The California Collection/TheCaliforniaCollection.cdr/his075/denver.lzh/DENVER.TXT

Text File | 1991-06-30 | 8KB | 154 lines

CUL:WARNING! about Denver Church of Christ

   While much more could and will be written about the "foolish
Galatians" (ie. the church of Christ) let it be known that all should
warn the DENVER CHURCH OF CHRIST to repent.

   Don't be fooled by a false humility. This group is powerfully
dangerous. From their denial of the power of the Holy Spirit,
liberalism and pride they also base their salvation on how large their
church is.

   -----> LET'S TALK ABOUT NUMBERS <------

   The church is not to be like "Sesame Street"! We are not to learn to
count our numbers. Yet, one of the great idols in the church today is
NUMBERS!!

   When someone ask, "Is your church growing?". They don't mean how is
your church doing spiritually. No, no, they mean, how many members do
you have in your church.

   In the last several years we have visited many churches and are
appalled to find such "golden calf" worship going on in the churches.

   Those who count their numbers will fall under God's judgement.

   1 Chronicles 21:1-3

   "Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of
Israel. So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, "Go and
count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so
that I may know how many there are." But Joab replied, "May the LORD
multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they
not all my lord's subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why
should he bring guilt on Israel?"

   Guess what?! David counts his fighting men and the wrath of God
falls on the whole nation. Leave a church that is into numbers
....TODAY!

   I Chronicles 21:6-30 "But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in
the numbering, because the king's command was repulsive to him. This
command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel. Then
David said to God, "I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg
you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish
thing." The LORD said to Gad, David's seer, "Go and tell David, `This
is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of
them for me to carry out against you.'" So Gad went to David and said
to him, "This is what the LORD says: `Take your choice: three years of
famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, with
their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the
LORD--days of plague in the land, with the angel of the LORD ravaging
every part of Israel.' Now then, decide how I should answer the one who
sent me." David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let me fall into
the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me
fall into the hands of men." So the LORD sent a plague on Israel, and
seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead. And God sent an angel to
destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the LORD saw it and
was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was
destroying the people, "Enough! Withdraw your hand." The angel of the
LORD was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

   David looked up and saw the angel of the LORD standing between
heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over
Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell
facedown. David said to God, "Was it not I who ordered the fighting men
to be counted? I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are
but sheep. What have they done? O LORD my God, let your hand fall upon
me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on your people."
Then the angel of the LORD ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build
an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. So
David went up in obedience to the word that Gad had spoken in the name
of the LORD.

   While Araunah was threshing wheat, he turned and saw the angel; his
four sons who were with him hid themselves. Then David approached, and
when Araunah looked and saw him, he left the threshing floor and bowed
down before David with his face to the ground. David said to him, "Let
me have the site of your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the
LORD, that the plague on the people may be stopped. Sell it to me at
the full price." Araunah said to David, "Take it! Let my lord the king
do whatever pleases him. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt
offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the
grain offering. I will give all this." But King David replied to
Araunah, "No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for
the LORD what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me
nothing." So David paid Araunah six hundred shekels of gold for the
site. David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt
offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the LORD, and the LORD
answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. Then
the LORD spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.
At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him on the
threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there.
The tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses had made in the desert, and the
altar of burnt offering were at that time on the high place at Gibeon.
But David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was
afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD."

   Satan rises up to destroy the church and bring it under judgement
and the church rejoices in it! YES REJOICES!!!

   How many applaud the great numbers being brought in. How many
rejoice in the fact that there church has "grown" by 400%. As scripture
says, "their glory is their shame".

   -----------> LET'S COUNT <--------------

   Let's consider some numbers for a moment.

   1. The love of "most" will grow cold.

   2. Only two (2!) made it into the promised land out of all Israel.
{Kind of gives a new meaning to the "many" who walk the wide road -
doesn't it?}

   3. Only 1 leper repented honestly before Jesus.

   4. Paul only won a "few" converts in Athens.

   5. Not one person repented under the preaching of Jeremiah.

   6. Noah saved no one except his own family.

   7. Abraham only saved the small band of Lot's family from hell.

   -------> NUMBERS PROVE NOTHING <--------

   If you look to numbers to validate a church or BBS you will make a
very grave error. You commit the sin of the Pharisees.

   For then they had a dispute about the Truth they did NOT discuss the
issue at hand. No, they challenge John the Baptist, (the greatest born
among women), on why his numbers were not as great as another.

   John 3:25-26 "An argument developed between some of John's disciples
and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. They came to
John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other
side of the Jordan--the one you testified about--well, he is baptizing,
and everyone is going to him."

   ----------> JESUS LEAVES <--------------

   The very minute Jesus learns that you or your church is counting
numbers to establish the "truth" of your church or life, He leaves!

   John 4:1-3 "The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing
more disciples than John, although in fact it was not Jesus who
baptized, but his disciples. When the Lord learned of this, he left
Judea and went back once more to Galilee."

   Has Jesus left you or your church?

   Sound Doctrine BBS