#260 Q&A Stanley's Problem With the Bible

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This is East from West, discovering God's amazing grace through the teaching of His Word. A ministry of First Southern Baptist Church in Junction City, Kansas.
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Find out more information about our ministry at eastfromwest .org Now here's your teacher,
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Pastor Gabriel Hughes. Thank you Becky and greetings everyone. Thank you to those who sent me birthday greetings yesterday.
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I did have a wonderful birthday. We had Bible study in the evening and spent it with friends. I mean, how can you have a better birthday than that?
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Bible study and friends, pulled pork and cake. It's all good stuff. This is
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Friday and we are taking questions from the listeners and responding to them in the Friday broadcast. If you would like to contact us with questions about what you have heard in this broadcast or maybe from our videos through When We Understand the
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Text, you can email me directly, Pastor Gabe Hughes at gmail .com or find me on Twitter, twitter .com
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slash Pastor underscore Gabe. That's where you find me on Twitter. Let's get to some messages here.
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Some of these are rather brief, but then I've got a heavy one I'm going to be addressing here toward the end. So first of all, a message from Joseph who says,
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Pastor Gabe, I am truly blessed in the crisp way in which you present the truth and I would like to know if I can translate this to local languages and publish it.
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I am thinking of making it all over again as everything has to fit the local culture. Only the method and the message will remain the same awaiting your reply,
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Joseph. Well, I thanked Joseph for sending his email and and I asked him, are you talking about the podcast, the videos or the sermons?
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But when it comes down to it, you're welcome to use any of this as you like to share the gospel with somebody else, to teach the
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Bible to others. Please use it. I don't mind that I don't make a dime off of any of this.
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That is not the reason why I do this. So if you can use it and you promise that you'll keep the message as it is, you're not going to try to profit off of it yourself.
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Use whatever you want, whether they are the what videos, the podcasts or the sermons. You have my permission to do so.
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I also received a message from Dylan who runs an apologetics page on Facebook called
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I N R I apologetics. And he asked if he could use the what videos when we understand the text on his apologetics page.
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I gave him permission to do that. That is that's wonderful. That's what we made the videos for, that they would be shared on social media.
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This next question comes from Felipe. It says, Pastor Gabe, if possible, can you add recommended ministries, pastors, podcasts and materials from you on the what page?
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I believe it was through you that I became aware of John MacArthur. Well, Felipe, I'll tell you, I think that there's no room on the what page.
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We're not planning on adding another page or another tab, but there is room on the East from West site.
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So sometime in the near future, we will get a tab up that will have recommended ministries on their
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East from West dot org, because we also want to give a recommendation to some of those podcasts out there that recommend us like Fire Away with Andy Olson and or I'm sorry,
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I'm getting a mixed up. It's Fire Away with Landon Chapman and Nate Pickowitz.
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That's through in treating favor dot com. Or you can listen to Andy Olson's podcast, which is called
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Echo Zoe there. OK, I got the podcast and the names mixed up, but we got it all straightened out. This next one from Caleb in Michigan.
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Hello, I am wondering if you still have your Bible study book available. I thought I remember seeing it a while ago and it was called to the core.
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If you don't have it anymore, but did before, let me know. At least it would mean that I'm not making it up.
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Well, Caleb, you're correct. There was a book called to the core. It was a study through First Corinthians. But my views changed on spiritual gifts and their administration.
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And so because the change was significant enough that I felt like the book needed to be pulled, it is no longer available.
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But sometime in the future, I might be able to update some of that info. I'll try to keep your email address on file and let you know if that book becomes available again.
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OK, this next message, this is going to be the heavier subject that we're going to address on this particular episode.
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This comes from Laura. She said, hi, Pastor Gabe. Well, first, let me let me recap before going into this.
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Two weeks ago, when the podcast was known as when we understand the text, I addressed some matters concerning Andy Stanley and some things that he was saying about the word of God.
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And and then there was some Twitter conversations that came about as a result of that as well. And so Laura sent this message.
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She said, hi, Pastor Gabe, I've been following some of the tweets that you made about Andy Stanley. I was briefly in his church,
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North Point Church in Atlanta. Long story, my husband wanted to be there. I hated it from the very beginning and distrusted
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Andy right away. People at North Point think everything Andy says is the most amazing thing that they have ever heard.
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I can tell you so many things, especially from our small group experience. But God did use it, along with a lot of biblical counseling from other very sound churches, my current church being one of them to mature me and help me grow in the word.
