Jeff Durbin: Loving the Lost Mormon, Pt. 2

Galatians and the Danger of Another Gospel

On essentially a single point. And so in Galatians chapter 1, I'm actually going to read a bit of this just to show you the importance from an inspired Apostle. Galatians chapter 1 starting in verse 1.

Hear now the word of the living and the true God. Paul an Apostle not from men nor through man but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead and all the brothers who are with me to the churches of Galatia.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age according to the will of our God and Father to whom be the glory forever and ever.

Amen. I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. Not that there is another one but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you let him be accursed as we have said before so now I say again if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received let him be anathema.

For I am am I now seeking the approval of man or of God or am I trying to please man. If I were still trying to please man I would not be a slave of Christ for I would have you know brothers that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel for I did not receive it from any man nor was I taught it but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

For you have heard of my former life in Judaism how I persecuted the Church of God violently and tried to destroy it and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.

But when he who had set me apart before I was born and who called me by his grace was pleased to reveal his son to me in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles. I did not immediately consult with anyone nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who are Apostles before me but I went away into Arabia and returned again to Damascus.

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit and that's Peter and to remain with him 15 days. But I saw none of the other Apostles except James the Lord's brother and what I am writing to you before God I do not lie.

Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia and I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ they are only they only were hearing it said. He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy and they glorified God because of me.

Then after 14 years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas taking Titus along with me and I went up because of a revelation and said before them though privately before those who seemed influential the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles in order to make sure I was not running or had run in vain.

But even Titus who was with me was not forced to be circumcised though he was a Greek yet because of false brothers secretly brought in who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus so that they might bring us into slavery to them.

We did not yield in submission even for a moment so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you thus far as the reading of God's holy and inspired word. Let's pray together God. Thank you for your word.

Thank you that you speak to us Lord. Thank you that we can have certainty and knowledge because Lord you've condescended you've spoken to us. Thank you Lord for this remarkable letter from the Apostle Paul.

Lord that you had predestined and ordained to be given to us your church throughout the ages. Lord that we would understand the importance of the preservation of the true gospel. Lord grant to us that ability Lord to defend the gospel and grant to us the same passion that the Apostle Paul had by your spirit to defend it and to preserve it in Jesus name.

Amen. So this is in particular very very important. I mentioned last week that we have these two sections that I had read through and that was 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 in Galatians both written by the Apostle Paul an inspired Apostle to the church.

These are the words of God. And in 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 we have testimony early on in the history of the Christian Church of people preaching other Christs other Gospels. This is within the generation of the resurrection of Jesus and his ascension.

So these are people in that generation that may have walked with Jesus. They touched Jesus they held him they saw the miracles they were witnesses to the resurrection. It's that generation. And in that generation you already have people giving you fictional Christ's other Gospels.

And Paul was saying to the church in Corinth in 2nd Corinthians 11 he says to them that he's worried that if someone comes in and preaches a different Jesus he says you might even put up with these people you might let them in and preach a different Jesus.

But I thought there's only one Christ and it's amazing. Actually last week I posted the soul food from dr. Walter Martin on my public page. I posted the soul food about a different Jesus. When someone says I believe in Jesus dr. Walter Martin says the first thing I asked them is which one which Jesus do you believe in him.

And someone posted underneath that they said isn't there only one. And that's the problem. There is only one true and living Jesus Christ. But there are plenty of other false Christ's lots of different Jesus Christ.

Netflix right now has a new special. There's been so many of these documentaries and shows done about Waco and David Koresh and all of that there was. Paramount did one years ago like a docu-series sort of a reenactment of the whole entire situation.

And now a new one very popular on Netflix and actual documentary from both sides of the conflict in Waco it was the ATF agents the FBI and then those who were actually in the building there when that whole thing went down they thought that David Koresh was Jesus Christ.

So we have an example in this very generation many of us I remembered you guys remember the television for all those weeks watching TV this whole thing going down. We didn't have social media all that stuff I think we had you've got mail we had AOL online.

