Psychology Instead of Scripture

Greetings and welcome once again to the Wednesday night service for beacon Baptist Church, 16, 22 Kirkpatrick Rd., Burlington, NC are coming to you via Lifestream. We have been doing our services that way now for good many weeks, more than two months, but we are also conducting a a people present service on Sunday morning at 930 have done that.

Now for the last three Sundays we are doing it carefully. Maintaining proper social distancing.

We have every other pew marked out so the people are about 6 feet apart in that direction. One pew to the next and we as people to spread out on the pews families.

Of course sitting together family units, but those who are not part of the same family to spread out and try to leave about 6 feet of distance between you and that's been working very very well. I think our biggest frustration has been in rough in regard to singing, we have learned by what we read that one of the greatest dangers in the spread of the covert, 19 virus isn't singing because in singing the projection of the droplets from one's mouth and throat are broadcast farther than normal speech. So our approach has been in case you haven't been with us on Sunday or haven't turned in at that time I tell you this.

Our approach has been to have our congregation remained seated and to speak softly. The words of the hymns without singing them so that way we get the benefit of the message of the hymn, and a sense of corporate worship corporatists corporate singing, though it's actually speaking.

In this case, but at least getting the benefit of that doing this together corporately and also focusing upon the great words of the hymns that we consider together. Now we are considering the possibility of changing to another plan, namely to actually saying. But if we do that will have to require the body, absolutely everybody. No exceptions.

Wear a mask, so we haven't decided whether to go that route or not. I'm not sure whether singing with a mask, but being able to sing would be more satisfactory or doing it the way were doing it now, but anyway that's what were doing in a couple of other things that I will go into not passing the offering plates, relieving them in the at the Usher station also.

But here in the front on the communion table and people have been placing their offerings there as they come in and as they depart, so they were not having to pass, offering plates from person to person and of course were not handling hymn books of the pews and so forth. Several of the things that we are doing and so far it's worked very very well. In fact, we are so pleased with what has been taking place that at our weekly elders meeting this afternoon, which only comes consisted of two of us because the plastic cards and his family were on vacation this week but passed above the two of myself at our regular meeting and we talked about the possibility of conducting people present services on Sunday night and maybe also on Wednesday night because we feel like doing. In the same fashion with the same social distancing. We shouldn't have any difficulty in doing that. So, no decision has been made were not making an announcement were just telling you that were thinking about that and hope that we will be able to make an announcement to that end before too long before too many more weeks go by.

Maybe a week or two, but will see no announcement, just just a possibility, and we will see how it goes. Classrooms, of course, will have to be the last thing that we do because there we are can date containing a number of people in a smaller room and it's very difficult if not impossible, really, to maintain the recommended social distancing so that will be the last thing to be incorporated but we are grateful we are having a good attendance on Sunday morning is not our entire congregation were not having 100% attendance. We still have a number of people who consider themselves to be on that risk category and don't feel like it's safe for them to come out of the understand it fully. We really don't want anyone to come if they don't feel safe, but we've been very encouraged by the good number of people who have come. I would say we probably have been enjoying 60 to 65% of our normal Sunday morning attendance and with that that number. We have been able to distance to spread out into to maintain social distancing.

So we are moving a little bit closer and closer towards normalcy and we shall see where it goes. But one thing that we are planning that will be moving towards normal is to have our June elders and deacons meeting next Tuesday night. We did not have one in April. We did not have one. In May, but we are planning to have one in June. We need to get going on some of our work and their other things we need to start getting getting moving again.

So we are doing all we can.

Mindful that the pandemic is not over. There is still danger around us. We do need to be careful mindful that Alamance County has now become a rather active's area for the covert, 19 virus whereas for the first couple of months.

It was very very under represented in in the average across our state that is no longer the case, primarily because of one location. That's why don't matter senior citizen facility and in that one location there have at last report been 48 staff members and 84 residents who have tested positive for covert, 19 and 27 deaths, so please pray for why don't matter and all who are involved in that location while here's what the word of God tells us in Isaiah chapter 40. Have you not known, have you not heard the everlasting God, the Lord, the create tour of the ends of the earth, neither saints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak and to those who have no might he increases strength. How wonderful to know that that is true.

