Exposing Myths
Purpose: To expose some myths that plagues Christians.
1 Timothy 4:7 7Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.
We’re prone to pick up and pass on myths. I know this because I have an email account. I get about 4 emails a week detailing fantastic stories that just a small amount of research will prove totally false. But people just keep picking them up and passing them on.
Exposing a myth – what are myths?
Illustration: Myths are easily accepted as truth they have been around a long time. Take the case of the spider. About 350 B.C., the Greek philosopher Aristotle classified the spider as having six legs. And for the next 20 centuries everyone believed the spider had six legs. No one even bothered to count and it was any way to challenge the great Aristotle. And of course, everybody thought this is a scientific conclusion.
Well, along came Lamarck, the outstanding naturalist. He carefully counted the legs of the spider. And guess how many legs he counted? “Exactly eight”. The myth that had been taught as truth for centuries was destroyed because Lamarck bothered co count.
They are many other examples of myths, both scientific and otherwise. And people throughout history have believed them. While it may not seem all that critical to accept scientific myths, the acceptance of religious myths could have devastating consequences. In other words, in matters of personal responsibility towards God, the ability to distinguish between fact and fiction, myth and truth, becomes essential.
We can all be gullible at times, can’t we? That’s how a myth starts, when we turn our critical thinking off and just accept what’s fed to us. We do this with Christianity too.
A lot of us believe different myths about God, and the church and Christianity. And why should this concern us? Because myths make us miserable. Ignorance isn’t bliss. Jesus himself said, in John 8:32 the truth will set you free.
I wish to expose some popular myths that some of us may believe to be true.
I. Sins have sizes.
A. There are lots of ways to describe sin: wrong, disobedient, and painful to God.
1. There are also ways that you can’t describe sin: big, little, major, minor, and unimportant.
VIDEO: “What is Sin?”
2. Some Christians can describe what they believe is the ’worst’ sin. It may be homosexuality, abortion, murder, divorce, or any of the so-called ’biggies’. But many of these same people are casual about co-workers who have pre-marital or even extra-marital sex. Some of them speed on the highway, some tell little white lies. Folks, a sin’s a sin. White lies rank up there with murder as far as God is concerned. Sounds crazy, I know.
3. But there is one fact that often gets missed, or conveniently forgotten: Sins have one thing in common: They can be forgiven. They can be paid for by the blood of Jesus. No one is beyond redemption.
II. The Devil and Demons don’t really exist, at least not anymore.
A. Okay, let’s think about this. You’re a Christian, so it’s a pretty fair assumption that you believe in God. But you don’t think the Devil is real? That’s like believing in up without down.
Illustration: In the movie The Usual Suspects, Kevin Spacey says, "The greatest lie the devil ever told was convincing the world he doesn’t exist." He isn’t nearly as effective with people who are on their guard against him, so he denies his own existence.
1. And then there are some who believe angels walk among us, but not demons? Where’s the logic there?
2. The devil can masquerade as an angel of light. Truth be told, he is an angel of light (with a big ego problem.) Some of these ’new-age angels’, spirit guides, inner voices etc. are more likely demonic than angelic.
3. We live in a world that has convinced most that it is okay to play with dark – sided things because there is really no danger. We allow our children to dress up as evil beings once a year and flaunt themselves around town for Halloween because the Devil and Demons really are harmless and they really do not exist anymore.
4. Each Halloween I see little children dressed like the devil. They go out into our communities, knocking on doors looking for candy. When I see them, I think to myself, ’how sad it is that our society encourages children to dress up as Satan and other evil personalities. Don’t parents realize that Satan is real and not some sort of Halloween character?’
5. Well, unfortunately, many folks don’t believe that the devil really exists. They think he’s a figment of our imagination– simply a character from a story.
6. The sad truth is: Millions of Christians will encourage their children to pay respects to the devil and his gang of evil spirits next Halloween. Thousands of churches will fully sanction this homage to Satan in direct violation to the explicit teaching of the Word of God! Many fellowship rooms will be decked out with all the paraphernalia and trappings of Lucifer’s kingdom.
7. Halloween is a celebration of darkness. I don’t like darkness. Darkness hides things. In the Bible, darkness symbolizes evil. When I was a small boy I used to ask my parents to leave a light on in my room. It always made me feel better. That’s what we should be doing—lighting up our world with God’s love.
Ephesians 5:8-11 says it well: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”
8. I tell you today that there are no ghosts, and there are no spirits. But there is most certainly a Devil and his demons. And the sad part is, they are fooling many. Please do not be fooled. TAKE A STAND AND SHINE FOR JESUS! Satan is real and needs to be exposed.
III. Non-Christians should act like Christians do.
A. Okay, so most people look at the above sentence and think, "well, duh." But the fact is many Christians still expect non-Christians to ’behave’.
1. Then they try to change the behaviors of their non-Christian friends. That’s not your job; that’s God’s job. Your job is only to bring them closer to God so he can start working. In the meantime, live as an example of what being Godly should be (among other things, don’t be critical.)
2. We sometimes criticize others unfairly. We don’t know all their circumstances, nor their motives. Only God, who is aware of all the facts, is able to judge people righteously.