That was pretty much it at the time when I was going down but we didn't have the way to communicate like we have now doing live streams and just all that stuff. And so you're just a slave to what's happening on TV.

And many of us remember just in the last you know a couple of decades we had David Koresh in the Waco compound we had Heaven's Gate we had all of those things and this is been this has been the problem since early on in the beginning the church there is only one true Christ that can save you.

Jesus says I am the way the truth and a life no man comes to the Father but by me. And yet there are all kinds of versions of Jesus Christ Christ that have no existence. And why is this important. It's important because only Jesus can save you.

And if you come to an idol that is actually not Jesus you are coming to something that has no eyes no ears no thoughts no real existence. You're coming to an idol that's as good as a stone idol. It can save nothing it can do nothing for you it knows nothing about you doesn't control the future.

It has no providence. It is a false God. And so Paul warns the church in Corinth. I'm worried about you that you might even put up with these people you might give them grounds. It's a false Christ. You need to resist that.

And then in Galatians you have this early testimony to a false gospel that Paul says look if I come back to you and I preach something different from the gospel that I preached let me be eternally condemned separated from God forever.

If an angel comes from heaven even Moroni preaching a different gospel you must reject that that is anathema. And Paul seems to believe something that the Evangelical Church in the West or the professing Christian Church in the West doesn't actually believe today that the gospel is so clearly communicated by God that it can be understood it can be articulated and it could be defended.

We're loose now with our Gospels. Right. We're so loose like I'll just give them a pass. It's just a little difference. They've only added a couple things and steps to the gospel. Paul says this in terms of what was going on in Galatia we did not yield for a moment in order that the truth of the gospel would be preserved because only the biblical gospel saves.

Yes the good news of Jesus Christ is huge. It is so big. It's bigger than just the doctrine of justification by faith. It is bigger than that. It's the gospel of the kingdom. It's a whole story of redemption that God laid down in history long before Jesus came.

It's what Jesus did in his life and his death and his resurrection. Of course the gospel is big. You can talk about it in so many different categories. But there is a heart of the gospel and justification by faith alone in Christ alone is the heart of the gospel.

And what Paul is dealing with in Galatia is another gospel that he says we didn't yield for a second. Not for a moment. We would not yield for a moment in this false gospel. And what was it something that most people would say Paul.

You're being kind of heavy-handed here. Like what's the big deal. Like you know this is a new movement of the Christian faith. You know these people are saying they believe in Jesus as Messiah. You know they're saying of course you need to trust in Jesus.

They're not denying that grace is is is necessary. They're just saying goodness gracious. We got to keep this like Jewish identity. We got to at least keep the circumcision like it's faith in Jesus. But I mean you got to keep this identity marker.

You got to keep the circumcision just this one thing. Can we just pull that over as necessary. Like it's grace. Of course it's Jesus. Of course it's faith. Of course. But can we at least keep this sign.

Can we at least require this to be part of this community to actually be in. Can we just say it's faith and circumcision. And as you read the letter of Paul there in Galatians you'll see that Paul actually goes out a long distance to demonstrate that it is through faith apart from any work of law.

And then Galatians 5 is the summary. I'm going to read you what he says because you need to hear the serrated edge of the inspired Apostle against this false gospel that sounds so close to the real thing.

It's grace. It's faith. It's Jesus. Yes amen. And then it's also just this one thing. Let's just make justification all those things. But you got to at least have this thing. You got to pull over circumcision.

Paul don't lose that. That means so much to us. Why I can't figure out to this day. But we got to keep the circumcision. And so Paul says in Galatians chapter 5 verse 1 he says this for freedom. Don't miss it don't pass it don't lose that.

You heard him at the beginning. Did you hear him. The grace of Christ. You are abandoning the grace of Christ to a different gospel. It's grace that is at stake. Freedom that's at stake in Jesus Christ.