Will you join me as I bow to beseech the throne of grace and prayer father how grateful we are that you are indeed sovereign in all the affairs of men. We recognize of what is taking place in the United States and indeed around the world with this covert, 19 pandemic is not something that is out of your control. It is something that you are controlling perfectly and you have a wise and a gracious purpose for bringing this to us and father.

The social unrest that we have been experiencing in this country for the last more than a week now I suppose is also something that is not outside your domain, not outside your sovereign rule were grateful that you take these things that seem so alarming to us and you mold them and form them into instruments to accomplish your perfect purposes in our lives.

Certainly, wonderful purposes, gracious purposes in the lives of your children and good purposes to bring honor and glory to Christ in the lives of all who are involved in father, it would be our great desire that you might be pleased to use these things to humble us as a nation to show us our sins, to cause us to repent before you, to cause us to turn to Jesus Christ, to cause us to to find new delight and interest in your word and to seek the guidance and the light that it brings upon our understanding the Lord. If you would accomplish these things, we would rejoice, but father we will rejoice in whatever you are doing because you are the sovereign ruler of the universe, and you are just your holy.

You are righteous you are wise and your loving and you are gracious and therefore we bow before your throne and we beseech your presence with us today as we gather together all throughout Alamance County and home scattered here and there is our beacon congregation gathers together in front of our computers and other electronic devices and, indeed, as others join us from other places and around the Lord meet with us and make this time a time of special worship. Special praise special Thanksgiving special reception of your word and with a believing response as we ask these things in Jesus name, amen.

Some hundred and two verses one and two, says, hear my prayer, Lord, and let my cry come to you. Do not hide your face from me in the day of my trouble.

Incline your ear to me in the day that I call, answer me speedily. Jehovah rains in majesty let all the nations quake. He dwells between the cherubim led earth's foundations shake supreme in Zion is the Lord exalted gloriously, you nations praise his name with all the holy one is see the mighty king loves just as well and equity ordains. He rules his people righteously and faithfulness maintain will magnify the Lord our God led him exalted be in worship at his footstool bow the holy one is see when priests and prophets called on God. He their petitions heard his cloudy pillar led them on and they obeyed his word. Those sending judgments for their sins, he pardons graciously exalt the Lord and worship him.

The holy one is see our government official of the week is Lieut. Gov. Dan Forest of North Carolina.

Please uphold him and other government officials in prayer or praising the Lord that my wife Marty is much improved from the cracked ribs that she sustained some weeks ago were grateful that Max Hudson, the uncle of two of our church members. A resident at White Oak Manor and also one who was infected with covert, 19 is now recovering effect is considered recovered and is showing no symptoms would praise the Lord for that. Praise the Lord that Scott Lewis one of our beacon members has applied for graduation from Liberty University and has plans to move on for quite a bit of additional training in the months and years to come. We praise the Lord for the birth of Evelyn Joy Rogers to Brenton Ashley Rogers was born on June 3. We continue to pray for Sarah Cardwell who is going to have additional tests another MRI to determine if in fact there is a need for additional surgery for her knee. We pray that perhaps God will spare her that we pray for Drew Guthrie and thanked the Lord that she seems to be improving very grateful for the report that we received about Caleb Savage, who is recovering from an automobile accident lost hearing in that accident, but today had a good report. Or maybe that was yesterday from the doctor will be running some additional hearing test in September so that they can be absolutely certain, but at this time. He is hearing seems to be improving, and in fact is is very near-normal and there is much cause for rejoicing. Continue to pray for Art Pope with his COPD and Shirley Watkins as she recovers from pulmonary issues for Sarah Gilmore and a next mother who is now back home after going to the hospital for vetting may Michelle Lau's mother, who is in need of our prayers. She is getting up in age for Scott McMillan placed on our street by LeeAnn Michael Hanlon of our congregation and Scott I had an infection in his hips, but he's doing much better. The schedule to have the first of two hip replacements this Friday, June 12 and if all goes well, he should have the second one in 4 to 6 weeks.

We are also mindful that peak resources another senior citizen facility.

Three of the staff members have tested positive for covert, 19 we continue to pray for missionary Trevor Johnson and his family as they returned to the states to deal with some needs for their children as well as Trevor's health issues. We continue to pray for missionary Paul and and Tricia Snyder also in the United States for health reasons, and for the needs of their children and we continue to pray for Stuart Waugh as he awaits a donor for a liver transplant in South Africa. We are also praying for pastor Eric Johnson of Providence Baptist Church in Asheboro is recovering from recent neck surgery.

