Church Fliers In Your Mailbox

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ, based on the theme in Galatians 2, verse 5, where the Apostle Paul said, �But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

In short, if you like smooth, watered-down words to make you simply feel good, this show isn�t for you. By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as we�re called by the Divine Trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her King.

Here�s our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth. Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry. For the last six years, we�ve been under Bethlehem Bible Church, bbcchurch .org, and while still related, because I�m the pastor there, technically, No Compromise Radio is under NoComedia now.

What does that mean? What�s the difference? I don�t think you�ll find any difference because I�m still the host, Tuesday Guy is still the Tuesday Guy, Aaron�s still Aaron, and the list goes on. But technically, formally, while NoComedia reports to the church, or is underneath the elders of the church, I should say, technically, there�s a difference.

So, it won�t mean much to you except I�ve got to switch the different music. It�s about time to get a different intro after 1 ,800 episodes. Terry from Ohio, faithful listener, well, I don�t know how faithful he is, but he�s a faithful listener.

He gave me the thing that came to his door. He sent it in, you know, you get these flyers, we�re a church in the neighborhood, please check us out. This is very popular, especially with these multi-church campus deals.

It says on the one side, with an exclamation point, �Do not open this unless. And then it�s got a little deal here, at thechurch .tv, the church online, and you flip it over and it says, �Bring your family to participate in the launch of our new Northwood campus, Sunday, October 4th, 11am.

It�s a little dated, but the idea is good for the introduction of No Compromise Radio today. How do you promote your church? What would you say about your church if you wanted the community to show up?

Come and experience life transformation, teaching from God�s Word, music that will change your life and encourage your heart, and loving, serving people who genuinely care about you. I�m not the best editor, but that seems like it�s a long sentence.

Would we call that a run-on sentence? Come and experience life transformation, that�s at the top of the list. Do I need a transformed life at the top of the list, or might I need a declaration of not guilty, no condemnation, would that be at the top of my list, or life transformation?

Could you have said life transformation and still not be justified? It says come and experience life transformation, teaching from God�s Word, how could I argue with that? That�s good, I like that. Here�s a good one, music that will change your life.

I don�t know, I used to be into music so much that I�ve kind of dialed back a little bit, Spotify I listen to once in a while. Music that will change your life, that was life-changing music. I think WVNE 760, we used to be on that station, I like them, they were very good to No Compromise Radio.

Not many people would carry No Compromise Radio, but they would, for a price. But even then, I think it�s called life-transforming radio, life-changing radio, but it�s because the Word of God is preached, that�s the idea.

Here this is music that will change your life. I would assume that�s loud music, I would assume that�s a band, I would assume it�s kind of coffeehouse music where you can�t hear the congregation sing, and this is a different campus.

I haven�t opened it up yet, this is all live radio, I want you to know this is unscripted, this is as it happens, this is reality. Usually these multi-campus churches, they�re all under one leadership and you beam in the most bestest pastors preaching, I did that on purpose.

The guy that seems to you that�s the most gifted as an orator, charismatic, not in theology but in style and presentation, and then he is the pastor for the other campus, but once in a while he shows up, that�s kind of nice of him, appreciate that.

Now I don�t know if this is the case here, but it�s another campus, it�s very big to have these campuses, it says of course on the front, �Do not open this unless� and then you open it, it says, �You want�, okay, so it�s all about you, remember back in the old days, an army of one, and you play to the people and their selfishness to get them to come into the army, instead of we�re all in this for a bigger purpose outside of ourselves.

Here�s a church, if you open this if you want, a better marriage, responsible and well-balanced children, you can�t make this up, a healthy lifestyle, enough money and then some, a life that is bigger than life.

So we have gone from the pablum, seeker sensitive, you know, here�s your best life now type of thing, actually it seems like we�re going into word faith and the whole money deal. You want, that�s what�s in red letters, you want.

Now of course I have to give disclaimers, if you don�t know about No Compromise Radio, well then, better marriages, okay, is that what we�re after? Well-balanced children, I like responsible children, this is all going to, excuse me, I�ve never sneezed on the radio show in 1800 shows, I don�t think, I�m going to sneeze again because I�m allergic to this man-centered nastiness, this is making me very, very allergic.

All of that it says, and so much more, at no cost to you except your time and effort to do the following. See back, what�s the back, bring your family to participate, that�s all you have to do so you show one time, you get a better marriage, you have well-balanced children, healthy lifestyle, enough money and then some, and a life that�s bigger than life.

For children they have SIA, that�s Spiritual Intelligence Agency, teaching children what Jesus said about life. For students, exchange student life, learning how to live the life God designed them for, do we end sentences with prepositions?

For adults, life talk, instructional, interactive and group gatherings, I thought I was going to say group think, about life, marriage, finance and health. And when I read this, I think, seeker sensitive, now they�ve thrown in the money and more so I think of word faith and selfishness, which is seeker sensitive stuff, here�s how we appeal to you, instead of saying what does God require and we will do it and if nobody shows up, nobody shows up.

