What’s Wrong with Church Hopping?

What's wrong with church hopping. That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity either.

This is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call us right now with your question. At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on her Facebook, Instagram or twitter account and you can email us at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to John in Colfax California. John what your question for Israel 5111 talking about begging God to Them away from and do not take your Holy Spirit from my understanding is that once you get saved. The Holy Spirit is given to a field by courting Ephesians 1 and it's basically your revocable until the day of the redemption of the purchased possession which correlates perfectly like he'll never leave my camera can file out with particular pathogen talk if you want hey John, thank you for the questions. Is David's prayer of repentance and he says very clearly in verse eight, hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities creating me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me, cast me not away from your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Well, a couple of things we have to understand that the Lord has worked in diverse ways throughout redemptive history. So our relationship to God under the new covenant is different from that relationship that David had with the Lord. Here in Psalm 51 I'm not saying he was saved in a different way or he experienced a different Holy Spirit, but I think we have to we have to grapple with the promises that we find throughout the Old Testament of the new covenant in the way in which God was can operate by his Spirit in the whole church that is not just for the kings and the prophets and the priests but all of his covenant people filled with sealed with the Holy Spirit and I think what David is concerned with here is the Lord removing that that gift that calling that grace, that the Lord had given to him as a king in Israel and info and and you know this is right in line with me think of Saul of Tarsus, which you clearly saw in the Old Testament, not the guy became the apostle Bob Saul the first King of of Israel who sinned against the Lord and who who was essentially that you know that the end of his life and apostate in the spirit of God were told left him not. I don't think that that means that the spirit of God today for sealed with the Holy Spirit will will just abandon us if we sin or that kind of the thing again. This is where I think understanding our relationship to the Lord under the new covenant is really important.

One of the things action that I think is really interesting about this John is what David is praying for here in Psalm 51 is essentially the blessings of the new covenant because when you turn over to the promise of the new covenant in Jeremiah 31 verse 31 it says, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel with the house of Judah. Not like the covenant I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was there. Husband declares the Lord, for this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put my law within them and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God and they will be my people, and no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying no, the Lord, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

In other words, this promise. The new covenant that that the work of the Holy Spirit, a brand-new heart, the forgiveness of sins is what David is praying for.

In Psalm 51 and the answer is this new covenant of the Lord is is bringing that we get to participate into faith in Jesus Christ, John, and so there's no there's no contradiction there, just want to follow-up with you though. John it does that get to the heart of your question. Were you think of something else, something like that really there is another 11 39 where he talks about I go from your spirit, where can I flee from your presence of the lake you. I know that an apparent contradiction. If God be in my understanding God is never contradict himself so I hear what you stamp and it makes sense. I'm really evil covenant new covenant.

All that but I'm just reading it for you not well let me just let me just say this and maybe this will help to clarify for further for you. The spirit of God it did come upon individuals and in throughout the Bible so again going back to Saul for example in the Old Testament the spirit of God came upon many prophesied mightily, or you think of Samson. You know, in the spirit of the Lord would come upon them so that there were these moments where an individual would be specially blessed filled with the Holy Spirit for a particular task, and often times with the kings and the prophets.

This is this is precisely what you would see they would be anointed with oil at that there ordination or setting apart as a sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit to fulfill this particular role and I think that's what David is praying about. He saying, Lord, don't. Don't take your spirit from me in that sense, in the same way that that the spirit was taken from from Saul. He's crying out to to God asking for his mercy, asking for his forgiveness, but I don't think that we have to we have to take from that that we as believers in Jesus Christ. Under the new covenant can be abandoned or left by the spirit of the true and living God, because just like you say John were sealed with the Holy Spirit that's that's what the apostle Paul said in the book of Ephesians and then that's not something that we we can have and then lose and then get back again, the sort of back-and-forth thing of the spirit of God lives in us dwells in us in a way that's that special way that's unique and so appreciate your question brother and I thank you for forgiving us a call and for that follow-up. Love the fact that John is really digging into God's word. Both the old and the New Testament trying to reconcile those things which can be a challenge at times. You know absolutely and the question right this question in particular of is the Lord can leave me and my going to do something that's can it cause the Holy Spirit to abandon me. It's written really practical. I mean this isn't just like a let's let's you know talk about this way and it doesn't affect this at all. There are a lot of believers who that's their greatest fear and so it's important that we search the Scriptures and come to a proper understanding so that we can we can deal with those fears, your listings or core, Christianity, and if you have a question about the Bible, the Christian life, theology, Christian doctrine, or even how your daily faith walk intersects with today's culture. Would love to hear from you hearse the phone number it's 833 the core but want to make a note of that 833.core 1-833-843-2673 now this coming weekend is Halloween and it seems like every year around this time we'd start getting those calls about demons than the devil and some people have some maybe erroneous ideas about the devils influence our lives. Yeah a lot of people I think have erroneous ideas about about the devil inside the church outside the church and the problem is I think are our our theology on this is shaped not so much by Scripture, but maybe by what we see in media or who are just these assumptions that we have as Christians. And so it's really important for us to come to us as we been talking already of a proper biblical understanding of so many things in and this is one of them spiritual warfare. Naturally we've made this new resource can the devil read my mind is a 70 page booklet that gives you a thorough understanding of what the Bible says about Satan and demons in spiritual warfare and it's a booklet they can be yours for free over it. Core, Christianity.com W booklet also has some really practical guidance on how we can protect ourselves from the devil's influence in our lives. Absolutely yeah.

