires us to grow and have a greater understanding of our faith. In today’s world, most who profess Christ have very little knowledge of Christ and Word of God.  The most basic of terms our faith is built on are often foreign to many we find in church on Sunday.  Salvation, redemption, sanctification, and even the Trinity, are words most have heard, but could never explain.  If we are to defend God’s Word, we must know God’s Word.  Apologetics calls us to study and understand God’s Word so that we can make it known to others.

Apologetics keeps apostasy in check.  We often watch today as many pastors come on our television screen and proclaim things we cannot find in the verses of the Bible.  We also watch as church denominations and church leaders attempt to redefine sin, drawing their own conclusions as what determines right and wrong.  Placing their own rationalizations and judgments above God’s Word.  The Bible tells us a completely different story.  God calls us to obedience(1 John 2:3-6, Philippians 2:8, John 14:15).  If we love God, then we have a desire to obey God.  In this desire to obey, the world sees in us a reflection of the very evidence of the Lord Himself.  Apologetics brings obedience to the forefront, so that God’s love can show through.

Apologetics is a counter to a humanistic society.  We look around us today, and we watch as our nation embraces sin and pushes God further and further away from the everyday life of this nation.  In a recent poll, almost 65% of adults and over 80% of teenagers stated that morals and truth are situational.  In the same poll, over half of all Americans believed that doing good would get you into Heaven.  History is filled with example after example that shows us an immoral society is doomed for failure.  Apologetics stands as a guard against this humanistic decay of a society.  The Bible shows us example after example of God sending prophets to the nations, using this form of apologetics to show the people the urgent need to turn back to God.  Apologetics shows us why the ways of God will always succeed, and why the ways of man will always fail.

Apologetics plays a very important role in the everyday walk of our faith.  When we look at the original definition of the word apology, we see that this was exactly what God intended!  We must never forget, that by today’s definition of the word, we NEVER have anything to apologize for with Christ!  And when we go back to God’s original meaning of the word, we need to always have our apology in hand, ready to defend the Truth that can only be found in God’s Word!

Praying each of you are a ready defender, always prepared to take a stand for God!

Explaining The Bible In Five Words!

Dr. Mike Murphy
January 25, 2014

SHOCKED! A word I just do not use that often anymore.  But recently I was shocked enough I could have powered all the lights in my house for a few days!  As a guest on a local Christian call in show, teachings of the Bible were discussed.  The topic soon turned to the question of why so much of the Bible was no longer taught.  A local pastor called in to give his viewpoint on the issue. He told the audience that the reason he did not teach much of the Bible to his church, was that it was just too complicated to understand.

It took me a minute to get my jaw back in place after it was bruised from hitting the floor.  It also took a minute to get the feeling back in my tongue from biting on it so hard.  After a short and fruitless discussion with the pastor, I asked him how would he explain the Bible and its’ purpose to anyone that asked him? He told me that he did not have an answer, and knew of few pastors who did. My answer to him probable shocked the pastor as much as his previous response had me.  I told him, “I can explain the Bible in five words!”

I waited before speaking those five words, so many callers could tell me what they thought those five words were.  I heard some great responses!  “Christ is who He said!”.  “The Lord is truly God”.  “The Bible is God’s Word”.  All great responses, but not the five words I had in mind.  My five words?  Proverbs three, five and six!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understandings.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”   Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust is a powerful word, and the meaning of the Hebrew word used here is even more powerful.  The word is ‘batach’, and it means to lean on with confidence and security.  We have all watched a child jump into their father’s arms.  Why do they do so without hesitation?  Because they have the past experience of knowing that their father will be there with open arms.  The child has faith that their father would give his life before he would allow harm to come to him or her.

We are the same with God!  We know that the Lord will always be there. and we can confidently and securely have faith in the Lord because of the experiences with have with Him,.and those He has shown us in the past.  We trust God, because each day He shows us why we can have complete faith in Him.

We often try to separate the words faith and trust, but you cannot truly define one word without the other.  In order to trust we must first have faith.  Only with trust can we believe in the promises God has given us.  Despite what many would try to tell us, our faith is not blind.  The very heart of the Christian worldview is based on actual evidence, not on blind faith.  It is only after one is presented with overwhelming evidence that he or she is invited to place their faith in the facts of the Gospel.

God knows us best, and created us as reasoning and rational beings. The very goal of ration and reason is to find truth.   In so, God gave us rational reasons to know that His words are true.  Look at Christ for the perfect example of this.  Over 300 Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  For Jesus to have fulfilled just eight of these prophecies would be a probability of 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.  So what would the probability be that He would fulfill all 300?  If you are willing to think rationally and with reasoning, you cannot look at these facts and deny that Christ was who He said He was, and that the Word of God this is based on is true.  It is only when we ignore the truth, the ration and reason of these facts, that we deny Christ and God’s Word, Only when we close our minds to the truth, do we turn to the emotions and stubbornness of our own understanding, ignore the logic and reason the Lord has given us.

Christianity stands on facts, on the evidence that God has given us. Christianity is not blind faith.  We have faith in God’s Word because of the evidence He has presented to us, and we find truth in the future fulfillment of His promise because of our trust in Him.  The path of Christianity is a three stage process, evidence, faith, assurance.  Christianity stands on evidence, and it is based on that evidence that we take a step of faith. And it is only through our faith that we trust in the promises of the blessed assurance that Christ brought to this world!  The Lord has never called a man to Him on blind faith, but on the trust we can have in Him!

So the next time someone tells you that the Bible is complicated, know that God’s Word is actually very simple.  So simple that no man will ever have the excuse of not understanding.  God has laid out the evidence in front of us, so we can all have faith in Him, and trust in the promises He has given us.  God has given us the evidence so we can follow His direction, so we are not lead blindly by our own silly notions and understandings.  We follow God because of the proven truth in His word.  Our faith leads us to the foot of the Cross, because of the evidence that God’s Word and Christ gave us.  And we walk into the future that God has shown us, because of the proven trust we have in His promises.

Next time you hear someone ask, “How do you know God exist?” , or “How can you know the Bible is true?”, you will not even need five words to give them an answer.  You will be able to answer their question with just one word.  TRUST!

Hoping each of you find the truth in that trust!