You are giving it all up to embrace a corrupt and false gospel. You're losing salvation. You're losing grace. And here he says in 5 1 for freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm therefore and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Look I Paul say to you that if you accept circumcision Christ will be of no advantage no benefit to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.

You are severed from Christ. You who would be justified by the law. You have fallen away from grace. For through the spirit by faith we ourselves eagerly await for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision or uncircumcision counts for anything but only faith.

Working through love. You are running well. Who hinders you from obeying the truth. This persuasion is not from him who calls you. He's saying this. It's not from God. This message isn't from God. It's not from the one who called you.

A little leaven leavens the whole lump. Every bread maker in here is like okay. I know I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view. And the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty whoever he is.

But if I brother still preach circumcision why am I still being persecuted. In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves. You catch that.

I think you know most people sort of the pious sort of like read Bruce right past that I don't ask. I don't know what that means emasculate. He's saying like you guys love circumcision so much. Whoever's you know influencing you in this way.

It's not the one who called you. But these guys that you know are just you know. They want to do it. They want to do circumcision. I keep that. He's like I hope they cut themselves off all the way. Yeah that's hardcore.

That's not Paul obeying the 11th commandment to be nice. Right. That's Paul saying I hope you go all the way. You like to play with knives. Go ahead. Play with knives. I hope you cut yourselves completely off.

That's how serious Paul is in one letter like at the beginning. In the end he's like let them go to hell forever let them be eternally condemned without hope. And he says and I hope you cut themselves.

You cut yourselves off. Hardcore serious. Because the Gospels at stake. That's why this is so important. So I believe that there are instances where we get jaded and we get too relaxed and too loose and we lose our love for the lost.

Loving the Lost Mormon Neighbors

So I give me what I give you two examples. One current event stuff going on right now. Roe versus Wade has fallen. And so what does the Christian Church do in response. They assume Roe is fallen. That was the enemy.

And so we'll start to back away now. I can't tell you I mean how many people I've talked to in states across the country just this session. We're going to a state or we're talking to people in a particular state.

Good Christians solid Christians love Jesus and they think abortion is over now. Right. They think that we have abortion bans or abolished in certain states. Abortion is illegal nowhere in this nation right now.

It is happening across the nation right now. We haven't even actually established justice anywhere right now. But what we do is get jaded. We get tired and so an enemy we think is backed up a little bit and so we just sort of say okay let's take a break now and we'll delay justice.

We do that. We get jaded. We get tired right. We lose our perseverance. We lose our discipline. We lose our love for these children. We lose our love for the lost. And even in the case of Mormonism I think oftentimes we forget.

We have real people who are going to hell. They have image bearers of God that were called to love who are dying and going to hell. You have neighbors all around us believing in a false Christ that can never save them a false gospel.

They have a gospel that is not a gospel of grace. It is not a gospel that brings any freedom. It is a gospel of slavery. It is a yoke of slavery. And they don't know. They can't see. They don't know the grace of God.

They don't know what Christ brings in his gospel his righteousness and the gift of eternal life. They don't know the Savior that you and I know. And so we get jaded. And so we let loose. We're not disciplined.

We don't persevere. We don't keep pursuing with the gospel because we don't love our neighbors above ourselves or our own things. And we certainly have a reputation I think at times of yielding yielding submitting to false gospels pairing up with those who actually preach a false gospel and and letting those differences sort of go by the wayside.

And Paul is teaching in this in this epistle he in this letter he says look if you accept this that Christ is of no value to you you have abandoned grace. There is no gospel for you. There is no forgiveness for you.

There's no freedom for you. If you accept this you have no grace from God. Nothing. You've chosen a different path. It's the path of law. And he says try that we see through the scriptures. If you try it if you put yourself under the law to say God justify me by my righteousness and my obedience.

