Heart of the Matter Show 32: Refuting the Insanity
Live from Salt Lake City, Utah. This is Heart of the Matter, where we do all we can to try and worship God in Spirit and in Truth. I’m your host, Shawn McCraney.
Show 32 458: Refuting the Insanity
August 12th, 2015
Don K. Preston – we’ve emailed the following to most of the churches in the Valley –
Let me review it with you.
(Make plans to join us because you will learn and have the opportunity to have your questions answered.)
(Friday night, Sept 11th 7-9pm)
(Saturday night Sept 12th)
Subjective Christianity in Galatians
We are browsing through the New Testament for passages that support what I am calling, Subjective Christianity. Tonight, Galatians:
And what does Paul say in chapter one:
Galatians 1:10
"For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."
11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Oh, and let’s see what Paul did when he was called into ministry:
Galatians 1:15
"But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.
19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother."
Sound like Paul cared about the leadership and the council of apostles input and ideas? Not to me. He did what he was called to do.
Faith Over Works
One of the biggest complaints against me over the years by the local pastors is I haven’t sought “their council.” I mean they have literally told me to my face that I needed to be accountable to them. Joke.
This is a familiar verse but consider it:
Galatians 2:16
"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
Now think about this, if a man is justified before God by faith and NOT by works then there is absolutely NO obligation to have to answer any person because they cannot know our faith – only God. If works were necessary to salvation I would understand a hierarchy of authority but since it is individually based on faith, the visible church is over.
Paul's Emphasis on Personal Faith
At verse 20-21 Paul adds emphasis to this subjective personal faith, saying:
Galatians 2:20
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
21 "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
Nine times Paul refers to himself as I or Me – five times he speaks of Jesus – in one of those times he says, “Christ lives in me.”
SUBJECTIVE. PERSONAL. NO MAN. NO VISIBLE AUTHORITY. CHRIST. YOU. I.
Then when it comes to playing religion, playing worthiness, playing outward conformity, Paul plainly says in chapter 3:
Galatians 3:1
"O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?"
The flesh of human beings, folks – every human being – is depraved. Live by it in any effort including efforts to perfect it – and your flesh will be in control.
As Christians we have ALL begun in the Spirit and as Christians that is where we are hoping to abide and grow.
Faith and Equality in Christ
Material, the world, men, buildings, projects, tithes, blah, blah, blah are of the flesh. The import of faith is reiterated in verse 16 of the same chapter where we read:
Galatians 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Through faith, faith, faith. No man can quantify or qualify our faith. They try and make us prove our faith to them but they can bite the wall.
Ever attend a church where women are treated differently in Christ than men? Check this out:
Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
The women game is all ties to a misappropriation of the Word and culture of the day.
Has nothing to do with what is right – we are all one in Christ.
Hey, let me ask you this – Last week we read where Paul said that the apostles did not want to dominate over anyone but only increase people’s joy, right? And we know Jesus came to give life more abundantly, right?
Liberty in Christ
And then Galatians 4:6 says “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” So if we have the Spirit of His Son in us and neither He nor His apostles oppressed but only liberated, shouldn’t this be the call on all of our lives too? Think!
Go on and read all that Paul goes on to say in chapter 4 about Hagar the Bondwoman and Sarah the free then turn to chapter five verse one:
Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”
The liberty wherewith Christ has made us FREE? Anything, anyone who strips our liberty and freedom as believers away in anyway is imposing their religion on us. Don’t accept it. Don’t believe it. You are free in Him, by Him, and for Him to use – not men and not religion.
Are we under any commands from Him? Two – verse 6
“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.”
Faith and love – two commandments which can only be judged by God and not men. Stay with me and jump down to verse 13:
Galatians 5:13 “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”
The Fruits of the Spirit
What does this love in the Spirit look like? Verse 22-23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
In the last chapter we read:
Galatians 6:3 “For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden.”
And these are just touching on the New Testament stance of Subjective Christianity.
Ephesians next week.
And with that let’s have a word of prayer.