He seems to be doing well, for which we thank the Lord. Short letter from missionary Dave Rudolph and his wife Julie who were also in the states and have become stranded here. You might say, for the time being a dear friends and supporters. Thank you for praying for us and for the many responded to our last email. It is still clear that we must remain in the United States, at least until the end of July. We are hoping that flights into South Africa will resume by August if that does not happen. We will let you know, we continue to trust the Lord.

I have a letter from missionaries Tony and Kathy Payne who are church planters in the country of South Africa, and they wrote on May 23 a greetings from Cape Town today. This is day 58 and counting of lockdown level for see if I'm reading this correctly, no level V and 23 days a level IV due to covert, 19 a few people have been able to return to work with reduced hours.

There are still no gatherings of any kind except for funerals with restrictions.

We covet your prayers for everyone in South Africa during this pandemic that God might bring all of us to a strengthened understanding of his sovereignty over this virus and that we might be changed through that to live each day. The light of eternity and to strive to make Christ known. While many of our believers at end Hoven Baptist Kirk are particularly at risk due to issues, health issues, tonight we wish to highlight our churches young nurse Tracy works at the emergency center.

One of our government hospitals along with her family. Tracy and her husband Jonathan trusted Christ in January 2017. It has been a delight to disciple them and watch them grow in their love for Christ and his word the Lord has given them three daughters age 11, five and two 2019. Jonathan began preaching occasionally on Wednesday nights and he reads the Scripture for our Sunday services. Tracy helps in our tract table ministry where we distribute tracks and take blood pressure and have meaningful conversations and contact will there for 30-year-old Tracy nursing as a passion and a calling not simply a job as the Western Cape has become the epicenter of covert, 19 and South Africa. Tracy sees undiagnosed and diagnosed cases of covert, 19 as of today would be May 23. As of today the Western Cape, which represents only 7% of the country's 59 million people is 65% of the countries cases the hospital were Tracy works provide some personal protective equipment, but not all that is recommended as the number of cases in the Western Cape is climbed in the peak is expected in July. It is naturally a concern the Tracy not become infected.

Please pray for God's protection upon Tracy her favor versus first Corinthians 1013 there has no temptation taken you but such is common to man, but God is faithful and will not allow you to be attempted above that you are able will with the temptation make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it. Pray that the Lord will use Tracy to provide a testimony before colleagues and patients of joy and peace in her faithful God. Yours in Christ signed Tony and Kathy Payne that I'm a communication from the Webster's in France.

This was written on April 20 so it goes back about a month and 1/2 to praying friends. We've received many questions about the effects of coronavirus in France. The rapidly evolving nature of the situation is made it difficult to respond since answers change regularly. A huge part of it all has been the weight of responsibility of leading a congregation through an extended time of forced quarantine and the learning curve that this represents whereas in some parts of North America you may know, no one suffering from the virus in Europe. This is certainly not the case.

We personally know of or no personally.

Many, including family and fellow workers for the gospel we been dealing with it since after Mike's return from the Congo in February and February 25. First, there were limits on public gathering, then small, public places, including restaurants, bars, stores and churches in March 17 total confinement order was issued by the government only businesses and establishments deemed necessary, have remained open there for work and school from home have become the norm movement outside the home must be accompanied by a special document under penalty of fine the most recent announcement from the government came just yesterday the CERT the current stipulations will extend until May 11. However, as of this writing we do not know when churches will be able to meet again.

One important aspect has been a negative change in attitudes toward evangelical Christians, a large international gathering of the church in Mulhouse contributed to a significant outbreak of the virus in that region. Although this happened before any restrictions were imposed were even suggested by the government. Nevertheless, Christians are being blamed in ways that are reminiscent of ancient Rome. We have been advised by our mission board to expect our financial support to be affected. However, as of this writing, there is no noticeable difference this may change in the weeks and months ahead. Pray for God's provision, but also for special wisdom and any adjustments on our end.

If the US dollar remain strong.

That will help.

There have been a few extra expenses related to investment in the technology necessary for ministry to continue. We trust God to supply because our offices are at home and there are the just the two of us. Confinement has been easier on us than on many in our church. We saw this coming. So Melanie began preparing food and stocking supplies in February and confinement orders allow for grocery shopping but we have been able to buy fresh goods through a farmers co-op the provides home delivery and through Amazon. We are both 61 years old, but an overall good health. However, since Melanie has epilepsy.

