Man's Cure — Richard Sipley

Well, are you learning anything? I hope you are, because I'd hate to be doing all this work for nothing. One of the things that I'm much impressed with in this particular conference is the tremendous balance of spiritual truth that we're getting, and I appreciated Bill's presentation in the last hour so much, because it was so balanced.

Amen? It was really where it belongs. You know that God wants us to be balanced. He doesn't want us to be unbalanced, tipsy. But the carnal nature tends to make us radicals, and the devil likes to get us in one ditch or the other.

And I just was thrilled listening to Bill's presentation, and I know you'll want to hear one tonight. This is such an important area. And I just sat there saying, praise the Lord, while he was talking about avoiding the extremes.

There are so many extremes, and it's come to the place where every sin is called a demon, and you have a demon of nicotine or a demon of alcohol or a demon of this or that or the other thing. And it's just sin and self.

And when you say to a man that his smoking problem is a problem of a demon, then he says, well, it's not my responsibility. I can't help it. The devil makes me do it. And that's like the little boy's mother said, if you're tempted to go swimming in the pond, just say to the devil, get behind me, Satan.

So he came back with his hair all wet, and she said, what happened? And he said, I did what you told me, and he pushed me in. And we like that kind of excuse, don't we? Where there's really demon activity, then people need deliverance.

But I really appreciated Bill's presentation, and we need to be very careful. I think you really probably realize that you're attending a historic kind of conference. I have never, I'm sure they've had them, but I haven't heard of a conference like this on biblical counseling, where there was nothing else involved but the Bible.

So it's quite different, and you're hearing it from four different avenues, four different parts of the counseling ministry. And I think you're getting something very unusual, and I trust you will just think and study it over and get the tapes and take good advantage of it in your own ministry.

One thing, I've been asked a question, I'll correct it now because it might not come up later, and you still would have it fresh in your mind. When I said something about people who came with temporal problems, technical things such as financial problems, jobs, this kind of thing, that we turned them over to the deacons.

The question was, don't you give them any counseling if they come with financial problems? And the answer is yes, of course. If someone comes to me as a pastor or any of our other counselors with financial problems, we would, of course, talk to them about what the word of God has to say about finances.

We would want to talk to them about tithing and see if they were being honest with God. And we would want to see if they were trusting God about their finances and then get that taken care of and deal with them on that plane.

And then we would refer them to our deacons who would take up their problem in a very practical way and deal with it and help them. So I needed to make that clear. Our subject now at this session is what is man's cure?

The Five Questions of a Biblical Prescription

A biblical prescription, a biblical prescription. I want to begin with five questions and I'm just going over them quickly and then I'm going to come back to them one by one. So you'll have plenty of time to deal with them.

So I'm going to give them five in a row, five questions about man's cure or about this biblical prescription, number one. And now this is has to do with counseling. So remember that number one, can the ungodly help us?

Can the ungodly help us? You want to leave a space after each one of these questions so that you can write in scripture references and other notes as you go along. You may want to divide your piece of paper into five sections and number one to five and leave a space between each.

Number one, can the ungodly help us? Number two, is Christ enough? Is Christ enough? Number three, does the Bible have the answers? Does the Bible have the answers? Number four, are spiritual Christians adequate to counsel our spiritual Christians?

By that, I mean spirit filled Christians. Adequate to counsel, and please don't misinterpret my question, our spirit filled Christians adequate to counsel. I'm not putting that in any context, whatever your theology may happen to be.

I'm talking about spirit filled Christians. However, you see that you and I may not agree, but you have the right to be wrong if you wish. Now, I'm teasing, even though I mean it. All right, number four, are spiritual Christians adequate to counsel number five, what shall we do?

And then I want to deal with some very practical steps in a biblical prescription. Question number one, can the ungodly help us? And I'm not going to be around the bush. I'm just going to give you the answer in two letters.

No. Now, when I say no, please don't misinterpret what I'm saying. That is not a criticism of those who are not Christians who are involved in counseling. That is not a criticism of them, because many men who are and women who are not Christians and are involved in counseling are people who sincerely want to help other people.

Many of them are very compassionate people who really would like to help other people who are in trouble and are sincerely seeking to do that. And in some of the practical aspects do help people. But when I'm talking about Christians and I'm talking about those who come to Christians with problems, I'm talking about people within the context of our Christian ministry.

And I ask the question, can the ungodly help us? By that, I mean those who are not Christians. Can they help us? The answer is no. Now, I want to give you a great deal of scripture on this. In fact, I could give you a great deal more, but I don't want to wear you.