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I am thankful God did not leave me there. I left when Stanley preached the Gracie versus truthy message.
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I remember that was a few years ago, and it took a year for me to get my husband out of there. The people we were in group with have nothing to do with us.
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It's painful. You grow to love these people and you think, how can they not see this?
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But they are not Bereans. Andy fills his church with unbelievers, seekers, and never preaches sin, righteousness and the judgment to come.
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Please pray for them. Well, I thank you so much for your message, Laura. I wanted to come to an article that was written by Dr.
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David Prince of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, posted the article earlier this week in response to the message that that Stanley preached entitled
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The Bible Tells Me So. Dr. Prince begins the article. I was at the recent ERLC onward conference listening when
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Russell Moore was having a conversation about ministry and preaching with Andy Stanley. This was the the very conversation that I reviewed on this podcast two weeks ago.
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I was startled when Stanley said that he preaches some servant sermons without ever quoting the
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Bible. He views these sermons as extended instructions. Stanley also said that we do not believe
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Christianity because of the Bible, but because of the resurrection and eyewitness testimonies.
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A couple of years ago, Stanley said that preachers should stop saying the Bible says a position he reaffirmed during the conversation.
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I have criticized some of Stanley's position in the past, but I've also long admired many things about Andy Stanley's ministry.
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Now, I would differ from Dr. Prince on this point in saying I have never admired Stanley's ministry.
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There is always been something that was off about his preaching for the very first time that I ever heard it. So continuing with Dr.
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Prince here, I was trying to give him a generous hearing. Perhaps I thought I just wasn't getting what he was saying.
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But after listening to his recent The Bible Told Me So sermon, I realized I had understood him after all.
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He began his sermon by quoting the beloved song. Jesus loves me. This I know for the
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Bible tells me so and contends this is where our problem began. I want to play that clip from that sermon so you can hear
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Andy Stanley saying it. Perhaps you were taught as I was taught. Jesus loves me.
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This I know. And let's all finish it together for the. Yes, this is where our trouble began.
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Dr. Prince continues. Stanley says the song is fine for children, but not appropriate for adults.
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He believes that we have been naively taught. The Bible says it, that settles it. And that kind of simplistic reasoning is why many walk away from the faith as adults.
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According to Stanley, defending the Bible in its entirety as completely true is too great a burden and wrongly puts the
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Bible at the center of the debate. He speaks as if his view is a cutting edge, apologetic position for our time or an innovative evangelistic strategy.
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But what he is advocating has historically had a name liberalism.
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His father, Charles Stanley, and many other evangelicals spent a bulk of their ministry winning what was often called the battle for the
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Bible. Theological liberals said the Bible is true in its primary theological message, but not in all of its parts.
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They believed those contending for biblical inerrancy were guilty of bibliology. I think it was
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Paige Patterson who called the kind of positions Stanley now advocates spot inerrancy.
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It was the notion that the Bible was inspired in spots and they considered themselves inspired to spot the spots.
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Theological liberals have always attempted to liberate Jesus from the scriptures. Stanley argues that our faith is based on the resurrection and not the
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Bible. Severing the scriptures from the resurrection is the very thing that Jesus said could not be done.
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As he said in Luke 1631, if they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.
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Now, a minister in Indiana responded to Dr. Prince's blog and said that Dr. Prince took
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Luke 1631 out of context. Jesus was speaking to the Jewish people who had the scriptures and accepted them as authoritative.
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Andy Stanley is talking to unbelievers who do not accept the word as authoritative. Well, Dr.
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Prince did not take it out of context. The truth stated in Luke 1631 applies to absolutely everyone.
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Everyone has Moses in the prophets, even unbelievers, just as everyone in the
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United States of America has a president. You don't get to decide that the president isn't your authority, even if you don't know his name, just as an atheist doesn't get to decide the scriptures aren't his authority, even if they don't know what they are.
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It's the word of God. It has bearing on every single person. It is the responsibility of the
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Christian to therefore share the word of God with the world. First, Timothy 315 says that the church of the living
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God is a pillar and a buttress of the truth. We hold up the truth for the whole world to see it, the truth meaning the word of God, and we defend the truth from those who try to malign it.
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Paul says in Romans 1014, how then will they call on him in whom they have not believed?
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And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
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And how are they to preach unless they are sent as it is written? How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news?
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That's the gospel. It's what the word gospel means. Good news. It's the word of God. I cannot emphasize enough
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Romans 116, for I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.
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I am not ashamed of it. I am so not ashamed of it that I'm going to share it.