You have to do it perfectly. And there is only one in human history that has done it perfectly. Only one if you want righteousness before God you need the righteousness at the point the Apostle Paul said that he had and that he wanted it was in Philippians.

He says what he wants. The righteousness that comes from God through faith in Jesus Christ. A righteousness that is not his own. It's Christ's righteousness. That's what the Mormon people are missing a perfect righteousness.

And if you know the Mormon community you know just how sweet and lovely so many of them are. You know how hard they try to keep it together to obey the word of wisdom and all the different rules and ordinances.

You know how they try to be good temple worthy Mormons. You know their belief about their lives and their future and what they're doing in an effort to become a god or goddess of their own planet one day.

And so they're working hard. They're under this huge burden and this yoke of slavery. You know it's it's it's sad. Honestly if you go to Utah you'll see signs all over the freeways everywhere about the opioid epidemic in Utah.

It's it's it's at critical mass there. It is really really bad. So many Latter-day Saints addicted to pills pain pills. Why. To numb themselves. Right. To feel good. To somehow make their consciences feel better.

You've never seen so many cosmetic surgery places. Right. Because it's it's the it's the problem of having to look the perfect part. Having to look like the perfect Mormon family. You have to look righteous on the outside.

You have to look like you have it all together. You obey all the rules. You have it all right. And so even down to the women it's a huge yoke of slavery on the women to be the perfect Mormon mother. Right.

The perfect Mormon wife. And so you've got cosmetic surgery places galore everywhere. Next to the Best Buy next to like Shake Shack. I mean it's like you never seen so many. Why. To look beautiful on the outside.

To look good. To look like you have it all together. Why. Because there's an internal need within Mormonism to look righteous to have it all together. Why. Because the goal is exaltation. I have to be perfect right.

So that the grace of God can be sufficient for me. What's the goal here when we reach the Mormon neighbors. What's our goal is to give them gospel of grace to give them the promise of salvation that you and I have think about what you and I have.

I'll just say this quickly. I hope this gives us a spiritual motivation. What do you have in Jesus. Righteousness peace a relationship with God. How was your week. Sometimes life gets just awful. Doesn't it like day by day you have this great spiritual high one day and then just a day it's just so awful and so broken.

Days of great relationships and peace. And days of great tragedy and difficulty. Days of unity days of betrayal. Days where you feel like joy in God that can't be overcome. And then the next day you're just plagued with loneliness and depression and despair anxieties fears image.

All image-bearers of God feel that in a fallen world is part and parcel of being part of the fallen world. Things are not the way they ought to be. But what do you have as a child of God. What do you have as a Christian as a follower of Jesus.

What do you have. The knowledge that God loves me. The knowledge that he's my father. The knowledge that nothing's left. The knowledge that listen my God isn't dependent upon my works my consistency my obedience for his love for me.

God loves me today because I'm in Jesus. He's my father that's never gonna change. I'm saved by his grace. He counts me righteous even in my daily failing and even my sin. My father loves me and I'm righteous in his eyes.

Not because I am personally but because I'm in Jesus Christ. And his love for me doesn't waver it doesn't change. His commitment to me is for eternity. He says he'll never lose me. He'll never forsake me.

I am hiding in Jesus Christ. I have a righteousness that is foreign it is not my own. He loves me. I have the hope of eternal life. That's what you and I have as a child of God. My relationship with my Heavenly Father is not dependent upon my performance.

It's dependent on Christ's performance in his work on my behalf. He loves me and he always will. That's his promise. That's what you and I have. Amen. Do you have that. Yes. Is that what you cling to every day.

Is it when you cling to. He loves me. He says he'll never lose me. He loves me. Who said he says he'll never forsake me. I am held by his gracious loving hands. That's what you and I have as believers.

Ready. They don't have that. They don't know it. They haven't tasted it. They haven't heard it. They believe in a false gospel that is a gospel of slavery and debt. And we have the message of life that saves.

