We Have To Stand For Something Or We Will Fall For Anything

If We don’t Stand For Something, We’ll Fall For Anything

2Timothy 3:16-17

Intro: A pastor entered a class as the lesson was in progress and asked, "Who broke

down the walls of Jericho?" A lad answered, "Not me, sir." The pastor turned

to the teacher and asked, "Is this the usual behavior in this class?" The

teacher replied, "I believe this boy is an honest boy, and I really don’t

think he did it." Leaving the room, the pastor sought out a deacon and explained what had happened. The deacon said, "I have known both the boy and

the teacher for several years, and neither of them would do such a thing." By

this time the pastor was heartsick and reported the incident to the Christian

Education Committee. They said, "We see no point in making an issue out of this thing. Let’s pay the bill for the damage to the walls and charge it to upkeep. Anyway, our insurance may even cover it. "

. It’s important to know what we believe, isn’t it

. There is an old saying that goes like this.

. You have to stand for something or you will fall for anything.

.This morning I want to get back into the results of our vision casting.

. While we did come up with our mission statement which is “ To encourage and develop those we meet into committed followers of Jesus.” We also identified six core values that our church stands by.

. These core values define who we are as a congregation.

. They define what’s important to us and who we are.

. These core values keep us on course and let the world know what we stand for.

. The title of this sermon is “ If we don’t stand for something we’ll fall for any thing.”

. Folks we have to be grounded in our beliefs. People need to know what we stand for.

. This morning I am starting a series over the next two or three weeks on just what our core values are. What we stand for.

. The first core value and the overwhelming consenses of the group was;

. Preaching and teaching scripture.

. We defined this as, communicating the revelation of God’s word.

. The value that is the most important part of who we are is the communication of God’s word to all who will hear.

. Paul described this pretty well in 2 Tim 3:16-17. In writing to his protégé timothy he wrote this:

. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and dteaches us to do what is eright.17God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

. We believe that all scripture is from God.

. We believe that the bible in its original writing was inspired by God.

. There are no mistakes. This is God’s word and paul writes that we are to use this scripture to teach truth and expose wrong. It corrects us and it equips us to do good works.

. This is our standard folks, this is what we use as a guidebook or standard.

. If things don’t measure up to this, we shouldn’t be involved with it as a church.

. We look to God’s word guidance and correction.

. Now this would seem to be a no brainer wouldn’t it?

. The problem is that there are many churches that don’t base what they do on God’s word.

. Let me give you an example.

. This week I was reading an article in one of the Christian apologetics magazines and it was writing about what is called the emerging or emergent church.

. Now apologetics is the defense of faith or the correction of heresy that we find in our society today.

. In this article, the writer, Matt Slick, was interviewing some of the more prominent and successful, [as far as numbers of members are concerned] Pastors of the emerging churches.

. I’m not going to read quotes to you but the gist of the article was that this emerging church movement or the ones that the writer interviewed said that you didn’t have to believe in the resurrection.

. One said that Buddhist Hindu or even Jewish believers didn’t have to be Christians to have eternal life.

. Some deny the virgin birth and the death of Jesus on the cross.

. One pastor and I use the term losely,has concluded that the death of Jesus was a vile act of an angry God and that the true God would not do that.

. Folks, we get here in our own little world of Monroe Ga and don’t realize what is happening to our faith.