But when I see the theme of living the life God designed for them, and marriage, finance, health, I�m shocked that nothing said here about sex, that�s a way to get the millennial people in, at least for two weeks before they realize the gig is up.

Law, Gospel, and the Need for Forgiveness in Christ

It�s all about law, or as we say here in New England, law, it�s law, and we�re all about law. How does that work? I�m not against the law, obviously, but the Bible has much to say positively about the law.

Now, it�s effects God uses positively, but there�s a negative slant, if you will, in terms of showing me my sin and making me run to the gospel of Jesus Christ. But when I�m looking at this thing, we�re going to talk a little bit more about law in a second because you know that�s what I like to talk about, and gospel.

There is the word God, right? Live the life God designed for them, so I�m happy for that. There is nothing here about Jesus at the church .tv, at the church .tv, God�s Word, it does say. And after that, the Church on the Strayer, that is quite the name for the church, Church on the Strayer, the straying church, because when you go away from the Bible, you stray.

And when you focus on law, what�s our church all about? Living the life God called us to live. I mean, how are you going to measure up to that? How are you going to do? I think you need some good news.

I think you need gospel talk. I think you need talk about who Jesus is and what he has accomplished and how he will return. A money, a lifestyle, well-balanced children. What if I�d offer you this? Come to Bethlehem Bible Church.

You don�t really know what you want. How would that sell? Do not open this unless you need to think biblically instead of from a self-centered, man-centered, snotty-nosed, kids-centered viewpoint, selfish, that is.

If you want to be right with God, if you want to be declared forensically by an alien righteousness, not guilty, if you would like to have God no longer as your judge but as your father, Abba, Father, if you would like to know the extent to which God the Father loves sinners and that is he sent his son, Jesus, who also loves sinners and he came to seek and save those that are lost, if you�d like to know about this great God who loves sinners and who calls them to take him at his word, to believe with a knowledge, a scent, and a trust.

If you�d like to know about that and how this God grants forgiveness, there�s no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. So let�s understand what it means to be in Christ Jesus. Did I just whistle? You, matter of fact, after you come to know these truths about Jesus, these historical facts that we like news reporters tell you, but hopefully with more passion, but a historical thing, not just a subjective feeling, not only theological, of course it is theological, but this is history.

I�m here to tell you about news, Jesus Christ. He walked around in Israel, he got his feet dirty, he left footprints in the sand. See where this is going? How about if you want to be reconciled to God?

How about if you would like to have God no longer angry at you because he has made propitiation, that is Jesus has taken the Father�s wrath in your place as a penalty substitution? If you�d like that, I have a warning for you.

The Cost of Following Jesus and the Reality of Suffering

So instead of red letters, a red box, you want, we should probably put some red box here that says beware. This might cost you your marriage instead of a better marriage. This might cost you your children instead of well-balanced children.

This might cost you your life and your healthy lifestyle because you might get persecuted and you might get killed. This might cost you all your money. Ask those who receive the book of Hebrews. What does Hebrews say about, you know what, if you�re going to follow Jesus, the great high priest, if you will believe in him and trust in him, maybe better words than follow, the high priest who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in heaven.

If you want to believe in this Jesus, repudiating any works righteousness that you saw in the old covenant that really didn�t teach it but you were bamboozled to think that it did, what might that cost you?

Are you going to get a good marriage, well-balanced children, healthy lifestyle and a lot of money? It doesn�t take you very long to read Hebrews 10 verse 32 and following before you understand. This is bogus.

This isn�t Christianity. You know, that word is taken. The word church is taken. I don�t think that website domain is taken with attvchurch .whatever it is, you�re selfish. This is wrong side up. This is exactly what�s wrong with evangelicalism and this is why the emergent church started because of stuff like this and of course it fails as well.

But recall Hebrews 10 verse 32, the former days after you enlightened, you endured a real marriage, well-balanced children, healthy lifestyle, enough money than some and a life that is bigger than life.

Hey, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property since you knew that you yourself, emphatically stated, had a better possession and an abiding one.

Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward, for you have need of endurance so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what is promised. For yet a little while and the coming one will come and will not delay, but my righteous one shall live by what?

Faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

For by it the people of old receive their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of the things that are visible. That's verse three ending and then I'll just read verse six.

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and he must believe that he rewards those who seek him. Can you imagine writing such tripe, selfish tripe to the people who are getting persecuted in the book of Hebrews?

It's you want, you get better marriage. Now the great thing about preaching Jesus Christ and him crucified, I don't happen to see anything about Jesus on this, yeah, duh. If you preach Christ Jesus, God loves sinners so much, he not only gives them salvation, he not only saves them, he not only justifies them, reconciles them, makes propitiation on their behalf, gives them forgiveness.

He not only does that, but he gives other things too. He gives the greater gift and then he gives lesser gifts. Our fathers on earth weren't perfect, but they did some nice things for us, for the most part.

I guess there are exceptions. But it says in verse 32 of Romans chapter 8, he who did not spare his own son, that's the language of the Septuagint in Genesis 22, Abraham offering up Isaac. He who did not spare his own son, but gave himself or gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

And regularly, often, God with his extreme benefits and blessings gives Christians better marriages. He gives them children that are responsible. He gives them a healthy lifestyle. He gives them plenty of money and then some.