PRAYER PRAYER PRAYER PRAYER
Of late we have been hearing a lot about a third temple. The out of their minds are claiming that what is being built IS the third temple and the idea is preposterous for a very simple reason –
God’s temple site is one site and one alone – on Mount Moriah at the temple mount location and that is currently occupied by Muslims. But the fervor is so ardent that many people really believe that what is being built over there is a third temple. I had a guy ask me last week about it and I simply said, “Its baloney.” Another women standing nearby replied, “Says you.”
No, not says me. Says reason, says logic, says facts, and says
The Third Temple
Apparently a replica of the second temple is being built in a place called “Mitzpeh Yericho,” which is in the Judean desert 20 kilometers east of Jerusalem near a highway leading down to the Dead Sea. Again, apparently this is being built as a training facility for priests and Levites on how to conduct of Temple rituals. Some are suggesting that this a step toward the third Temple.
A couple initial things about this. First, how do these Israelis know who is allowed to be a priest and who is a Levite? But far more importantly, why WOULD a third temple need to be built?
I’m gonna get right to the point before I prove it through scripture. In fact let me quote NT Wright who said it this way:
“Jesus claimed to do and be what the Temple was and did.” (N. T. Wright, "Jerusalem in the New Testament" (1994)
Due to Dispensationalist teachings, Futurist craziness, and a great deal of Judaizing amidst even the Christian church, a prophetic teaching in Ezekiel has gotten some strong legs and so here we sit, frothing on about Jesus eminent return. Now, it makes perfect sense that Jews would be building a temple replica in the desert. Orthodox may believe this is necessary (since they reject Jesus as the Messiah) while others must certainly see this as a fantastic tourist trap and money maker.
Ezekiel’s Vision
So let’s address this notion of a third temple. Ezekiel’s ministry closes with his vision of the new temple, occupying the last nine chapters of the book. Fourteen years after the temple at Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, and in the 25th year of his own exile, Ezekiel is given this assurance that in the course of time there would be another temple in which the purposes of God would be perfectly fulfilled.
It is agreed by all that this promise was not fulfilled in the temple built of Ezra in the days of the return of the captive Jews under the decree of Cyrus, King of Persia. It was Ezra’s temple which was destroyed by the Romans 40 years after the crucifixion of Christ and for the last 2,000 years there has been no temple at Jerusalem because the only site available has been occupied for the last 1,000 years by a Moslem mosque.
At the time of Ezekiel’s closing vision there was neither temple, priesthood, nor monarchy in Israel and we must remember that these vital elements of Jewish national life are still absent today. The vision of Ezekiel supplies all three things – temple, priesthood and monarchy and I would suggest that these things, destroyed in 70AD were rightfully and perfectly assumed by Jesus Himself, the “King of the Jews” (which Pilate insisted on writing on His cross).
We also recall that His kingdom was “not of this world,” that He reigns in resurrection glory at the right hand of the Father – and will continue to reign till His foes are made His footstool.
No Need for a Third Temple
There can never be a THIRD TEMPLE at Jerusalem – here’s why:
- A temple requires a sacrifice and a priesthood. LISTEN Christians – by his death Jesus abolished both.
He is Himself the temple, the altar, the sacrifices, and the Priest. His priesthood, like His sacrifice of Himself for our sins, is eternal and unchangeable. The only way there would be a third temple – listen closely – is to abolish the New Covenant (which He established by His death and resurrection) to have reason and room to create a Third Temple.
Now, there is a prophecy in Haggai that proves that it was the SECOND TEMPLE which was to see the establishment of all God’s purposes in Christ.
Here are the words from Haggai 2:6-9: “Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; And I will shake all nations and the desires of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former, saith the Lord of Hosts, and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.
