How to Narcigete Any Bible Story

From the letter of mark blog this would be my blog at letter of mark

And they are que dot us letter of mark at us the headline reads how to narcissus eat any

Bible story Here's what I wrote. There is an epidemic of narcissistic isa

Jesus aka narcissus infecting the churches in America today pastors and Bible teachers have mastered the art of allegorizing all of the characters and details of Every Bible story in order to in order to make the stories about you

Therefore I've decided to give a little how -to advice regarding this Bible twisting technique in the hopes that by doing so You'll see the obvious problems with this way of approaching the biblical text

So here we go how to narcissus eat any Bible story in four easy steps

Number one you have to understand the primary assumption Every primary assumption is this every

Bible story is about you And since you struggle with setbacks problems and challenges that keep you from achieving your maximal greatness that means that the

Bible is really all about giving you a roadmap that you can follow to achieve your dreams and God -given destiny.

All right. So here's the four easy steps step number one read a Bible story step number two

Identify the hero and the villains in said Bible story number three Identify yourself with the hero who also happens to be on a journey toward greatness in achieving his

God -given destiny Just like you and then number four Step four identify the key action taken by the hero to defeat the villain

Allegorize that action by calling it a principle and then challenge people to apply this principle in their lives in order to defeat the problems challenges and setbacks in their lives so that they can achieve

Greatness, okay. So those are the four easy steps. All right, let me give you an example We'll begin with the story of the parting of the

Red Sea from Exodus chapter 14 verses 5 through 31 So step number one and how to nurse ajeet this passage requires you to actually read the story.

So let's read it Here's what it says When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled

The mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people and they said what is this that we have done?

That we have let Israel go from serving us so he made ready his chariot and took his army with him and took 600 chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with Officers over all of them and the

Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly the

Egyptians pursued them all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and his horsemen and His army and overtook them and encamped at the sea by pie.

Hi Riath in front of Baal Zephan when Pharaoh drew near The people of Israel lifted up their eyes and behold the

Egyptians were marching after them and they feared Greatly and the people of Israel cried out to the Lord They said to Moses it is is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the

What have you done to us and bringing us out of Egypt is not this what we said to you in Egypt leave us alone

So that we may serve the Egyptians For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness and Moses said to the people fear

Not stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today for the

Egyptians whom you see today You shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you and you have only to be silent

The Lord said to Moses why do you cry to me tell the people of Israel to go forward lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the

Sea and divide it that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground

And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all of his host his chariots and his horsemen and The Egyptians shall know that I am the

Lord when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh his chariots and his horsemen then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood before behind them and coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel and There was the cloud and the darkness and it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and the Lord drove the sea back

By a strong east wind all night and made the sea Dry land and the waters were divided and the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left the

Egyptians pursued and Went in after them into the midst of the sea all Pharaoh's horses his chariots his horsemen in the morning

Watched the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and through the

Egyptian forces Into a panic clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily and the

Egyptian said let us flee from before Israel For the Lord fights for them against the

Egyptians Then the Lord said to Moses stretch out your hand over the sea that the water may come back upon the

Egyptians Upon their chariots and upon their horsemen So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and the sea returned to its normal course

When the morning appeared and as the Egyptians fled into it the Lord through the Egyptians into the midst of the sea

The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea

Not one of them remained but the people of Israel walked on dry ground

Through the sea the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left Thus the

Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore

Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians So the people feared the

Lord and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses Okay, so we've just read the text at step one

So step two then is identify the hero and the villain or villains in the story the hero in the story

Well, that's Moses the villain Pharaoh's army Okay, step three now

You need to identify yourself with the hero and your current problems challenges and setbacks with the villains in the story

So the hero that's you the villain. Well Pharaoh's army. Well, that could equal things like debt

Negative people in your life a boring job marital challenges, you know things like that and it badly behaved dogs

Who cares, you know, whatever the challenges are that's Pharaoh's army, right? Okay, so step four identify the key action taken by the hero to defeat the villain allegorize that action by calling it a

Principle and then challenge people to apply this principle in their lives in order to defeat the problems

Challenges setbacks in their lives so that they can achieve Greatness.

Okay. Well a key action that Moses took he lifted his staff and he parted the water Okay, so then that the solution then would be so therefore in order for you to defeat the forces of evil that are keeping you from achieving your

God -given greatness and destiny you need to apply the principle of staff raising and lift your staff

Over and that and command the waters to part so that you can enter your promised land

You see yes. Yeah, and see the thing is is that boy? I gotta tell you folks. I've heard this sermon before I've heard this one.

You've probably heard it too, right? Here's the obvious problem Telling people to lift their staff and part the waters in their lives doesn't make any sense

How does one go about doing such a thing? I don't even own a staff Do I need to go out and buy one?