We have tried to be extra careful, we are allowed one hour a day to exercise with one within 1 km of our house.

We are blessed to live in a housing development with many walkways and greenery. We have taken full advantage. Many of our families are confined to small apartments, automatic extensions for things like tax declarations visa renewal and car inspection are helpful, but catch-up out afterwards promises to make like interesting.

We have more content and more content with family read had more contact rather with family than usual. Given the circumstances and we have had a fascinating time.

Comparing notes from different geographical positions and political contexts. Many of their children. Maybe all of them are in North America and the letter goes on to say that Mike is using technology to minister to the congregation continues to say decisions directly affecting the future of the church that are important steps toward full economy were scheduled to have been made at our annual business meeting in March. As of this writing we have no idea when that can take place. God is in control of his work. He has chosen to bring that reality home to us in ways we could never have imagined all praise to him ever thankful for your prayer will support signed Mike and Melanie Webster serving in France.

I would encourage you to open your Bible with me to Galatians chapter 6 and we will resume where we left off last Wednesday night, coming down toward the conclusion of Paul's epistle to the Galatians we are aware of the fact that Paul has now is a verse 11 in chapter 6 taken the quail out of the hand of the amanuensis who was receiving his dictation and is now writing verses 11 through the close in verse 18 with his own hand, a common practice of his in order to authenticate that the epistles were indeed he is sent to prevent, prevent counterfeit epistles from circulating in his name, but most of the time when he did this, he only wrote something like a closing benediction in his own handwriting handwriting, which would be recognized by the churches to whom he was writing, but in this case.

He writes a total of C about nine versus the fact that he writes these words that we are examining now in his own hand rather than dictating them to the amanuensis I think gives them special emphasis special and significant importance in our consideration and he is talking about a danger. It is connected with the body of the epistle it's connected with the problems that he was dealing with in the first part of the epistle, which was the problem of false teachers that we know today by the name Judaizers, though he did not use that term that were professing Christians who were of Jewish background and heritage, who were incorporating requirements from the Mosaic law into their presentation of the gospel in their practice of Christianity and were zealous in spreading these errors wherever they could, and were busy pressuring people to incorporate these practices into their lives as Christians. The primary one being the rite of circumcision which was the Old Testament right by which Jewish males were brought into the old covenant, and these were being taught. This was being taught as a requirement for new covenant believers, which is entirely wrong. So Paul writes in verse 11 C with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand as many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh. These would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ for not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may boast in your flesh, God forbid that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor un-circumcision avails anything but a new creation. Five. Symptoms of self-serving religion because that's what Paul is describing here we look at the first one last Wednesday night. That was image instead of reality, as many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, professing Christians, professing ministers of the gospel, who are more interested in projecting a certain MH than they are in proclaiming truth and living in the light of that truth image instead of reality that silly system symptom the first of five symptoms of self-serving religion. What is number two.

Psychology in the place of Scripture going on in verse 12 as many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, that's image over substance. As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh. These would compel you to be circumcised. These would compel you to be circumcised.

The English word compel has the idea of force that is the basic meaning of of the Greek word that is translated compel to force or to constrain they would force you to be circumcised.