Haggai was prophesying at the dedication of the SECOND TEMPLE built by Ezra. He was declaring that despite the poor appearance of their temple (by comparison with the magnificence of the first, or
Fulfillment of Prophecy
Solomon’s temple) that this SECOND TEMPLE would be more glorious than the first because to it the Lord Himself would come. And it was during the existence of the SECOND TEMPLE God would do that work which would “shake all nations, the earth and the heavens, the sea and the dry land” – figures always used in prophecy to denote the passing of an old order and the beginning of a new. We have to admit that this shaking took place a long time ago since the second temple Haggai spoke of fell nearly 2,000 years ago and has had no successor. Therefore, Haggai’s prophecy could only have been fulfilled in Christ’s first advent when the Lord (as Malachi says) “suddenly came to his temple.”
The shaking of heaven and earth denotes the passing of the Old Covenant and the establishment of the New. On the day of Pentecost, Peter quoted a similar prophecy from Joel to prove the same thing and said this prophecy was fulfilled then, saying:
“I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath: blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and notable day of the Lord com; and it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2:19-21)
The first advent of Christ, therefore, with all the consequences which ensued – His atoning death and glorious exaltation, with the outcome in the redemption of His people and the calling of the gentile – fulfilled the prophecies of Haggai and Joel. Paul in Hebrews employs Haggai’s prophecy also to show that it relates to the setting up of the gospel kingdom upon the ruins of the Old Covenant.
“Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” (See Hebrews 12:26-29)
The Second Temple therefore was to see God’s purposes fully realized in Christ.
The End of the Second Temple
YOU GUYS – EVERYTHING IS FINISHED IN CHRIST – ALL OF IT.
After Jesus' death and resurrection, and following a divine probation of 40 years during which God permitted the second temple to remain standing while the gospel was being preached “to the Jew first”, the judgment of God in the Roman war abolished temple, priesthood and sacrifice, monarchy and covenant, nation and privilege, in one awful overthrow. The Epistle to the Hebrews settles forever the question of whether there ever can be a setting up again of what God has cast down and the temple is shown in that epistle to be the apparatus of the Old Covenant. There never can be another temple without abolishing the New Covenant in Christ destroying the gospel and reversing all history – which is absurd. Paul clearly perceived that the second temple, still standing at the time of writing, was about to pass away along with the Covenant to which it was attached:
“Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.” (Hebrews 8:13) VANISH AWAY.
Controversies and Modern Interpretations
Unfortunately, contemporary evangelical writings and theories prove a very disturbing (and sometimes very fraudulent) tendency to keep this Christian myth alive. Our friends will find that not only is a THIRD TEMPLE confidently expected, but there are those who believe our Lord’s Second Advent is held up till that temple is built! They use Malachi’s prophecy (quoted above) as relating not to Christ’s first coming but to His Second Coming, as though Christ cannot return till there is a temple in which He may appear. Admirers of the Scofield Reference Bible will find the doctrine of a THIRD TEMPLE, complete with sacrificing priests, as standardized in the comments on Ezekiel’s vision.
This was Chuck Smith’s favorite Bible and he influenced millions to ready themselves and watch all things Israel. I love Pastor Smith but on this he was off – greatly, as are all the Calvary Chapels on earth today. Mormonism too preaches a third temple scenario. Following the Six Day War of 1967, there was a newspaper published in London called the Christian (operated by Billy Graham). It presented in full banner headlines, purporting to show that enormous quantities of finest prepared stone from quarries in Bedford (USA) was being dispatched from a New York pier (Pier 26, it was categorically stated) to Israel for the construction of the THIRD TEMPLE.
The headlines read:
“ERECTION OF JERUSALEM TEMPLE IMMINENT”
The byline to the article read:
“Israeli Government representatives have ordered 60,000 tons of finest Bedford stone from Bedford, Indiana to be used in the…
The Myth of the Third Jerusalem Temple
"Five hundred railcar loads of stone from Bedford, considered to be among the finest building stone in the world, is being freighted pre-cut to exact specifications, and one consignment has already been dispatched to Israel. Shipments are being handled by Pier 26 in New York."
This report, received from authoritative sources in Sellersburg, Indiana, said cornerstones for the third Jerusalem Temple are already in Israel. Materials for this Temple have been secretly in preparation for seven years, the report went on, and it is believed American Jews are mainly responsible for financially undergirding the whole project.