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I will preach it. I will reference it. Romans 1017 says faith comes by hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.
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You can't even be saved without the word of God. A person is not one to Christ by argumentation that appeals to the flesh, which is exactly what
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Andy Stanley is doing, because the natural person cannot understand spiritual things.
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And those who are in the flesh cannot please God. First Corinthians 118 and chapter two, verse 14 say, for the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing.
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But to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. The natural person does not accept the things of the spirit of God, for they are folly to him and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
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Romans 8, 7 through 8, for the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law.
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Indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. A person must hear the word of God so that every mouth may be stopped and they would be knowledgeable of their sin.
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That's Romans 3, 19 through 20. So that the heart is tilled to understand their need for a savior,
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Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and satisfied the wrath of God burning against all unrighteousness.
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And through Jesus, we have peace with God and everlasting life. We have received his righteousness and we have also received his life.
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All those who are in Christ. A person doesn't need Jesus to have a better life. You could probably have a great life without Jesus.
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A person needs Jesus because we need salvation from death and only Jesus can give it to us.
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Death because of sin, the wrath of God against all unrighteousness. Salvation comes only through the word of God.
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You only know about it. You only know about what Jesus did to bring us salvation because the word of God says it, the
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Bible. A person cannot be saved without it. Understand that there are times
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Andy Stanley uses zero Bible in his sermons, and he even admits that he does that.
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Can you imagine that a pastor never quoting the Bible in a sermon at all? What is the point of him being up there?
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There are there are people who will rush to Stanley's defense and they'll say, well, he's using an apologetic argument. He's trying to appeal to people who don't believe.
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Right. He's trying to appeal to the flesh. He withholds the Bible because he knows it's a turnoff to carnal minded people.
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That's appeasing the flesh. There's a very simple retort to this kind of preaching model.
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What you win them with is what you win them to. If you win them without the
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Bible, you win them to a version of Christianity that does not have the word of God, which is no
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Christianity at all. Now, there is something that Stanley says at the end of this sermon that Dr.
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Prince does not address in his blog, but I would encourage you to look up Dr. David Prince and read that blog, the response that he makes to Andy Stanley.
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I'm going to play a portion of Stanley's sermon here and then let me respond to it with the scriptures. Peter, James, Paul, the apostles, they did not choose to follow
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Jesus because of an infallible Old Testament or a non -contradicting New Testament. In other words, imagine this conversation.
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You know, somebody with all this information, you know, comes to the apostle Peter, let's say the apostle Peter, and says,
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Peter, hey, before you get all geeked out on this following Jesus thing, do you realize there's no evidence for a worldwide flood?
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Hey, Peter, before you get all crazy about the Jesus thing, do you know that there's no archaeological evidence for the exodus?
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Hey, Paul, before you get all going, Peter, before you go crazy about the Jesus thing, you realize, okay, the earth is more than 6 ,000 years old, that whole genealogy and Genesis.
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Peter would have looked at you like, I'm not really sure what you're talking about, but I followed a man for three years who spoke like no other man spoke.
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He was arrested and crucified. And we thought, game over, because he said too much to be a good teacher.
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He claimed too much about himself to be a good teacher. Game over. We're all in hiding. A bunch of women come babbling that the tomb is empty, the tomb is empty.
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I looked into an empty tomb and do you know what I concluded? Somebody stole the body.
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And a few days later, I had breakfast with my risen friend on the beach.
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So I'm not sure about 6 ,000 year old earth. I'm not sure about archaeological evidence. I'm not sure about all that.
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The reason I'm following Jesus is because I saw him die and I saw him alive and I went into the streets of Jerusalem to say,
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God has done something among us. For the first 300 years, the debate centered on an event, not a book.
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For the first 300 years of the existence of Christianity, the debate was about an event, not a book.
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The question was not, is the Bible true? Is the Bible true? Is the Bible true? The question was, did Jesus rise from the dead?
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On the day of Jesus's resurrection, a couple of the disciples were walking to Emmaus and Jesus started walking with them, but they didn't recognize him.
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The disciples were talking about events that had happened in recent days. And when Jesus asked them what they were discussing,
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Cleopas said, are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn't know what's been going on?
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And they told him about Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified and buried. And some women went to the tomb and they found it empty.
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And they saw angels who said he was alive. And Jesus' response to them was this, oh, foolish ones and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.
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Was it not necessary that Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?
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And then it says there in Luke 24, and beginning with Moses and all the prophets, Jesus interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
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Before he showed them, he was Jesus who was alive.