I hope you'll make a study of it yourself to begin with. Psalm one, Psalm one, verse one. And I'll be dealing with a whole psalm later. But Psalm one, verse one, blessed. I'm going to quote it wrong. So you watch me now.

Don't look it up. You should know this. I'm going to quote the first verse wrong and you correct me when I quote it wrong. Blessed is the man that walketh in the counsel of the ungodly. Oh, that isn't what it says.

It says blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. When I was raising my children, there was a man that everyone was using to raise their children. They were using his book, a book written by Dr. Spook.

I mean, Spock. Pardon me. There was a book on raising children written by Dr. Spock. And the tragedy of the generation in my age was that thousands upon thousands of Christian parents who were concerned about their children raised their children on Dr. Spock instead of on the word of God.

And the Bible says blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. If you want to do an exegesis on that word counsel, go ahead. You'll find out that's what it means. Second scripture, second Corinthians six verses 14 through chapter seven, verse one passage.

Many of you might could quote second Corinthians six, 14 through seven, one being out on equally yoked together with unbelievers. Someone says, well, I would grant you that as a Christian, I wouldn't want to send a Christian person to a non-Christian counselor or I as a Christian wouldn't want to go to a non-Christian counselor.

But don't you think that it's perfectly proper to take all the findings of non-Christian psychology, all the findings of psychology, that science of behavior, and to integrate that with the scriptures and then put the two together.

And for a man who is a born again man, a real Christian who loves Christ and souls to counsel people with a combination. Of psychological theories, philosophies and the Bible, can't you put the two together, but the scriptures say distinctly be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness.

And we saw this afternoon that the mind of the ungodly is dark and blind and alienated from God and insensitive and futile and enslaved. And all of modern psychology, as we know it, has come from that kind of mind, it has come from the mind of an unbeliever, one who does not know Christ and whose mind is dark and dead and blind and incapable of accurate judgment.

And am I going to take darkness and put it with light? Am I going to take the philosophies of men that came from dark minds and am I going to try to put it together with the light of God's word? And the Bible, God's word says, what communion hath light with darkness and what concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he that believeth with an unbeliever?

God is asking the questions. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols, for ye are the temple of the living God, as God has said, I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people.

Wherefore, come out from among them and be separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and will be a father unto you and you shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. We perfect holiness in the fear of God. Now, God says there's no communion between light and darkness.

Now you say, don't you believe that there are good men who are born again, who love God and love souls and who believe the Bible, who are counseling and who are putting the two together? I believe there are good men who love the Lord, who are born again and love the Bible and love souls who are counseling, who are trying to put the two together.

But I don't believe they can do it because I believe God rather than men. Amen. God says you can't do it and I believe him. Psalm ninety four eleven, Psalm ninety four eleven says the Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are futile.

Vanity. Jeremiah two, twelve and thirteen, a passage often quoted by Christians and Christian workers, be astonished, oh ye heavens, at this and be horribly afraid. Now notice the introduction, be astonished, oh ye heavens, at this and be horribly afraid, be very desolate, saith the Lord.

Now, I tell you what he's going to say after this is going to be a dilly. He's really given us an introduction and then what follows for my people have committed two evils. Well, these must be some terrible evils they've committed.

What have they done? They have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water. One of the great tragedies today is that the people of God have forsaken coming to the fountain of living water.

They're not coming to God and his word and the Holy Spirit and the servant of God with their problems. They have gone to broken cisterns that cannot hold water. And are they getting better? They are getting worse.

They are getting entangled into the depths. Isaiah 30, verses one to three, Isaiah 30, verses one to three, woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord. Now watch what I'm going to read next, that take counsel.

I'm going back now, read the passage again, woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord. He says the rebellious that take counsel, but not of me. As serious. And that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin.

That walk to go down into Egypt and have not asked at my mouth, God says that is rebellion. Isaiah 30, verses nine to 12, that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord.

Brother and sister, I tell you what, I believe that the main reason that so many Christians are flooding the offices of the psychiatrist and the psychologist and the professional counselor today is because they will not hear the law of the Lord.

Now, they may go in all sincerity and I want to say it with gentleness and compassion because they may go with all sincerity. They may have even been referred there by a good Christian. But if they would listen to the law of the Lord, they would have their answers, which say to the seers, see not to the prophets prophesying out unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceit.

Do you know what people want to hear today? They want to be told that their problems are because they are sick. Because if you're sick, you can't help it. I mean, it's no sin to have the measles. I hope not because I had them and a whole bunch of other things, too.

