"Christian Cults"
Deals with the subject of organizations which are evangelistic in theology but cultic in their organization.
Download or email this sermon A Sobering Thought
The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. (1 Pe. 4:7)
Remember the video of Rodney Howard-Browne and Copeland where they advise, “Just get drunk, don’t pray”?
Therefore, prepare your minds for action…
…be drunk in spirit?
…keep sober in spirit… (1 Pe. 1:13)
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Pe. 5:8)
I was once riding in a 4 x 4 near Victoria Falls along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe on my way to a speaking engagement at a church. We were going through the bush – lion country, and could see a giraffe. The person driving said, “It’s getting dark now, at this time of night lions go after that kind of giraffe.” So I am looking out for lions and all of the sudden there goes the wheel. “Be sober in spirit. The lion is trying to get you.” If I ever wanted some whiskey it was then. This was no Tarzan movie. This was the real bush in real Africa with real lions, it was getting dark, and I was scared. Admittedly I could only say two things: “Lord Jesus” and “Jack Daniels”. But the last thing I needed to be was in an inebriated state where I would not be vigilant.
Three times Peter says, “Be sober”. Paul warns, “But you, be sober”. (2 Ti. 4:5) In fact this same Peter whom they quote in Toronto meetings they were drunk on the day of Pentecost says these men are not drunk. (Acts 2:15) They heard the mighty deeds of God, not drunken hysterics. So they are shown that the Bible says to be sober repeatedly and not drunk in the Spirit as Rodney Howard-Browne is teaching.
The pastor of Faithland in Melbourne was not into Toronto but had five friends who were – five Pentecostal ministers. Some of their churches I have spoken at in times past and they are all into Rodney Howard-Browne. I showed them the videos of Howard-Browne and Copeland in Toronto and they could not defend what was on it. They knew it was heretical, they knew it was carnal and even demonic, but they still insisted they were going to Toronto to see Howard-Browne. Why? They were not “blind”, they were willfully blind. These were the leaders, misleading whole congregations! Jesus Christ will hold them accountable as shepherds as it says in 1 Peter 5 for misleading the flock.
The fruit of the Spirit is egkrateia in Greek – “self-control”. (Gal. 5:22-23) So this is shown to them along with what it says in Peter: “Be sober”, “Be sober”, “Be sober”. But look at their answer. Did they answer biblically? No. Did they answer logically? No. Did they answer cultically? Yes. “I was blessed! I know it was right because of what happened to me!” What does a Mormon say? “I got a burnin’ in my bosom and I know it’s true!” It is not logical. Logic goes out the same window with the Bible. It is only a matter of degrees.
There is not much difference any more between the Assemblies of God and the Mormons, they have gone the same way, just further down the same road. Now there are some good, individual Assembly of God churches; I think they need to come out, in my opinion. They are going down the same road. It is just a matter that one is further down the road than the other.
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Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.