But what we end up doing is when we promote Jesus as a God who gives these things, lots of things can happen. A, it's false advertising. There's no offense to the cross there. But B, what happens if you don't get these things?

God didn't deliver on his promises. No, you didn't deliver. You at thechurchtv .com. What is it called? The church at thechurch .tv. I have a feeling if I watch the video, it's going to be worse than the ad.

We don't want churches that are all about us. We want churches, of course, that preach the whole counsel of God. And when you get to Colossians 3, 5, there are imperatives. You have to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, Philippians 2.

There's the responsible side. There is the side that out of thankful hearts and gratitude, I guess that's the same thing, we show evidences of our faith by our good works. I understand Ephesians 4 and 5 has lots of imperatives.

I understand that. I don't see a hole in our holiness not having imperatives, or even if you want to talk about law for the Christian, to guide him. Now what that moral law is, we could talk about that another day.

That's not what I'm after today. Here's what I'm after. If you're at a church like this, is it really a church? Word sacrament and discipline? Word ordinances and discipline? This doesn't sound like a church to me at all.

Now I'm very careful. When people write me, and they regularly do, should we leave our church? You might think at No Compromise Radio that we regularly say, run. Run for the hills. The hills have eyes.

We don't regularly say that. It's hard to be a pastor. It's hard to be an elder of a local church. It's hard, I was going to say, to please everybody. And you can't leave a church because there's some things that you disagree with.

But at the core, essentials. What does God say that's essential? And if thinking big picture, with a big picture view, if your whole telescope is wrong side to your eye, then you need to leave because it's not a church anyway.

This is the kind of thinking that makes me say, they don't understand the Bible because they read it with the where's Waldo selfish, you know, where am I? What can I find, you know, what can I find to do?

And everything is to do. And everything is law. Everything is imperative. Everything is driven so that the people are happy. Nobody, nobody like this is going to say, you know, you better be prepared to count the costs and Christianity is going to cost you.

Friends, this is the type of church, in my opinion, that we're not going to have to worry about once the government really cranks down on Christians. Why? Because they've lost their platform. There's nothing that they have to sell or to offer.

You might not get anything else, but you might have forgiveness in Christ Jesus. Why don't you come to Jesus, you weary people, you heavy laden people? Why don't you come to Jesus and he's not going to turn you away.

He is a great Savior. He's the Alpha, the Omega, the captain of our salvation, the Lamb of God who takes away sinners' sins. He's the one that Jesus, he's the one, Jesus, who is the Savior and the Son of Man comes to seek and to save the lost.

As bad as Zacchaeus might be, as bad as a prostitute might be, as bad as I might be, and as bad as you might be, and everything else is gravy. If you'd like to have forgiveness of your sins and not go to hell forever, we have the cross for you.

Jesus isn't on it anymore. He was, but it's been paid in full and now he's seated at the right hand of God. You might not know you want that, but probably deep down you know you need that. And then everything else, all that the Bible talks about, family, children, husbands and wives with, I guess that's part of family, Mary, all of that and so much more at no cost to you.

What happened to the cost kind of thing, picking up your cross, deny yourself? Where's all that discipleship talk? All you have to do is show up. That's all you need do. That's a song. That's all you need do and we'll know it's all true.

Oh, that's Jesus Christ Superstar. That's about, in my opinion, what this is like. This is like Jesus Christ Superstar to biblical fidelity. That is, they don't exist. Do not open this unless you'd like to be bamboozled.

I wonder if they take an offering at no cost to you. Bring your family to participate in the launch of the new Northwood campus. Well that's what they do in Ohio. I bet you they do it in a lot of other places.

We don't really worry about that here in New England because there are typically no multi-campus churches. I just don't know why if you're going to open up another campus, why don't you just plant a church?

But then that means there's going to be somebody that has less giftedness from the human perspective at least and then he's got to go around and which campus will he be at now? If I was a pastor of a five-campus church, I wonder what my strategy would be.

Where am I going to go this week? And then when I showed up to that particular campus, everybody would look at me and they'd be happy that I was actually there this week. Other times they'd go, well, I don't see Pastor Mike.

He didn't park in a special spot. He doesn't sit where he sits. I guess we only get the video of Mike. Oh, but the next week maybe he'll switch his order around and he might show up. You bring your friends and you think, you know what, I'm hoping the real pastor will be here today because he's a real person.

See how crazy this is? This is actually crazy. My name is Mike Abendroth. This is No Compromise Radio, ministry from NoCoMedia is what we are. Do not open this unless. If you want to write me, info at nocompromiseradio .com.

If you'd like to go to this website of this place, atthechurch .tv, you can watch that and tell me if you think my analysis is right or wrong or indifferent or, or. You can check us out online at bbchurch .org or by phone at 508 -835 -3400.

The thoughts and opinions expressed on No Compromise Radio do not necessarily reflect those of WVNE, its staff or management.