So people ask why do you go after Mormons. People say all the time you what do you guys always pick on Mormons. Here's why. Because I love them and I want them to know the same Savior that I do and I've seen God save so many Latter-day Saints and bring them into a knowledge of Jesus Christ and their lives totally transformed.

And it's worth your whole life to see that happen. It is worth your entire life. So that's why we go. So I want to challenge you with I'm going to challenge you today with the things that you're going to hear out there things you need to be.

You need to be prepared for as a believer to answer from the scriptures wrapped up in the gospel. So let's get started you guys ready. Yes. So I'm coming out. Don't get nervous. So what can't happen in our evangelistic efforts as much as it's true is we can't lean on our own testimony.

So for example I see some of your faces. I know your stories. Some of you in this room I got to preach the gospel to. I've watched God save you before my very eyes. I baptized you. I know your stories and they're incredible.

Some of you guys have incredible testimonies and God gave me the grace to be able to watch some of you guys walk through that. So I know your stories. Some of you guys have had amazing experiences with Christ where he's redeemed you and transformed you and saved your whole life.

You're a you're a truly new creation. And it's obvious some of you guys have testimonies that would dwarf the common Mormon testimony. But you can't lean on your own testimony and what God has done in your life.

Why. Because your experience and my experience is not the standard of truth. Right. What is the truth. Jesus said it God's Word. Jesus said John 17 17 he said father sanctify them by your truth. Thy word is truth your word is truth.

God's revelation is what is the truth. And so the challenge is when you go to the Mormon temple. I've seen Christians go to the temple before they go out there. They're passionate they're zealous they have great intentions.

And then I've seen them get into the conflict where it's the Mormon bearing their testimony. And then the Christian is bearing their testimony right back. And then where do you go from there. Because we can actually invite a bunch of different religious groups out on that sidewalk.

You can have the Mormons the Jehovah's Witnesses. You can have the Christian. You can have the Jewish person. You can have the guy from the Branch Davidians come out all bear testimony. This is what's happened to me as a matter of fact if you go to the average AA meeting meetup and group on a Tuesday night at your local church or community center you'll hear for two hours dozens of people bearing their testimony about how dr. Bob saved their life and how the twelve steps saved their life.

So they got their testimonies too. And you'll hear in those rooms testimonies like you know I just knew I needed a yield to a higher power so I chose electricity. There's an energy field in the universe and that's what saved me.

And that's what kept me from using. And I have been free from alcohol addiction for the last ten years because my higher power is the doorknob. And that's their testimony. So you can't have a conflict of testimonies.

And here's the challenge when you go to the Mormon temple or you talk to your Mormon friends or to the Mormon missionary that comes to your door you're going to say why do you believe Joseph Smith's a prophet.

And they're gonna say I prayed about the Book of Mormon. I prayed about Joseph Smith. And I got a burning in my bosom. Now let's start with that. Because that's the common that's what they're trained to do.

Lean on their testimony. And so they say to you I've prayed about the Book of Mormon. I know that it's true. I prayed I had experience with the Holy Spirit of God. He testified to me that the Book of Mormon is true and Joseph Smith's a true prophet of God.

And the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the one true church in the face of the earth. That's what they're gonna say. What would you say back now. By the way we've got a runner with a microphone today because last year at last time I threw the entire team off.

I did not tell him we were doing this and they were not happy. So we have a runner with a microphone. I'd like you to just keep it brief because we have a lot to do today. Don't take this opportunity to really preach.

I want you to answer that challenge. I've prayed about the Book of Mormon. I've received a testimony that it's the truth of God. What would you say. Your feelings are not the arbiter of.

Truth read the Bible okay all things that is desperately wicked understand.

It that's the right response right. It's the Word of God. So then David Jeremiah.

17 9 the heart is deceitful above all things is desperately wicked who can.

Understand it that's right. So I want to point something out here. I gave you guys last week a recommendation for witnessing of Mormons. Is this book. Where does it say that it's photocopies of history of the church.

