Topical Sermon: "Professing to be Wise, They Became Fools"

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:17-21

"Professing To Be Wise, They Became Fools"

Intro.

1. Recently there have been some outlandish claims made in the name of God and His word, the Bible.

a. “The Bible Go-to Guy” (anonymous pseudonym) on the Jesse Peterson Show emphatically declared that Jesus is not God. (“Bible ‘expert’ proclaims: Jesus is not God”, worldnetdaily.com, 12.19.09)

b. Rev. Ed Bacon (Rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California), Oprah Show (1.12.09): “Being gay is a gift from God.” (oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/20090112_tows_followup/11)

2. Shred the light of truth on the darkness of ignorance and sin, Eph. 4:17-24.

I. “JESUS IS NOT GOD.”

A. He is Eternal God, Jno. 1:1.

1. In the beginning, cf. Gen. 1:1, 26.

2. “I AM”, Jno. 8:52-59 (Exo. 3:14).

B. Jesus is Creator, Jno. 1:3, 10.

1. All things made through Him, Jno. 1:3, 10.

a. Denial: “Jesus did not create the world,” said the Bible Go-to Guy. “The world was created through Him. That’s a difference.” (“Bible ‘expert’ proclaims: Jesus is not God”, worldnetdaily.com, 12.19.09)

b. Through (dia): “A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through (in very wide applications, local, causal or occasional).” (Thayer).

2. Jesus is the source and the means of all Creation, Jno. 1:3.

a. Source, Jno. 1:10; Rev. 3:14.

b. Means, Jno. 1:3, Col. 1:16 [en: prep. denoting (fixed) position], Thayer.

c. Creative God – applied to Jesus, Psa. 102:24-25; Heb. 1:10.

3. Immanuel (God with us), Matt. 1:22-23 (Isa. 7:14).

4. Child / Son, Isa. 9:6: Mighty God; cf. Heb. 1:8-10.

C. To Deny the Deity of Jesus (God) is to Deny He is the Christ and Dishonors the Father, Jno. 20:28-31; cf. 5:18, 23.

II. “BEING GAY IS A GIFT FROM GOD.”

A. Bible Says that God’s Gifts Include:

1. Life and its proper purpose, cf. Eccl. 12:13.

2. Sexuality and its moral place, Gen. 1:27; 1 Cor. 7:2.

3. Rev. Bacon says: “Being gay is a gift from God” … “But our culture doesn’t understand that. And consequently, the culture sends messages that you ought to isolate. And isolation is the antithesis of what all of us need.” (Ibid.)

4. Bible says:

a. Abomination and divine wrath, Lev. 20:13.

b. Vile passions and against nature, Rom. 1:24-27.

c. Shall not inherit the kingdom of God, 1 Cor. 6:9, 11.

d. Under divine wrath, Jude 7.

e. Repent! (Acts 17:30)

B. Spirituality:

1. Bacon defines spirituality as a meaningful connection. “It is about our being connected with one another and connected with the cosmos," he says. "It is the process of being healed, forgiven, empowered to go into the world, to be fully alive.” (oprah.com/slideshow/spirit/knowyourself/pkgyourspirit/20081117_tows_spirit)

2. Bible says:

a. Submissive to the law of God, Rom. 8:5-11.

b. Rejects the lusts of the flesh; led by the Spirit of God, Gal. 5:16-26.

C. Love:

1. Bacon says full, unconditional love is the essence of spirituality. “It’s that experience of love that connects you with everyone, connects you with your past, connects you with your future, gives you hope and excitement about going into the next day, going into the next moment.”

2. Bible says:

a. Decision of will that conforms to the will of God, Jno. 14:15.

b. Always seeks the good of others first, 1 Jno. 4:10-11.

Conclusion

1. Many deceivers have gone out into the world, 2 Jno. 7.

2. Do not be deceived or shaken in your faith, Matt. 24:4.