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He showed them the scriptures. He did that first. This claim that Stanley makes that for the first 300 years of the church, the argument was about an event, not a book.
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That's wrong. Again, he's separating the event from the scriptures, which you cannot do.
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They are tandem. They go together. Jesus used the scriptures. The apostles used the scriptures.
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The early church fathers used the scriptures. The apostles' writings were being gathered and compiled into the scriptures while apostolic ministry was still happening between 30 and 70
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A .D. Read Colossians 4 and 2 Peter 3 when Paul and Peter refer to the writings of the apostles that are accessible by the churches.
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Now, Peter does say we did not make up cleverly invented stories, but we were eyewitnesses to his majesty.
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But this ridiculous scenario that Stanley makes up where Peter would say, I don't know about a 6000 year old earth and scientific data in the flood and all of this stuff.
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Peter would have never said that because we actually have Peter saying in second Peter three.
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This is now the second letter I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them, I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the
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Lord and Savior through your apostles. Knowing this, first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.
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They will say, where is the promise of his coming forever? Since the fathers fell asleep, all these things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation for they deliberately overlook this fact that the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God and that by means of these, the word that then existed was deluged with water and perished.
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But by the same word, the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
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Now I've noticed something about those who rushed to Stanley's defense. They fill in the blanks that Stanley leaves blank.
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Well, what Andy really means is this. What he's trying to do is this. And his defenders are always sure to point out that Andy did say he believes the authority of the scriptures and that he loves the scriptures.
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So he is by no means trying to throw the scriptures away. Well, let me give Andy the most benefit of the doubt
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I can possibly give him. Let's say that when he says he loves the scriptures, he actually means it. It's really hard to believe when even
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Andy admits he preaches entire sermons and never quotes the Bible. But let's say that in his heart, he is truly genuine when he says that he loves the
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Bible. What he says, what he's teaching here is still ridiculously confusing and it is contradictory and he is misleading his flock.
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He says Christianity is not about the Bible. It's about the resurrection of Christ. But how do we know about the resurrection of Christ, the
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Bible? You cannot separate the two. You can't separate them. You tell an unbeliever or a non churchgoer.
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This is not about the Bible. It's about the death and resurrection of Christ. And they ask you, well, how do we know that the death and resurrection of Christ is true?
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And you reply, well, because Peter was there and John was there and James, the half brother of Jesus, they saw him alive and they say, right.
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But how do you know? And then what do you say? Because the Bible says so.
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And if you had sat under Andy Stanley's teaching for any number of years, you would feel totally guilty and conflicted in your conscience for resorting to saying the
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Bible says so. Because Andy Stanley said that's not grown up faith and you're resulting to children's tactics and you're giving that person a house of cards that will fall the moment it's challenged.
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That kind of preaching, that kind of the kind of things that Stanley has said in this sermon, it's bad, bad, bad for Christians.
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And it's even worse for unbelievers. You cannot separate the message of Christ from the
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Bible. It's flat out confusing. Maybe Stanley does love the scriptures. I beg to differ, but maybe he does.
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He's still disqualified from being a pastor for he does not even follow what is said in Romans 1 16.
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I am not ashamed of the gospel for in it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.
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So with Laura, let's continue to pray for members of Andy Stanley's church. I have a relative in that church in North Point church.
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Let's continue to pray that they will not be swayed by this false teaching. They will be taught the true word of God and they will love it and they will understand the words that Jesus said in John chapter four, the worshipers that the father is seeking are those who will worship him in spirit and truth.
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Lord, may we all pursue you with that understanding in the name of Christ.
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We pray. Amen. For the father is seeking such people to worship him.
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God is spirit. Those who worship him must worship in spirit.
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But the hour is coming.
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When the true worshipers worship the father in spirit and truth for the father is seeking such people to worship him.
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God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit.
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True. God is true.
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God is spirit. Those who worship him must worship in spirit.
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True. God is spirit.
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Those who worship him must worship in spirit.
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And true. This has been
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East from West with Pastor Gabriel Hughes. The music today was provided by Seeds Family Worship. You can find more of their music and information about their ministry at seedsfamilyworship .com.
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Find a good gospel teaching Christ -centered church to worship with this weekend. If you live around Junction City, Kansas, we'd love for you to come join us.
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Find info about our church and other ministries at eastfromwest .org. On behalf of Pastor Gabe and our church family, my name is
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Becky, inviting you to join us again Monday as we continue our study in the word. God bless.