I think everything that came. No, it's not a sin to be sick. I'm not responsible for that. We want to hear smooth things, comforting things, things that do not deal with our personal responsibility. Tell us we are sick.

Tell us that our parents are to blame. Tell us that society has made us what we are. But do not tell us that we need to repent and to deal with self and to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God. That's a problem.

Can the ungodly help us? Isaiah 30, verse 15,. For thus saith the Lord God, the holy one of Israel in returning and rest, shall you be saved in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength and you would not.

Isn't that some statement? And you wouldn't. Verse 18,. And therefore, will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you, for the Lord is a God of judgment.

Blessed are all they that wait for him. I think sometimes God is almost standing in the wings. Watching us. Saying, well, I sure do love you, I sure do love you, my child, and I poured out my life's blood for you and I would do anything for you.

I'll just wait until you're ready to stop running around to the world and to the philosophies of the world and come to me and I'm waiting to be gracious to you. Amen. He wants to be gracious. First Corinthians chapter one verses 18 to 21,.

New American Standard, First Corinthians one, 18 to 21,. For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but unto us who are being saved, it is the power of God for it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the cleverness of the clever.

I will set aside where is the wise man, where is the scribe, where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world for sense in the wisdom of God? The world, through its wisdom, did not come to know God.

God was well pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. The other passage I'd like to read to you, but it's so long that I don't want to take the time to read it, is the second chapter of First Corinthians.

I tell you what, I set my heart to memorize it and I had it memorized and I've lost a few verses of it and I've got to go back and get it all perfectly again. But that has become one of the central themes of my thinking when it comes to this matter of counseling, because God starts out and takes that whole chapter to tell us.

That the wisdom of men is not adequate. And that the wisdom of God is the only thing that will meet our needs, may God help us to believe it. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of man which is in him, even so the thoughts of God knows no one except the spirit of God.

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God. Not in the words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

I had a couple come to me for counseling in a church that I pastored, not the one that I'm in now, but another one. And at first the husband came to me and he had just married about a year before that, a young lady who had been brought up in a minister's home and was a very strong, professing Christian, as far as any of us knew.

And they were both very concerned Christians. He worked in our visitation ministry. He came to me and he said, my marriage is in deep trouble. So I got them to come in together for some marriage counseling and we began to go into the word of God.

I found out that this young lady had been going to a Christian psychiatrist in the city of Toledo for nine years. Now, apparently she was not helped, she was still going constantly, and I have no question about the man's Christianity.

In fact, one of the major track companies on the North American continent puts out a track with the testimony of his conversion. I do not question for a moment his conversion or his personal commitment to Christ.

But she had been going there and this psychiatrist had advised her that her emotional state was such that she needed to get divorced from this young man. Now, they're both Christians. The young man was living a fine Christian life.

He didn't drink. He didn't smoke. He didn't shoot. He didn't go with girls that do. He was just he was just a fine young man. And there was no reason for it, except that he just said to her that she had the emotional problems that she had had all her life, all the time he had been counseling with her, that made it impossible for her to get along in a marriage and therefore she ought to divorce this young man or else she would lose her mind and have to go into a mental institution.

That was the advice from a Christian psychiatrist to whom many, many ministers of the gospel were sending people for help. And the father, of course, had been in agreement with her going there. He was a minister, but he trusted the man.

I said to them, I think, you know, that you have to go to someone else if you're determined to go to someone. I don't think you need to go to anyone. I just think we need to go into the word of God and solve your problems from a biblical viewpoint.

Well, a Christian doctor advised them to go to a, again, quote, Christian counseling clinic in Cleveland. So they went as a couple to the Christian counseling clinic and they gave them a personality temperament analysis.

And they took the personality test and they came back a week later and talked to a born again Christian counselor, and he said to them, your personality tests show that you are absolutely incompatible and there's no solution to your problem except divorce.

Now, do you see why that sometimes I get impatient with the advice of the world? You say, oh, that was advice from Christians. Yes. But my friends, listen to me carefully. It was advice from men that I have no doubt were Christians, but men who were trying to integrate the philosophies of psychology that had been formulated by men who were not Christians.

And those philosophies, they were trying to integrate with the Bible, and they came up with a garbled mess that could not give biblical counseling. This psychiatrist in Toledo even went so far as to write me as the pastor a letter because I was resisting the divorce with all my strength and prayers and counsel, and I can get pretty strong.