Do I need to practice this principle at a local pond or lake and see that's the problem

Although this advice sounds biblical biblical because it uses biblical imagery and words

There is no real way to apply the so -called principle in the end The advice offered is empty and it is really useless

Okay, because this is come to completely miss the point. Okay Let me give you another example

Okay Example number two is from the story of Gideon's defeat of the Midianites found in Judges chapter 7 verses 1 through 25

Again, step one of the process is read the story. So I'll read it. All right, then

Jerobo Jerobo all that is Gideon all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harad and The camp of Midian was north of them by the hill of Mora in the valley

The Lord said to Gideon the people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand

Lest Israel boast over me saying my own hand has saved me now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people whoever is fearful and trembling let him return home and Hurry away from Mount Gilead.

So then 22 ,000 of the people returned and only 10 ,000 remain So the

Lord said to Gideon the people are still too many take them down to the water and I will test them

For you there anyone of whom I say to you This one shall go with you shall go with you and any one of whom

I say this one shall not go with you shall Not go so he brought the people down to the water and the

Lord said to Gideon everyone who lapsed the water with his tongue As a dog laps you shall set by himself

Likewise everyone who kneels down to drink and the number of those who lapped putting their hands to their mouth was 300 men

But all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water and the Lord said to Gideon with the 300 men who have lapped

I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand and let all the others go every man to his home

So the people took provisions in their hands and their trumpets and he sent all the rest of Israel every man to his tent

But retained 300 men and the camp of Midian was below him in the valley That same night the

Lord said to him arise go down against the camp for I have given it into your hand But if you are afraid to go down go down to the camp with Pura your servant

And you shall hear what they say and afterwards your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp then he went down with Pura his servant into the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp and the

Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the east lay along the valley like locusts in abundance and their camels were without Number as the sand is on the seashore in abundance when

Gideon Came and beheld a man was telling a dream to his comrade and he said behold I dreamed a dream and behold a cake of barley bread

Tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down So that it the tent lay flat and his comrade answered

This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash a man of Israel God has given into his hand

Midian and all the camp and as soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation he worshipped

He returned to the camp of Israel and said arise For the Lord has given the host of Midian into your hand and he divided the 300 men into three companies and put trumpets into their hands all of them and Empty jars with torches inside the jars and he said to them look at me and do likewise

When I come to the outskirts of the camp do as I do When I blow the trumpet and I who and all who are with me then blow the trumpet

So also every side of all the camp and shout for the Lord and for Gideon So Gideon and a hundred men who were with him

Came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch when they had just set the watch They blew the trumpet and smashed the jars that were in their hands

Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars they held in their left hands the torches in the right hands and the trumpets to blow and they cried out a

Sword for the Lord and for Gideon every man stood in his place around the camp and all the army ran

They cried out and fled when they blew the 300 trumpet trumpets The Lord said every man's sword against his comrade and against all the army and the army fled as far as Bethshittah towards Zarah as far as the border of Abel Mahola and Tabath and the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali and from Asher and from all

Manasseh and they pursued after Midian Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim saying come down against the

Midianites and capture the waters against them as far as Beth Barah and also the Jordan so all the men of Ephraim were called out and they captured the waters as far as Beth Barah and also the

Jordan and they captured the two princes of Midian Oreb and Zeb and They killed

Oreb at the Rock of Oreb and the end Zeb They killed in the winepress of Zeb and they pursued

Midian and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeb to Gideon across the Jordan Okay, so that's the text.

So we did step one Step two to Nar Sajid this we identify the hero and the villains in the story hero is

Gideon Villains are Midianites. Okay, so I'd step three Then is identify yourself with the hero and your current problems challenges and setbacks with the villains in the story

So the hero lots Gideon that means that's you the villains Well, they're the Midianites and they equal debt negative people in your life boring jobs haters

Marital challenges, you know things like that things that are keeping you from achieving greatness And then step number four identify the key action taken by the hero to defeat the villain allegorize that action by calling it a

Principle and then challenge people to apply this principle in their lives in order to defeat the problems challenges and setbacks in their lives

So that they can achieve greatness well The key action that Gideon took as he reduced the size of his army from thirty two thousand to three hundred and then launched a surprise attack

Therefore in order to defeat the forces of evil that are keeping you from achieving your god -given greatness and destiny

You need to apply the principle of army reduction by reducing the size of your army and then launching a surprise attack against your

Midianites You're going what?

You'd see now Here's some obvious problems. How is it possible that both of these stories are about me and my day -to -day challenges?

In fact, how is it possible that every Bible story somehow turns out to be about me and my everyday challenges, isn't that weird?