Strong rumors from other usually reliable circles say the two freestanding pillars for the new Temple have already been cast in bronze. If the pattern of Solomon’s Temple is followed, the twin hollow columns may be named Jachin and Boaz. The meaning of these names, ‘Jehovah will establish,’ and ‘In Him is strength’, symbolizing the continuity and power of the Davidic dynasty founded upon God’s great Covenant with David. (1 Samuel 7:8-17).
The Prophetic Interpretation
The article enthusiastically went on to say:
“This THIRD TEMPLE must be built to fulfill Biblical prophecy: thus is passed out of the realm of political probability into the sphere of divine appointment…
“The Church, as God’s spiritual temple during the present time, must give way to a material temple in the next movement of God’s plan for Israel and the nations”.
Six weeks later under a very insignificant heading titled “Jerusalem Temple” there appeared the following letter from the Jewish Ambassador in London:
“Allow me to refer to a story appearing in a recent issue of your publication, concerning the shipping of stones from the U.S.A. for the alleged purpose of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. I would like to point out that this story is an absolute and complete fabrication, in all its aspects. There are no plans for the re-building of the Temple, no shipments for such a purpose have been made from the U.S.A. or elsewhere, and the matter has not been considered either in secrecy (as the report alleges) or openly.
In view of the fact that the Temple area is now occupied by shrines of other faiths, both Christian and Moslem, and we would never touch these, the entire story must be considered an invention.”
M. H. Sharon
Counselor (Press)
Embassy of Israel London, W.8.
The True Temple: Christ
Folks, we have lambasted the LDS for perpetuating myths and inventions and it's time we own up to one of our own.
THE “THIRD TEMPLE” IS CHRIST
Jesus said “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up: but he spoke of the temple of his body.” (John 2:19-22)
There’s not other temple to be built, no future for an “earthly Mount Zion”, all things relate to Him, His throne, in heaven, spiritually.
The offering of “sin-offerings” upon the altar as well as other offerings in the vision of Ezekiel indicates that this cannot be an actual temple to be constructed in Jerusalem.
IF it were so, then farewell to the gospel, tear out the Epistle to the Hebrews, roll up the New Covenant – it has decayed and waxed old and is ready to vanish away.
Then take down that Cross of Christ. Re-hang the veil that was rent. Jesus, the author of our faith is not the finisher of it – His mediatorial work was only temporary until this “Third Temple” arrives.
How do the Dispensationalists like Dr. Scofield claim that these forthcoming “blood sacrifices” are “memorial offerings” pointing back to the death of Christ.
But this is absolute fiction and the fabrication of Man. Three times in the Ezekiel passages sin offering is mentioned without qualifications or reference to it being a memorial.
The Dangers of Scriptural Manipulation
Let me make this clear – in my estimation this road of scriptural manipulation will, in time, lead to more and more followers of Jesus reembracing circumcision, clothing demands, and dietary rules – essentially it will return people to the Law.
I mention circumcision because if Ezekiel’s temple is to be interpreted literally, we must accept (that from Ezekiel 44:9) that circumcision must be re-established as a requirement of access to God.
This is what it says:
Ezekiel 44:9 Thus saith the Lord GOD; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel.
If this has not occurred and if this is going to occur still (which in the context of the New Testament epistles is a ridiculous idea) then grace is gone. Gone is Paul’s
Epistle to the Galatians
Gone is the Epistle to the Ephesians with its vision of the New Testament temple and the holy sacrifice of Christ by which Jew and gentile are made one and the middle wall of partition between them broken down. Gone are all the ardent passages (in his word that is supposed to endure forever) against circumcision.
There is a lot more we could cover – and while I stand against the dispensationalist view of a Third Temple I do receive any and all who believe it to be true. I just think we should always seek the most reasonable explanation of scripture and the futurist, third temple view requires far too much to be lost that Christ has done away with . . . to be right.
Clearing Your Calls
Let’s open up the phone lines –
While the operators are clearing your calls, take yet ANOTHER look at this.
Final Thoughts
RUN SPOT.
Emails
