Defending Your Faith

Sermon Topic Saturday 7/13/13 Elder Dennis Trudgen – Defending Your Faith
More and more the world is telling us that there is no one truth, there is nothing is bad or evil … with one exception, Christianity – anything goes but that. The world says that there is truth in all religions, you just have to be a “good person” (but what is the definition of “good”? msl)
What is our responsibility and duty to defend our faith?
2 Timothy 3:1-8 … the falling away, and the perilous times that result
2 Timothy 4:1-3 … we must purge ourselves from false doctrines. Moses had to set things in order … and Paul also, in his time. We can confuse “be not contentious” (1 Corinthians 1:11, for example … Strong’s G2052, eritheia,from 2054, eris – strife, wrangling) with “contend earnestly for the faith” (Jude verse 3, Strong’s G1864 epagonizomai, to struggle for).
The coming apostasy … we’re already there. We say “we’re more religious than ever” … we’re more tolerant … they always put the apostasy into the future. All of the modern churches have a charismatic movement, that say that the apostasy happened in the past, and does not have to be future.
Galatians 1:6-9 Contend, but don’t be contentious. They were “so soon removed” … by their actions, perverting the Gospel … you can remove yourself from His grace. Paul made the statement twice here, that if anyone preached any other gospel to them than what he had preached, let him be accursed. It’s not JUST because we believe, that we are saved … even the demons believe (James 2:19).
2 Nephi 2 … these two books, the King James Bible and the Book of Mormon, put down false doctrine and bring Israel to the house of God. How? WE have a duty and responsibility. It is we that will convert the house of Israel and confound false doctrine. What do we believe?
Hebrews 13:8-9 … this is in the Scriptures 6 times (God does not change, so be not carried about by false doctrines). What does it mean? The plan of salvation is constant, unchanging. We are the same church organization that existed then … there was a falling away, and God restored.
He is the SAME ON SIN. We will not back down on sin.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-7 … the apostasy (Strong’s G646), a defection … that would happen after the time of Paul. “Let” in the KJV is “to hinder”. These people lived in the time of the 4th beast of Daniel 7:7-8. Later church fathers agreed with that:
Tertullian … 2nd and 3rd centuries AD … the Roman State, by being scattered into 10 kingdoms, shall introduce the antichrist upon its own ruins (Antenicene Fathers Vol. 3 Ch. 32)
Tertullian … Pray for the stability of the Roman Empire. Why would he say this when the Roman Empire persecuted the Church? … he believed that after the fall of the Roman Empire would come a spiritual falling away and death.
Irenaeus of Lyons … 10 kings who would arise after the fall of the Roman Empire
Hippolytus … the Roman Empire was the 4th beast of Daniel 7
Lactantius Firminianus, Cyril of Jerusalem … the fall of the Roman Empire would bring in the antichrist.
John Chrysostom … “he who letteth will continue to let….” Who could this be, but the Roman Empire? … when the Roman Empire is taken out of the way, then the antichrist would emerge.
Jerome (translator of the Vulgate Bible msl) … held to the traditional interpretation that at the end of the world, 10 kings would partition the Roman Empire, then an insignificant 11th would rise and subdue 3 of them.
Augustine of Hippo … he who now holdeth (letteth), refers to the Roman Empire
Almost all of the early church fathers stated that the Roman Empire was “he who letteth”
What about the early Protestant leaders?
Alexander Campbell, John Wesley, Martin Luther, Roger Williams, John Calvin, Thomas Cranmer, Cotton Mather, John Knox, John Wycliffe … and others … all founders of Protestant denominations … all stated that the office of the Papacy was the antichrist.
Alexander Campbell, founder of the Disciples of Christ, stated that all Christian sects are more or less apostate, and the primitive Gospel is yet to shine … the worshipping establishments now in operation are the legitimate daughters of the church of Rome.
Roger Williams, founder of the first Baptist Church in America … there will be no recovery out of that apostasy until Christ shall send forth new apostles to plant churches anew.
The translators and publishers of the Bible were suppressed and killed.
John Bunyan, the Congregationalist church … a cry that was effected by some sudden and marvelous awakening. They knew there had been an apostasy, but that God’s Kingdom was coming back.
John and Charles Wesley, founders of the Methodists … yet the wise men can see no signs … one of their hymns called on the Lord to “send forth … new apostles”.
Martin Luther … perceived that the ancient and primitive church must, on the one hand, be restored…. (D’Aubigne’s History)
William Ward, the Episcopalian … taught that 1830 would be a year of spiritual revival and triumph (the end of the 1260 years, from 570 [Catholic Encyclopedia], the beginning of papal primacy)
What do we believe?
The powers and gifts of the everlasting Gospel … the world says they believe in those; every church has their charismatics (from Greek “charisma” [Strong’s G5486], “gifts”) … but there was a time in the past when they denied the power thereof.
Origen … since that time (early church), these signs have diminished, and just traces are left.
Celsus … there are no prophets bearing any resemblance to the ancient prophets … we seldom hear of them after that fatal period when the Emperor Constantine called himself a Christian.
From this time, they almost totally ceased. The cause of this was not that there was no more occasion for them … but not the 20th part of them was even nominally Christian, and there was only a dead form left.
In 2009, a majority of Americans reported having had a spiritual dream. In 1900, that number was almost 0; in 1962, 22%. At that time, other churches did not believe in the gifts, the Church of Christ was the only one claiming these gifts.
We believe that through the atonement of Christ, all men may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel … as in Hebrews 6:1-2.
Martin Luther … If the primitive Gospel would come again, God would have to speak from Heaven.
Alexander Campbell … the primitive Gospel … is yet to shine out in its original splendor….
We want the old Gospel back, and sustained by the ancient order of things; for one to serve in the ministry and perform the associated sacred ordinances.
Hebrews 5:4 … they must be called of God by revelation, and ordained by those having authority … to enable them to preach the Gospel and administer the ordinances thereof … and these men should work with their own hands for their living.
Apostolic Constitutions 7.429 (390 AD) … neither do we permit the laity to perform (those ordinances) … this passage referred to the punishment of Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:16) being visited on usurpers.
Apostolic Constitutions 7.499, 500 … not all who WILL are ordained … a man either receives it from God, as Melchisidec and Job, or from the High Priest, as Aaron from Moses
Roger Williams … There is no regularly constituted church on earth, nor any person authorized to administer any church ordinance, nor can there be
2 Thessalonians 3:6-12 … withdraw from anyone that walks disorderly … work with quietness, and eat one’s own bread.
1 Corinthians 4:9-12 … laboring with one’s own hands, as did King Benjamin (Mosiah 1:46) and Paul, who worked as a tentmaker … we still use that term today, for a working missionary
Viola Frank, straight talk to the Elders … Brothers, it wasn’t til the fourth century, under Constantine the Roman Emperor who converted to Christ, that the church had a paid clergy….
We believe in the literal gathering of Israel, and restoration of the 10 “lost” tribes … Isaiah 11:11-12; Jeremiah 16:14-16, 31:10-12; Ezekiel 36:21-28; Romans 11:25=26; and 3 Nephi 10:1-7.
From Augustine to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, it was taught that the church “replaced” Israel … in the 1900’s, other churches accepted that that was not the case.
Martin Luther, “On The Jews And Their Lies” … “their synagogues and schools should be burned"
At the end of the apostasy in 1830, as predicted by the early Protestant fathers, the Lord did establish His Church and His authority to minister; He restored the Gifts of the Spirit etc., the belief in a 1000-year reign of Christ on earth, the belief that Israel would become a nation again and believe in Christ … all these things were absent during the reign of antichrist.