Yeah furthermore What kind of advice is it to tell me that in order to defeat the Midianites in my life that I need to reduce the size

Of my army and launch a surprise attack. What army are you talking about? I don't even have an army and I don't know anyone who is a

Midianite How on earth can this be the principle that God wants me to apply? It doesn't make any sense

And again, although this advice sounds biblical because it uses biblical imagery There's no real way to apply the principle in the end

The advice offered is empty and is useless and here's the not -so -obvious problem

When you make these stories about you and a principle that you need to discover and apply

Have you noticed that God nearly? Disappears from the story right and Here's the flaw.

Okay Narcissus at its core is law -based not gospel -based

It's about you doing something you applying a principle and by applying this principle

You've earned the right for a miracle in your life or a reprieve from whatever is

Causing you to not get to greatness. Okay, and So you're looking for some easy solution in which by the way religious charlatans and scam

Evangelists are more than willing to sell you books with all this type of advice in it because they are the kings and queens of Finding hidden principles that you need to apply to your life so that you can defeat the things that are setting you know

There are setbacks that are keeping you from greatness Okay But what no false teacher is capable of pointing you to is

The real reason why all of these things took place and that is is because the

Lord is the one who did them right and The people who were involved, you know, the humans that were who are the means by which

God performed these miracles they performed all of these things by faith

They didn't perform these by applying a principle Okay, in fact, what

I want to do is point out two passages of Scripture to you first one Doesn't seem like the obvious one, but I want to point it out to you.

Anyway, okay, and it's it's 2nd Peter chapter 1 2 Peter 1

I want to point something out to you 2nd Peter chapter 1 begins with these words

Simeon or Peter a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our

God and Savior Jesus Christ Listen again to those who obtained a faith of equal standing with ours

By the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ Have you ever stopped to think about this particular verse and its implications for what it has to say regarding You and your faith in Christ if you trust in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you have been brought to repentance and Trusting in him trusting in the good news that your great

God and Savior the virgin born Son of God Suffered and died on the cross for your sins and was raised again on the third day for your justification

This passage is literally saying that the faith that you have in Christ is

Of an equal standing with the faith that the Apostle Peter had And you go how can that be the

Apostle Peter was a great evangelist He performed miracles,

I mean it was so ridiculous I mean his shadow would heal people and you are saying that I have a faith

That's of equal standing with the Apostle Peter's Absolutely, that's what this text says and Whether or not you are a miracle worker has nothing to do it because God is the one who performs the miracles

You see it's the Holy Spirit who decides when and where miracles take place and for what reason

Your faith is of an equal standing with the Apostle Peter And that's why when we read in Hebrews chapter 11 the great hall of faith passage

We read over and over and over again of all of the saints in the

Old Testament that they Accomplished what they accomplished and it was

God who accomplished it through them. They'd accomplished it by Faith not by applying principles, but they accomplished it by Faith and they had a faith of equal standing with Peter and you have a faith

That's of equal standing with them as well as Peter and all the Apostles If you are trusting in the one true

God and his sacrifice of his Son For the forgiveness of your sins your faith is on equal standing with every one of these

Saints You are not lesser in the kingdom of God. You are on equal footing with Everybody mentioned here

Let me read it now faith is the assurance of things hoped for the conviction of things that are not seen

For by faith the people of old received 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 By faith

Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain through which he was commended as righteous

God commending him by accepting his gifts and through his faith though.

He died He still speaks by faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death

And he was not found because God had taken him now before he was taken He was commended as having pleased

God and without faith It is impossible to please God For whoever would draw near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him by faith

Noah being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen in reverent fear

Constructed an ark for the saving of his household by this he comment He condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith by faith

Abraham obeyed when he was called To go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance and he went out not knowing where he was going by faith he went to live in the land of promise as In a foreign land living in tents with Isaac and Jacob heirs with him of the same promise

For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations whose designer and builder is

God by faith Sarah herself received power to conceive even when she was past the age

Since she was since she considered him faithful who had promised therefore from one man and him as good as dead were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore these all died in Faith not having received the things promised

But having seen them and greeted them from afar and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth

For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland if they had been thinking of that land from which they

Had gone out They would have had opportunity to return but as it is they desire a better country that is a

Heavenly one therefore. God is not ashamed to be called their God for he has prepared for them a city by faith

Abraham when he was tested offered up Isaac and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son of Whom it was said through Isaac shall your offspring be named

He considered that God was able to even to raise him from the dead from which figuratively speaking

He did receive him back by faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau by faith

Jacob when dying blessed each of the sons of Joseph bowing in worship over the head of his staff by faith

Joseph at the end of his life made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones by faith

Moses when he was born was hidden for three months by his parents Because they saw that the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the king's edict by faith

Moses when he was grown up refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter Choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin

He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt for he was looking to the reward

By faith, he left Egypt not being afraid of the anger of the king for he endured as seeing him

Who is invisible by faith? He kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them by faith

The people crossed the Red Sea now, this is important because the narcissists narcissistic

Isagedical way of reading that text that we just read in Exodus would basically say well They that Moses applied the principle of raising his staff.