Illustration: John Wesley told of a man he had little respect for because he considered him to be miserly and covetous. One day when this person contributed only a small gift to a worthy charity, Wesley openly criticized him.
After the incident, the man went to Wesley privately and told him he had been living on parsnips and water for several weeks. He explained that before his conversion, he had run up many bills. Now, by skimping on everything and buying nothing for himself he was paying off his creditors one by one. "Christ has made me an honest man," he said, "and so with all these debts to pay, I can give only a few offerings above my tithe. I must settle up with my worldly neighbors and show them what the grace of God can do in the heart of a man who was once dishonest." Wesley then apologized to the man and asked his forgiveness.
3. We have no idea how God is working in the life of an individual. And truth be told, we have no idea if anyone is a Christian or not. We are not to judge, that’s all up to God. Let us keep our eyes focused on God and how He desires us to live our lives and not others.
IV. The Great Commission applies only to people with the gift of evangelism.
A. Not everyone is called to be a pastor. Fewer are called to the mission field. But all are called to share Gods’ Word.
(Matthew 28: 16-20) Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
1. Jesus didn’t say, "Peter, go forth unto all the world and make disciples." He was talking to everybody. And you don’t have to be a preacher, missionary, or the guy who stands on street corners and passes out tracts. Those people are doing their part; you have yours to do.
2. The least we can do is to invite others to church.
VIDEO: “Harry Humbledink”
3. Some people just have the wrong approach. How would you like someone to invite you to church? What would make you feel comfortable and more willing to except someone’s invitation?
4. One easy way is called friendship evangelism. It means that not all your friends are people from church and are saved.
5. You don’t need to beat the Bible over their heads. All you need to do is to be a true friend to them, listen to them, spend time with them, and build a real relationship with them.
6. Don’t be afraid to say what you believe when the subject comes up. The great shepherd isn’t looking for a sheepish flock. Don’t be anxious, God will provide the opportunity when both of you are ready. Just trust Him.
V. If I’m having a hard time financially, God doesn’t expect me to tithe.
- If you haven’t heard this before you may be amazed at how simple it is.
(Malachi 3:10) Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
A. A tithe is giving back to God what is His. Furthermore, the church or some pastor didn’t come up with the figure of 10% arbitrarily, or based on what the church budget needed one year. The word tithe is actually the Hebrew word for ’tenth’, plain and simple. That’s what God asked for.
1. Now a point from basic math: 10% of a smaller figure is also smaller. Therefore, you don’t have to give as much when you’re getting less. But God still expects you to remember Him.
2. If you don’t think you can live on the remaining 90%, only one argument will ever convince you: Trust God and try it.
3. When we say we trust in God, and then we get up and go like the Lord told us too…then God truly can perform the miraculous in and through us. Our financial is a barometer of whether or not we are getting up and going.
4. When God asks us to do something…it may not always be the most conventional way, do it anyways. He told the Leper to wash in the Dirty Jordon River…Did it Work? Yes. Did the Leper’s conventional wisdom say it would work…No! It goes back to God wanting the credit…not man.
5. Sometimes God asks us to do some pretty unconventional things in our giving. It is so easy to try and talk ourselves out of this… the enemy tries every rational in the book to confound our efforts of obedience.
- I Can’t Afford It, If I had More I Would, I already Tithe just by my own standards, I am so far behind I don’t know where to start.
6. Don’t listen to these lies…if God is in it He will help you to be obedient to Him. Is it always easy…no. Is it easy to Tithe…no.
Illustration: Eric Hulstrand writes in Leadership magazine: "While I was preaching one Sunday, an elderly woman, Mary, fainted and struck her head on the end of the pew. Immediately, an EMT in the congregation called an ambulance. s they strapped her to a stretcher and got ready to head out the door, Mary regained consciousness. She motioned for her daughter to come near. Everyone thought she was summoning her strength to convey what could be her final words. The daughter leaned over until her ear was at her mother’s mouth. ’My offering is in my purse,’ she whispered."
Later, someone asked Mary why she was so concerned about her tithe and not so concerned about her situation. Mary said it was because of her situation that she was so concerned about her tithe.
- The truth is simple: How can we afford not to Tithe?
7. God calls us all to be cheerful givers. He will never call you to do something that He will not also empower you to complete. Does this mean if we tithe we will never have to sacrifice financially? No in fact it may cause us to sacrifice greatly to fulfill what He is asking us to do.
8. You know what…this is okay. It is good for us to deny self every once in a while in order for the Kindgom to be built. When I say that God empowers us…it doesn’t mean that money will begin to grow on trees in our front yard the moment we begin to tithe.
9. In fact if the Tithing principle is correct according to Malachi, 10% is just our reasonable service…it has nothing to do with our gratitude for what He has done for us.
When I say that God empowers us…I mean that He will provide, strengthen, equip, discipline, and train you to make it through the lean times.
Conclusion: Myths have always been around and I suppose as long as there are human beings alive on this earth, there will always be myths. But I do I pray that we have exposed some today and have inspired each of us to dig a little deeper to gain a better understanding of His Word. God’s word is truth and that’s the truth Amen.
