2co 11v01 03 Your
YOUR PASTOR'S GREAT
FEAR II Corinthians 11:1-3
In reading the New Testament, I am astonished by the fact that many of
the churches founded and settled by the apostles of Christ were soon turned
away from the gospel of Christ. Many who once embraced the gospel and were well
instructed in its doctrines fell prey to Satan's subtle devices, and were moved
to embrace another gospel, by which they were damned. That fact alarms me, and
causes me to fear for you, as Paul did for the Corinthians. There are many
subtle devices by which Satan deceives men and churches. Let me warn you of a
few prominent ones, so that you may avoid them.
1. We all want to be ACCEPTABLE
AMONG OUR PEERS. Concerning the things of Christ, this is a most dangerous
snare. Many have toned down the message in order to make it more acceptable. But in doing so they have marred the gospel. Brethren, we
must be true to the Word of God, even if we are obliged to stand alone against
the world.
2. We all have a tendency
toward INTELLECTUALISM. We want to fit the Word of God into the mold of
our puny brains. We want to reason and educate men into the
3. We are all susceptible to the snare of LEGALISM.
Man wants to do something to earn something from God, either salvation, or
reward, or rank in heaven. It doesn't really matter where works comes in, so
long as it comes in. Man wants something in which he can boast. But the moment
we allow human works, in any measure, we have denied the gospel.
4. We all have a weakness for
the dangerous snare of WORLDLY SUCCESS. Many preachers, and many
churches, have been bribed into denying the gospel for success in the eyes of
the world. For the bread of success, they have sold their souls!
5. And we are all tempted, from
time to time, to LEAVE THE SIMPLICITY OF THE GOSPEL for other issues.
Satan does not care what issue you are taken up with (morality, prophecy,
denominationalism, separation, etc.). So long as he can move your heart and
attention away from the single issue of Christ and him
crucified, he is both successful and satisfied. The simplicity of the gospel is
just this, it has but a single message - "CHRIST
AND HIM CRUCIFIED". We must stay with that (I Cor. 2:1-5).