Rebuking the Winds of Change
A. BIBLE PREACHING INVOLVES REBUKE.
1. Rebuke, epitimoo; “to tax with fault, rate, chide, censure severely, to admonish or
charge sharply.” – (Thayer).
2. Rebuking can be an act of love (Rev. 3:19).
B. PAUL SPOKE OF THOSE WHO WERE TOSSED ABOUT BY EVERY WIND OF
DOCTRINE (Eph. 4:14)
1. Wind of doctrine: “variability and emptiness of teaching.” – Yeager
2. Many, as in Isaiah’s day, prefer “smooth things” to Truth (Isa. 30:9-10).
C. WE NEED TO DEFINE SOME OTHER WORDS:
1. “CHANGE”: a:“to make different in some particular : ALTER b : to make radically
different : TRANSFORM c : to give a different position, course, or direction to.”
– Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary.
2. Conservative: “prefers an existing or traditional situation to change.”
3. Liberal “not literal or strict: BROAD-MINDED; especially : not bound by
authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or traditional forms.”
D. THE WINDS OF CHANGE ARE DECEPTIVE AND OFTEN SEEM SOOTHING.
E. THEY MUST BE REBUKED.
A. JESUS PRAYED FOR UNITY (John 17:20-21)
B. PAUL COMMANDS IT IN THE NAME OF JESUS (1 Cor. 1:10).
C. UNITY CANNOT COME AT THE PRICE OF COMPROMISE.
1. We must not sell out the truth (Prov. 23:23).
2. How does one please God? (3 John 3-4)
a. Contend for the faith (Jude 3).
b. We must be “set for the defense of the gospel (Phil. 1:17; 2 Tim. 1:13-14).
3. We are to hold the traditions of the apostles (1 Cor. 11:2; 2 Thess. 2:25).
4. What if some don’t? (2 Thess. 3:6; Rom. 16:17).
D. THE ULTIMATE QUESTION (Amos 3:3).
E. THE ULTIMATE ANSWER – NO! (Mark 3:24; 2 John 9-11).
A. IT O.T. TIME MANY REFUSED GOD’S PATH (Jer. 6:16).
1. The same was true in Paul’s day (Gal. 1:6-7).
2. God warns that many today will do the same thing (2 Tim. 4:3-4).
B. “CHANGE AGENTS” THREATEN THE FLOCK.
1. Change Agents are those who would change the pattern God has given.
2. We might profit by looking their methods.
a. Incrementalism, a gradual change like a frog in hot water. Minor changes
here and there. – no invitation, don’t use the name, overuse of “praise songs,”
emotionalism.
How far must one stray to be lost? (Gal. 1:6-9).
b. New terminology describes apostasy. “New perspective or direction.”
A New Emphasis!
Where elders become scorekeepers. Church growth measured by numbers.
c. Flattery (1 Thess. 2:5). Feel good faith (Jer. 17:9).
Where does saving faith come from? (Rom. 10:17).
d. Discouragement of strong preaching that confronts the sinner (Isa. 30:9-10).
(Acts 20:20, 26-27; Gal. 4:16) Does this disposition agree with these verses?
e. Undermining of leadership – condemning the sheep dog to get to the sheep
(3 John 9-10; Rom. 16:18).
C. WHERE TO THESE PEOPLE COME FROM? (Acts 20:29-30).
D. DO THEY EVEN KNOW? (vs. 2 Tim. 3:13; 2 Pet. 3:15-16).
A. STUDY SO WE CAN IDENTIFY AND REFUTE ERROR (2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Pet. 3:15).
B. WATCH FOR THOSE WHO TEACH ERROR – ESPECIALLY CHANGE AGENTS!
(2 Pet. 2:1-3; Jude 4; Acts 20:28-31).
C. WE CAN’T FELLOWSHIP THOSE WHO TEACH ERROR
(Rom 16:17; Eph. 5:11; 2 Thess. 3:6). MARK THEM!
1. We need to try those who would join with us (1 John 4:1).
2. Scripture for refusing those who teach error (Acts 9:26; Titus 3:10-11).
A. IT IS THE TRUTH THAT SAVES FROM SIN (John 8:32; Rom. 1:16).
B. THE CHURCH IS ENTRUSTED WITH THE TRUTH (1 Tim. 3:15).
C. THERE IS NO NEW TRUTH – THERE IS NO NEW APPROACH THAT IS VALID.
Brian A. Yeager