He obeyed and raised his staff though. We got to do the same thing Uh -huh. Here's what says by faith by faith by faith

The people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land But the Egyptians when they attempted to do the same were drowned

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been circled for seven days

By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies and What more shall

I say for time would fail me to tell you of Gideon Barak? Samson Jephthah and David and Samuel and the prophets who through faith conquered kingdoms enforced justice obtained promises

Stopped the mouths of lions quenched the power of fire Escaped the edge of the sword were made strong out of weakness became mighty in war put foreign armies to flight women

Received back their dead by resurrection some were tortured

Refusing to accept release so that they might rise again to a better life others suffered mocking and flogging and even chains and imprisonment

Stop and pay close attention to this section you see

The narcissistic Isaac's always would take you to the victory stories and say you will have this victor

There's this victory. Here is a promise for victory in your life See Hebrews 11 throws this way back

Throws it back on its heels and knocks it to the ground. That idea is silly Because here we heat we hear of those who by faith were tortured

Refusing to accept release so that they might rise again to a better life others by faith suffered mocking and Flogging and even chains and imprisonment.

They were stoned They were sawn into by faith. They were stone and sawn into they were killed with the sword

They went about in skins of sheep and goats destitute afflicted mistreated of whom the world was not worthy

Wandering about in deserts and mountains and in dens and caves of the earth all of these

Though commended through their faith did not receive what was promised since God had provided something better for us that apart from us

They should not be made perfect Okay, so here's the idea

You and I Were not called to live at the time of Moses We were not there when the

Red Sea parted we were not but we here learn in this passage that this happened by faith

You see you and I have the same faith that Moses had

You and I have the same faith that Peter has and as Peter says on an equal footing

We have the same faith he's and you'll notice here that each and every one of these people listed in these

Old Testament stories and Those martyrs that were mentioned here as well all of the things they did

They're quote exploits that they accomplished by faith that no one was called to do the same thing

Right. So here's the deal We're not called to part the Red Sea But we have the same faith as Moses.

So in your life What is it that you are called to accomplish by faith?

What is it that you're called to accomplish you're not called to waive your staff to launch a sneak attack, but what are you called to do and I'm not asking you to think subjectively here.

Okay instead as you look at the Ten Commandments Okay, which boils down to love

God and love neighbor which you are now set free in Christ to do You are set free in Christ to do good works because sin is slavery

Loving God and loving neighbor. That's freedom. That's the law of perfect freedom So when you look at the

Ten Commandments when you look at the imperatives that spring from the indicatives in the New Testament epistles

You know husbands love your wives wives submit to your husband's children obey your Your parents slaves obey your masters, okay

This all plays out differently in your life, what are you called to do by faith? As far as far as loving

God and loving neighbor you may in your lifetime be called by God to by faith be martyred for Christianity and for Christ You may be called by faith to preach the gospel to people who've never heard it before in Far off countries or you may be called to translate the

Bible by faith so that people will hear the gospel You may be called by faith

To just be a great mom or good dad or a good husband

You may be called by faith to work out in the corporate world and come home every night

Eat dinner with your family make love to your wife and then get up and do it again the next day you see what

I'm saying and The thing is is that all the setbacks that we have in our life. They're not setbacks towards our personal greatness

Because that's a theology of self -glory Remember all of these things that we do by faith are done for the glory of Christ not our own glory

See the difference faith is the thing that the false teachers will never point you to Okay, because they can't make money off of that They won't make money off of that at all but they're out to fleece the flock to scratch itching ears to draw a large crowd and tell them that they want to hear and What could be a more user friendly message then?

Oh the Bible's all about you and don't worry I'll tell you what nobody else's will has the has the gumption to tell you

I'll tell you the missing secrets the principles that you can apply so that you can tap into God's miraculous power

So that you can overcome your adversaries and climb to the top of greatness

And yet Jesus says deny yourself take up your cross and follow him

Completely different All right What we're gonna do right now is we are going to take our first break

In fact, if you'd like to email me regarding anything You've heard on this edition or any previous editions of fighting for the faith

You can do so my email address is talk back at fighting for the faith comm or you can subscribe on facebook facebook .com

Forward -slash pirate Christian or you can follow me on twitter my name there at pirate Christian. We come back We got a couple of light segments that we're gonna do give you examples of Narcissistic eyes to Jesus out there in the real world and then we'll end off with a great

Expository message from Alistair Begg. You don't want to miss it. We'll be right back No, itching ears are scratched here.

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