And I have been known that three in the morning when a woman was talking to me uncontrollably without any point to say, be quiet so I can get strong. And he wrote me a letter trying to persuade me that I ought to persuade this Christian young man to let the girl go ahead and get the divorce so that she wouldn't end up in a mental institution.

I answered his letter, the one that I wrote smoked all the way to Toledo. No, I'm sure it burned his fingers when he took it out of the mailbox. You say, what did you say? I didn't use any profanity at all, but I quoted some very pointed scriptures to him and let him know that he was playing into the hands of the devil.

Now, that's why when I say to you the answer to that question is no, that I mean the answer is no. And I don't think a Christian should go to anyone for counsel who even attempts to integrate the philosophies of the world with the Bible.

Go to someone who believes the scriptures and only uses the scriptures. Amen. We had a young Christian nurse who was saved through our home Bible study ministry, and she worked in a psychiatric ward in one of the main hospitals in the city of Akron.

And she walked on duty one day and picked up her sheaf of assignments and found that she had a woman that had just come on the ward who was called catatonic. Now, that means someone who is totally immobile and can neither move nor speak, a person who just is absolutely stiff and rigid with staring eyes and cannot even move their head or their eyes or speak or do anything.

This one is totally in a catatonic state. So Laura went into her room. She looked at what the doctor had put on there and sat down by the woman. And now this is a brand new Christian. She didn't know anything about counseling, but she didn't know the Lord.

So she sat down to the bedside of this woman and she prayed. Of course, the woman didn't budge. And she took out her New Testament and she read some scripture. The woman just laid there staring straight up at the ceiling.

And so she began to talk to her and to tell her how the Jesus loved her and Jesus died for her and whatever problem was, God could meet the need. And the woman laid there and continued to stare. And finally, she said, well, I am sure that I can help you, but if you don't want to answer me, I'm going to leave.

And she got up out of the chair and suddenly a voice right by her said, don't go. And she turned around, sat down, the woman's eyes had moved and she was looking right at her and she said to the woman, honey, you don't have to be this way.

And the woman turned her head and said, do you really believe that? And she sat back down in the chair and began to share Christ with this dear woman. And within one day, the woman was out of the bed, out into the ward, sitting at the tables, working at crafts and taking a whole new attitude toward life.

You see, what I'm talking about is real. I'm not guessing. I'm not handing out some theories, talking about facts. And when I ask the question, should we go to the ungodly and I say unequivocally, no, God says no.

Christ Is Enough for Every Counseling Need

The second question, is Christ enough? Is Christ enough? Somebody says that's not a fair question. Yes, it is a fair question for a Christian. It ought to be the main question. Is Christ enough? Colossians chapter two, verses two to ten.

I want to read it, tremendous passage, Colossians two, verses two to ten, talking about Christians in the city of Colossae that their hearts might be comforted. This is the heart of a person, the inner mind and heart of a person being comforted, being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding.

Now, if you remember my chart, name three things right here that are in the mind of man, that God can meet the need comfort for their emotions and then the love for their hearts and then understanding full assurance of understanding for their reason to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and of the father and of Christ.

Now, listen about Christ. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I want to ask you something. Do you believe that it says even Christ in whom are hid all all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge?

How many of you believe that you believe that statement? Oh, I hope you do. That's God's word, that's what it means in Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this, I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ as you have therefore received Christ Jesus, the Lord.

So walk ye where in him. So walk in him rooted and built up in him. That is Christ and established in the faith as you have been taught, abounding there and with thanksgiving. Now, watch, beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, futile untruths of men after the rudiments or philosophies of the world and not after Christ.

Now, this next statement is one of the greatest in the Bible, for in him, that is, Christ dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Isn't that fantastic? For in Christ dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and the next statement and you are what?

Complete in him. And when I ask, is Christ enough? And I say, yes, you are complete in Christ, which is the head of all principality and power. Matthew 11, verses 28 to 30. Jesus said, Come on to me. All you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, take my yoke upon you and learn of me.

You see, it's Christ come to Christ, take the yoke of Christ, learn of Christ. Why? For he is meek and lowly in heart and you will find rest under your souls. For my yoke is easy, my burden is light. Isaiah 28, 12, to whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest.

And this is the refreshing, yet they would not hear. The rest and the refreshing and the peace of mind and the emotional healing and stability that men need is in Christ, glory to his name. I'm sorry, I'm going to preach it.

Psalm 48, I will both lay me down in peace and sleep for thou, Lord, only makes me to dwell in safety. Dear lady had insomnia. She couldn't sleep at night. And so one night she couldn't sleep and she was sitting up and and reading her Bible.