Journal of Discourses Mormon documents. And when they'll say like we don't our church doesn't teach that. Where does it say that you're like. Well here here it is. And you can show them photocopies of the actual pages of their church works.

And where it's at the next resource I want to encourage you to get me mentioned before was put together by Pastor James. And it's a hundred verse for witnessing to Mormons. Hundred verses for witnessing to Mormons.

This is an incredible resource an incredible resource that comes from the years of experience of Pastor James engaging with Latter-day Saints on the street and and at the door. And so this is actually 54 pages.

54 pages. And it's it's versus for every major point of contact that you need to have with the Latter-day Saints. And so in this just like David said there's a section on section to the Mormon testimony.

And Pastor James put in here a number of verses that you can stand on with the Word of God to engage with the Latter-day Saints. Proverbs 14 12 there is a way which seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death.

It's in King James because they accept the King James translation. It's most useful to engage with them on that also second one there was Jeremiah 17 9. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it.

So the point is is to bring the Latter-day Saints to the Word of God not just to have a debate of words. Your words versus their words. Your testimony versus their testimony. What am I trying to do when I engage with Latter-day Saints.

I'm trying to take the Word of God and bury it in their hearts so that it can bear fruit later. That's what I'm trying to do. I can't tell you how many experiences that I've had guys where I've spent time out there on the sidewalk with some really aggressive Latter-day Saints.

You would think this guy is never coming to Christ from a human perspective. He ain't never coming to Jesus. He's the most aggressive. He's volatile. He's angry he's yelling. And he came back years later and said that he turned to Jesus Christ because of that one verse that I gave him that was gnawing at him.

He couldn't get out of his head. And God used that used that verse to bring that person to life. So what am I trying to do. I'm trying to take the Word of God and bury it in their hearts. Use scripture.

So Jeremiah 17 9 the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it. You cannot trust your hearts. Well let's do it. Have someone else. What would you say to the Latter-day Saint who bears his testimony.

Says that the Holy Spirit is testified to him. 1st Thessalonians 521 prove all things and hold fast to what is true. You say that nice and loud again. I would quote 1st Thessalonians 521 where it says prove all things and hold fast to what is true.

Very good. That's also in there in the hundred verse memorization system on scripture. So this is gonna be a question of authority. Right. So think of what they did there. They're saying I know it's true because I had an experience.

This is a fallen world. Lots of people have lots of experiences. I think lots of things are good for them that actually aren't good for them. I mean we're living in a time where that's just screaming at us.

Isn't it where people are talking about the gender bending and perverse sexual relationships. And they'll tell you it feels good to me. I can do it because this is how I feel on the inside. That's not the step.

That's not the test for truth though. That's not that's not a source of ultimate truth and knowledge. And so this comes down to a question of authority who's in charge here. So the Mormon says I'm gonna lean on Joseph Smith as a prophet.

I'm gonna lean on my own testimony. So I'll be the Mormon right now. I believe Joseph Smith's a prophet of God. I follow him because I believe he's a true prophet. I have a testimony. The Holy Spirit has revealed to me that he's a true prophet of God.

This is the one true church. All right now come get me chip one sec chip. We're gonna make sure. Because we also had people online that were saying they couldn't hear us last week. So I want to make sure hear you chip the test of a prophet that God tells us in Deuteronomy 18.

So how do we know if a prophet is from God or not. And it's by if his words are true or not. So if there's one false prophecy then he's not from God. Very good. So chip why. Why is that an important verse.

Or why is this. Why is that a unique thing in terms of the Christian faith to bring up like false prophecies. If you have one false prophecy you're a false prophet. Just give me some more on that. Well I mean there's there's countless faiths that all have a talking head who brings you know taste takes God's Word and twists it in a certain way.

Yeah. And so we have to know how to weed through what people say to know if if it's from God or not. And so you know Joseph Smith has multiple false prophecies. Whether it's the church that he said would be built.