They would constrain you to be circumcised that we need to consider in what way they are doing this, obviously not tackling people hogtied them and are circumcising them in this way that's not what they're doing. That's not the kind of force. The kind of constraint that they are using one of the using they are using psychological pressure psychological manipulation mental force mental constrain psychological coercion is what they are doing. They are using psychological pressure. Social pressure to get you to do something that they want you to do. They're not using the word of God, they're not using the Scripture. They're not teaching you the truth of God's word and calling upon you to obey the word of God. No, that's not what they're doing they are using psychology, psychological pressure, instead of Scripture. They were teaching that circumcision is necessary for inclusion in the covenant of grace and they are denigrating anyone who disagrees with them, such as the apostle Paul who is teaching that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. You hear circumcision anywhere in that formula. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone where circumcision and that no software but that's the gospel that's the gospel to call Paul proclaiming, but they are using manipulation, psychological pressure to get people to practice circumcision as a component of the Christian faith. We have an example of how they were doing that earlier in this book of Galatians and I turned to chapter 2 and I read verse 11 Paul writes now when Peter had come to Antioch Antioch was that city north of Jerusalem. As I recall maybe about 400 miles north where the gospel had spread with great effect. Great power. A large church had been established for not predominantly Gentile church. Antioch was a Roman city filled with Gentiles in God did a great work there, and many were converted begin followers of Jesus Christ. Now we read when Peter had come to Antioch I Paul withstood him to his face because he was to be blamed by you may remember that Paul for a wild was one of the pastors of the church in Antioch. The church had been founded by unnamed Christians who were scattered from Jerusalem because of persecution. The Bible tells us in the book of acts that they went everywhere preaching the gospel and they were in the in the beginning were preaching the gospel to number two. The Jews only, but when they came to Antioch. They began to preach it to Greeks as well and many Greeks believed in such a multitude were saved. Word came back to the church in Jerusalem to the leaders injured Jerusalem and they sent Barnabas a trusted leader and trusted preacher to go to Antioch check things out and bring them back and report when he got there he found that the report was true. In fact, it makes result of the gospel was even more extensive than what had been reported and that there was in desperate need for a mature season preacher to stay with these people and teach them God's word. They were baby Christians without a solid ministry of the word, and so Barnabas stayed there and for a year. He taught them the word of God and many more were say the church is just growing and multiplying and expanding so Barnabas looking for help found Saul now will later he'll be called Paul, who was from the city of Tarsus not terribly far away from Antioch closer to two, Antioch, and Jerusalem was an Saul was from Tarsus and had returned to Tarsus to escape persecution. The dog p.m. and Barnabas begged him to come to Antioch and help them so Paul did that now there are two seasoned mature God called God, prepared God blessed preachers in the city of Antioch, preaching the word of God and into this situation comes a visit by the apostle Peter. That's were reading in Galatians 2.1 Peter come to Antioch. I said Paul withstood him to his face because he was to be blamed. That is a remarkable statement.

Think about Peter, considered by many to be the leading apostle Peter, one of the inner circle of the Lord Jesus Christ Peter James and John were the inner circle among the apostles of Christ, and Christ was upon the earth Peter a great leader among the apostles, a great leader in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ comes to Antioch, and Paul says I confronted him face-to-face. There must've been something pretty serious to cause Paul to do that. What was it you go on and we find out for verse 12 before certain men came from James.

James is in Jerusalem before certain men came from James he Peter would eat with Gentiles, but when they came, he withdrew himself and separated himself fearing those who were of the circumcision, there's that word again and the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him so that even Barnabas. Paul's copastor really the senior pastor.

The lead pastor of the church in Antioch. Even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel. I said to Peter before them. All this a public confrontation highly unusual, but necessary. I said to Peter before them all if you being a Jew live in the manner of the Gentiles, which is what you were doing before these Judaizers came from Jerusalem.

If you being a Jew live in the manner of Gentiles, and not as the Jews apply do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews. They are see what was going on when these people came from Jerusalem. These Jewish professing Christians.

They were on a mission, and they were on a mission to compel Gentiles to adopt Mosaic regulations. Circumcision is when the ball deals within the in Galatians chapter 6, but dietary regulations is the one that came up in Galatians chapter 2 and Peter before they came before these people came from Jerusalem enjoying table fellowship with Gentiles. Most of the church with Gentiles. They enjoyed fellowship meals together and what they eat.

They ate their normal Gentile diet which included weld really had noted restrictions on and it was not a kosher diet. They were restricted to Jewish dietary regulations and so they ate ham and they ate shrimp that was available to them another things it would've been forbidden to Jews and Peter that he joined them in this he had liberty to do that. He knew that those restrictions had now been had been removed.

They been eradicated. The ushering in of the new covenant had rendered them obsolete. They were no longer part of God's law firm for his people.

They were no longer necessary. It was perfectly okay for anyone, Jew or Gentile who believed in Jesus Christ to eat anything that was wholesome, for which she gave thanks to God until however the Judaizers came from Jerusalem and then we read Peter separated himself from the Gentile believers and he only ate with the Jewish Christians at their kosher table because he feared the circumcision he feared there condemnation. There review their gossip there criticism there going back to Jerusalem and reporting to the Christians back there that Peter is violating the law of Moses. He feared all that and others followed him. In fact, it seems like Paul was the only one who stood for the truth of the gospel and the freedom that is that we have in Christ and all of these others caved in to what psychological pressure emotional manipulation.

