Counterfeit Religion

WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH

PASTOR: TERRY VAUGHAN

SERMON TITLE: COUNTERFEIT RELIGION

“FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. FOR GOD SENT NOT HIS SON INTO THE WORLD TO CONDEMN THE WORLD; BUT THAT THE WORLD THROUGH HIM MIGHT BE SAVED. HE THAT BELIEVETH ON HIM IS NOT CONDEMNED: BUT HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, BECAUSE HE HATH NOT BELIEVED IN THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD.” JOHN 3:16-18.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:12-17 “NOW IF CHRIST BE PREACHED THAT HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD, HOW SAY SOME AMONG YOU THAT THERE IS NO RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD? BUT IF THERE BE NO RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD, THEN IS CHRIST NOT RISEN: AND IF CHRIST BE NOT RISEN, THEN IS OUR PREACHING VAIN, AND YOUR FAITH IS ALSO VAIN. YEA, AND WE ARE FOUND FALSE WITNESSES OF GOD; BECAUSE WE HAVE TESTIFIED OF GOD THAT HE RAISED UP CHRIST: WHOM HE RAISED NOT UP, IF SO BE THAT THE DEAD RISE NOT. FOR IF THE DEAD RISE NOT, THEN IS NOT CHRIST RAISED: AND IF CHRIST BE NOT RAISED, YOUR FAITH IS VAIN; YE ARE YET IN YOUR SINS.”

THE WORDS THE LORD LAID ON MY HEART THE LATTER PART OF THIS WEEK WERE THE LAST PART OF VERSE 17 WHERE IT SAYS: YE WERE YET IN YOUR SINS. I TEND TO BELIEVE THAT ABOUT A LOT OF PEOPLE TODAY. SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU DON’T BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST DON’T MEAN THAT IT’S NOT REAL. I KNOW IT’S REAL IN MY LIFE. I REMEMBER READING IN THE OLD TESTAMENT ABOUT HOW THE DAY STAR SHOULD ARISE IN OUR HEARTS. THERE’S SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL ABOUT THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST. I BELIEVE WHAT’S IT’S TALKING ABOUT HERE BEING IN VAIN IS PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW IT, SEE IT, DON’T BELIEVE IT AND FEEL IT. I’M GLAD I’M SAVED BY THE GRACE OF GOD. THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT DON’T BELIEVE IT OR KNOW IT AND IF THAT BE THE CASE AND CHRIST BE NOT RISEN IN YOUR LIFE THE BIBLE SAYS YOUR FAITH IS VAIN AND YE ARE YET IN YOUR SINS. BUT IN

ROMANS 8:11 “BUT IF THE SPIRIT OF HIM THAT RAISED UP JESUS FROM THE DEAD DWELL IN YOU, HE THAT RAISED UP CHRIST FROM THE DEAD SHALL ALSO QUICKEN YOUR MORTAL BODIES BY HIS SPIRIT THAT DWELLETH IN YOU.”

I’M GLAD THAT THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST IS REAL TODAY. IT’S NOT JUST SOME PICTURE OR SOME STORY READ IN A FICTIONAL BOOK. WHETHER YOU KNOW IT OR NOT, THERE WAS A MAN NAMED JESUS CHRIST AND THE BIBLE SAYS HE WAS THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD WHO WAS SENT OUT OF HEAVEN FOR US TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS AND TO BIRTH US INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD AND ONE DAY CARRY US HOME TO BE WITH HIM. BUT THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW HIM. I’M TALKING ABOUT THE RISEN CHRIST. THE RISEN SAVIOR. THE ONE WHERE THEY WENT TO THE TOMB AND SAW THE ANGELS THERE AND SAID “HE’S NOT HERE.” THEY SAID HE’S RISEN. BUT WHERE YOU HAVE TRUE CONVERSION, YOU’LL ALSO HAVE FALSE COUNTERFEITS. I WANT TO PREACH TO YOU ON COUNTERFEIT RELIGION.

SOME PEOPLE TODAY HAVE RELIGION IN THEIR HEAD RATHER THAN IN THEIR HEART. I BELIEVE IT HAS TO START ON THE INSIDE AND WORK IT’S WAY OUT. THANK GOD TODAY THAT JESUS CHRIST IS STILL SAVING LOST SINNERS. PAUL SAID JESUS CHRIST CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS OF WHOM I AM CHIEF. BUT THERE’S A LOT OF COUNTERFEITS. I’LL SAY THIS: YOU’VE EITHER GOT IT OR YOU DON’T HAVE IT. THERE AIN’T NO IN BETWEEN. THE BIBLE SAYS THAT GOD IS NOT THE AUTHOR OF CONFUSION. LET ME SHARE SOME VERSES.

1 JOHN 5:12 “HE THAT HATH THE SON HATH LIFE; AND HE THAT HATH NOT THE SON OF GOD HATH NOT LIFE.” THAT’S PRETTY SIMPLE. EITHER YOU HAVE HIM OR YOU DON’T.

MARK 16:16 “HE THAT BELIEVETH AND IS BAPTIZED SHALL BE SAVED; BUT HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT SHALL BE DAMNED.” THAT’S PRETTY SIMPLE TOO. EITHER YOU HAVE HIM OR YOU DON’T. YOU NEED TO ASK YOURSELF IF YOU TRULY HAVE HIM. I’VE SEEN ELDERLY MEMBERS IN CHURCH THAT WENT TO CHURCH ALL OF THEIR LIFE AND IN THEIR 60’S AND 70’S THEY CAME TO THE ALTAR AND GOT SAVED. THERE CANNOT BE A CONVERSION IN YOUR LIFE UNTIL THERE IS FIRST A CONVICTION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD. YOU KNOW WHEN YOU’LL GET SAVED? WHEN CHRIST LET’S YOU KNOW YOU’RE LOST AND YOU HEAR HIM KNOCKING ON YOUR HEARTS DOOR AND YOU LET HIM IN. THEN AND ONLY THEN WILL YOU GET SAVED. LET ME ALSO CLARIFY THIS VERSE WHERE IT SAYS HE THAT BELIEVETH AND IS BAPTIZED SHALL BE SAVED. THIS IS NOT REFERRING TO A PHYSICAL BAPTISM BUT A SPIRITUAL BAPTISM. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE A PHYSICAL BAPTISM IN ORDER TO BE SAVED. WE DO PHYSICAL BAPTISMS AS SYMBOLIC REMEMBRANCE OF WHEN JOHN BAPTIZED JESUS. JUST AS WE HAVE COMMUNION TO REMEMBER THE LORDS LAST SUPPER.