And she came across the scripture and it said, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. She said, Well, Lord, if you're going to stay awake. I'm going to sleep. And she lay down and went to sleep.

Oh, what a difference when you come to him at night, you pour out all your troubles to him. He's not going to go to sleep. He's going to be wide awake all night. He's going to take care of everything.

Oh, Dr. Glenn Tingley, the Apostle of the South, pastored tabernacle of a thousand people way back when that was a really big church and established 20 churches within 100 miles of his church in the deep south in Alabama.

I was sitting in a pastor's conference one time where he was speaking. He said, The trouble you some of you young guys is you don't know how to trust God. And so you're driving yourself out of your mind.

And that man worked harder than any man I've ever seen in my life. It made me tired just to watch him. And he said, You know what I do? He said all day long, I work just as hard as I can to save souls.

And then at night, he said, I lay down, I go to sleep and I let the whole world go to hell all night. And then I get up in the morning and started saving them again. Well, there's something to that now you can commit it to God and go to sleep.

Isaiah 26, three, thou will keep him in. Perfect peace, whether you want peace of mind, thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind that's we've been talking about these days, the mind whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusted in thee.

Now we're talking about the cure is Christ and not certainly John 14, 27, peace, I leave with you, my peace, I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

John 16, 33, Jesus speaking again, these things have I spoken unto you that in me, you might have peace in the world. You should have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world, Isaiah 53.

Oh, all that blessed passage in Isaiah 53. But it says, surely he, Christ, hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. And with his stripes we are healed.

Christ is enough. Ephesians 214 says, for he is our peace. Colossians 315 says, and let the peace of God rule in your hearts. Philippians 4, 6 to 7. Oh, I wish we'd all memorize that one and practice it.

Listen, many of the people that come to us, if we could just get them to practice Philippians 4, 6 to 7, they'd be healed. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God and the peace of God that passeth all understanding.

I tell you, brother, you can't explain it. You can't dissect it. You can't describe it. There are no terms for it. The peace of God that passes all understanding shall keep, shall guard, garrison, shall build a garrison around your heart and your mind through who?

Christ Jesus. Is Christ enough? Yes, he is enough. The answers are in Christ. I had a young housewife call me one afternoon, she said, pastor, is there any way this afternoon that you could get loose and go to city hospital and see a man in the psychiatric ward?

I said, well, Cindy, I don't know. Tell me about it. She said, well, he's an old friend of my husband's. And I, we ran around and sinned together, got in all kinds of mess together. And my husband, I've been saved.

And and now he's in the hospital and I called him this morning and witnessed to him on the phone and he wept and prayed on the phone and asked Christ to come into his heart. And I just wondered if you'd go with me this afternoon to talk to him.

So I went. The man had been diagnosed as being schizophrenic, whatever that is. And I'm not trying to be sarcastic, but my friends, that's tagged on to almost anything that you don't know what else to put on it.

If you can define it, you're better than most people because they'll argue about the definition. But he was tagged as schizophrenic and they were lining up shock treatments for him. So I sat down and started to talk to him and I talked to him for a few minutes and I thought there's nothing wrong with this guy, but sin.

Now, I grant you, a man could be a a physical schizophrenic. Again, I'm not sure of the term. A man could be physically insane. He could have something wrong with him physically. But this man didn't. And so we were talking, finally, the Holy Spirit just nudged me and I said, friend, I want to help you.

Will you tell me what you're doing that is sinful and wrong and wicked? Will you tell me? He looked at me a minute and then he started to cry and he said, yes, he said, my life is a mess. He was a young businessman in that city.

He had an airplane. He had a business. He he could do many things. He had a wife and children in that city and he had two girlfriends in two other cities and his airplane made it possible for him to fly on business trips and to go to those cities and spend the night or two or three with that girlfriend and go to another city and spend it with the other one.

Then he come back and try to live with his wife. Well, that in itself is enough to drive anybody crazy. Now, don't misinterpret that. And so I said to him, what else are you doing? He said, well, I've cheated on my income tax and and the internal revenues after me.

Well, by the time he finished pouring out his sin, I would have been surprised if he wasn't crazy. I said to him, do you know all you need is to thoroughly repent of your sin and ask the blood of Christ to wash it all away and make restitution and get everything right and you'll be well.

And he was glad to hear that that was good news and what a nice prayer session we had. I said, when we finish praying, what do you want to do now? I said, I want to call my wife. He went right to the phone, called his wife.