Coercion, mental coercion, exactly, would Peter Paul is talking about in Galatians chapter 6 as many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh.

These would compel you to be circumcised. They are using psychological pressure, psychological manipulation in order to accomplish their goal and they did that by criticizing by denigrating those who disagreed with them, such as the apostle Paul and by separating themselves from those who disagreed with them and those who fellowship with those who disagree with them. In this way they put great psychological pressure upon the Gentile believers in Antioch to adopt these Jewish practices as a standard of life.

As a rule of life to submit to Mosaic dietary regulations to submit to Jewish circumcision. How does this work today will. Today we have the same tendency psychology instead of Scripture to produce desired results through psychological pressure and manipulation. Instead of through the word of God, blessed and utilized by the Spirit of God.

We see it many times and methods of evangelism, rather than simply preaching the gospel.

That's our part in leaving it with God the Holy Spirit to apply to Hartson to save souls through the preaching of God's word as it pleases him to do. In other words, doing our part and stopping when we have done our part in turning over God's part to the work of the Holy Spirit. There is a great tendency in evangelism in many places today to go far beyond the simple proclamation of the gospel and to employ various methods of psychological pressure, psychological myth, manipulation to compel people to make decisions for Christ, so that comes out in the altar call that comes out with comes out in bow your head to close your eyes, raise your hand for prayer comes out with believe these things do you believe in BS than in prey.

Repeat after me, it comes out in all kinds of manipulation and I know because I employ these things myself in the early years of my ministry having been taught these and not knowing any better until I began to be troubled by them and begin to realize that these techniques are not found anywhere in the word of God. I remember in the early years of our church that we were the best of intentions got involved with a large evangelistic crusade by a well-known evangelist in the city of Greensboro crusade was held in the Coliseum, which turned out to be way too large for the for the crowds that came the Coliseum.

I just holding 15, 16,000 people and there was a good crowd they got to 3000 people, which is a lot to get together but it didn't look like such a big crowd and that Coliseum but any rate we were involved in this. About 40 churches from our area joined together to to sponsor and to promote this crusade and to bring people to the crusade and I will remember the training that was place of those who would assist as personal workers in the inquiry rooms when people responded to what is called the invitation, the altar call to come forward.

I could go to some of the details about the training, which I will not do now, but I even remember how that personal workers were taught. They were sitting in the congregation interspersed throughout the congregation. Personal workers were taught as soon a the invitation is given.

You walk down the aisle because that will give the impression of any people responding to the altar call and that will induce other people to come forward and make a decision for Christ. What is that psychological manipulation. What does that have to do with the work of the Spirit of God. What does that have to do with the Holy Spirit of God, convicting people of sin, bringing them under conviction and causing them to respond to the message of the gospel. It has nothing to do with that.

It has to do with carefully calculated clever psychological manipulation in order for it to produce the desired result. It didn't get many people forward.

All yes it didn't get many people to make decisions all yes I did get many people into the inquiry work rooms all yes where personal workers were taught how to deal with these people and how to to lead them to Christ and properly all of the people who made decisions were strongly encouraged to go to one of the up one of these 40 churches to sponsor the crusade if they had come was someone from one of these churches. They work strongly encouraged to go to the church of the people that would brought them to the crusade, and if they didn't, they came because of billboards advertising, television, advertising, and so forth. Then they were given a list of sponsoring churches and said you be in one of these churches on Sunday. You need to be in church you need to hear God's word. You need to grow in grace, you need to make a public profession of church you need to be baptized, etc. etc. this is what they were taught. All good things.

Six months after the crusade. A meeting was called of the sponsoring pastors to get together and talk about what happened talk about many things, talk, even about the possibility of having another crusade. Actually, there was a second one, but one of the questions that was asked at that meeting.

40 pastors 40 churches hundreds of decisions. One of the questions. It was asked of that meeting was how many of you have people in your church. As a result of the crusade, 40 pastors present one pastor raised his hand.

One, one pastor had one person out of that huge crusade with hundreds of reported decisions. One pastor and one person who was attending his church as a result of the crusade, do you think that that psychological manipulation produced conversions genuine conversions do you think of that psychological manipulation produced many new births. Many genuine Christians, not at all, but there was something to report. The evangelist was able to say we had X number of hundred decisions for Christ.

Great crusade and go on to the next place and repeated all over again. What is that but the same kind of problems were talking about here, not psychological pressure manipulation to be circumcised, but psychological pressure to make a different kind of decision for the cause of Christ, Ellison, that kind of psychological pressure finds its way into many facets of modern-day Christianity.

There are umpteen elements of ministry that employ these techniques.

Some people rely heavily upon counseling to accomplish the work of evangelism.

Some emphasize messages of self-esteem in order to get responses from people and so forth. But that's not God's word. The only thing that God uses to convert people is the word of God and principally the gospel of Jesus Christ. That's what God has ordained.

That's what God has commanded. That's what God blesses.

That's what God uses. It's our responsibility to proclaim the gospel and then be willing to leave the results to God. What difference does it make if we can report umpteen decisions. That's not the critical issue. The critical issue is have we been faithful to proclaim the gospel and have we honored God by trusting him to do the work that he says he will do. Not trying to take into our own hands work that he passed not assigned to us, but working to make it happen. Were going to make something happen somehow. And if the simple preaching of God's word doesn't produce the results that we are determined that we are going to have one way or another. Then we resort to some form of psychological manipulation to accomplish. That's a symptom of self-serving religion symptom number one image in the place of substance and number two psychology in the place of Scripture we see the danger and so easy to let something other than God's word replace truth replace biblical Christianity. And to think that what we are practicing what we are pursuing what we are doing is biblical Christianity and to convince ourselves that it is a God honoring form of biblical Christianity. When all along it is the exact opposite. It is more a kin. The work of the false teachers the Judaizers the Paul is talking about here that it is to God honoring Christianity that symptom number two will have to come back another time to take up symptom number three, shall we read the words of the hymn and then will close in prayer. God be merciful to me on your grace. I rest my plea, my transgressions, I confess, grief and guilt.

My solo press wash me, make me pure within plans will cleanse me from my sin, I have sinned against your grace and provoke you to your face.

I confess your judgment just speechless. Your mercy, trust that my contrite heart rejoice in gladness hear your voice gracious God, my heart.

Renew make my spirit right and true. Do not cast me from your site nor remove your spirits light your salvation's joy restore make me steadfast ever more contrite spirit pleading cries you will. God will not despise sinful ways.

I will reprove and my tongue shall sing your love. Let my righteous sacrifice, then the light holy eyes, shall we pray father we pray for ourselves, for we are fallen sinners sons and daughters of fallen Adam. Therefore, we go astray easily and only by the work of your spirit.

Are we brought into the paths of truth and righteousness. Father, we realize that even in our pursuit of Christianity, we can leave the path of truth and pursue a path of error and not even realize it because we have not examined your word carefully enough or been willing to question whether we are being true to your word. Lord forgive us for these things help us not to have a form of religion that is subtly designed to exalt itself to exalt man would rather Lord, may we gladly embrace the true gospel of Jesus Christ and endeavor to point all of the honor and glory to him a father, we thank you for the improvement with Max Hudson.

We thank you for the achievement of Scott Lewis. We thank you for the birth of Evelyn Rogers.

We pray for Lieut. Gov. Dan Forest. We pray for Sarah Cardwell and for her continued recovery from knee surgery. We pray for Drew Guthrie, our dear sister, that you may help her with her cancer treatments for Caleb cassette which we give you praise. We pray for our pope and Shirley Watkins for Sarah Gilmore for Betty Mae for Scott McMillan pray for our community for Alamance County and for those who have been infected by the covert virus that you might be merciful to them. We pray for our nation. We pray for the turmoil that has overtaken our land. We pray Lord that you might use it to bring honor and glory to Christ and to do good for your church pray for missionary Trevor Johnson and for missionary Paul Snyder and for missionary steward will plot Lord please minister to them. Father we pray for this nurse in South Africa in the church that has been established by missionary Tony pay she ministers to others.

We pray that you would protect her from covert, 19, and that you might use her mightily. Father, help us to know you to know your word by the light of your word and by the work of your spirit to know ourselves to understand our own heart help our heart to be honest and open before you and help us to bring honor and glory to Christ in whose name we pray.

Amen