I mean, that's one of the things that I think is the most helpful about it is to some of those practical step-by-step encouragements for what it looks like for us to resist the devil and to be wise, discerning as we think about these things. And again it's free. You can go to our website at core, Christianity.com/offers to learn more. Just look for can the devil read my mind and just to spoil it know we can't just shut out our website or give us a call for that resource. What we want to go to voicemail.

We received from one of our listeners in the United Kingdom with an interesting question question about protecting the cat everything he saying that we should be a member. One catch. I know I sure hope around touches and stuff.

I get why I always felt he could catch was I may and I'll say during Bible study chapters. I will check to us in bold online with my own touches wind up with all the way I see is that when order to catch on any I might be like my cactuses, MySpace, to mean companies not like companies like KDE spend more time with your Christ economy, but he still seen on teaching uncle losing he still 29 conduct extraneous to the shyest assumption breath. Thank I listen to that night. Yeah, that time during the I am going through hell say make a brushy in human history.

A just God bless you as well. I love this question. As the pastor of a local church was often telling people like hey, be committed to the church to it wherever you are, you know we we frequently talk about the importance of being in a local church in you know when I talk to the people in my own congregation. I encourage them to be committed right to to the church that you're part of where where you're at, but your question, I love the way you put it, just in terms of that the family analogy just because it there's nothing wrong with having friends other believers outside of your local church you fellowship with the you hang out with that you that you learn from and you can encourage one another.

I certainly have friends outside of outside of the church and other brothers and sisters who you were able to encourage each other but primarily I think if you if you're in a church being committed to the things that are happening there and participating in the life of the body is so important and let me just give you a couple of passages you asked why so you maybe some of the reasons why there's this text in the book of Hebrews in Hebrews chapter 13 verse 17 it says obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account.

Let them do this with joy and not with groaning for that would be of no advantage to you. In other words, in the New Testament there is this assumption that believers are a part of local worshiping communities bodies local churches where there are elders, deacons, and Paul talks about this in first Timothy three and Titus chapter 1, and in particular the elders are charged with keeping watch over your soul.

Now not every Christian is under the, the, the charge of you know particular group of elders. It is just that the that the Christians that are there in that local church that they're gonna have to give an account for, and I like to ask you know Christians believers. This question of who is it that is keeping watch over your soul here that the elders in your church, the people who were there caring for you, encouraging you and if it were not really tied together to the local church you for not doing life in the local church. It makes it really hard for for that the leadership there to really care for us spiritually. Like like they're supposed to, and so I would say that's one reason that doesn't mean that we don't have friendships, relationships outside a local body that we don't participate in stuff outside the local church, but just in terms of helping the leadership of the church care for your soul. I think it's really important that you're invested there that you're part of the life of the body there that people know you you think about noon about the discussion that the apostle Paul has in first Corinthians 12 about how each of us are gifted in different ways jazz God.

God has given you specific gifts for the body of Christ that you get to use in the context of of the local church to relationships through through friendships through fellowship and other people have gifts that they get to use as well for for your building up in and together as we come together as were committed to one another. That's when you see healthy churches thriving. But if each of us are just kind of doing our own thing you know you I go here on Sunday. Some sometimes an object at another church over there and then I'm part of all these different groups in the question is who's really entrusted with your spiritual oversight sounds interesting about yourself and I are never there been times in my life and starting on and on about this but where early, especially my walk with the Lord and I had all these Christian friends and relations was good old Bible study over here church over there.

Sometimes the maybe a different church and and I got to the point right II just asked myself who is who is really keeping watch over my soul. Yeah, I got a couple friends who we know we can have good conversation with her, just like me, they struggle with the same things I struggle with the does not really real spiritual oversight. There is of them. The main reason I think it's important for us to be committed to a local church under the oversight of the leadership there is, is for our souls for that.

So for the effort for forgetting proper care and again, that doesn't mean it needs to be in a weird and you don't have friendships, relationships outside local church. No do that get as much encouragement as you can, but certainly be committed to a local body that is faithful to preaching the gospel and warrior to being Encouraged and cared for like the New Testament talks about some great advice and thanks jazz for that great question. We appreciate that this is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Let's go to Tim in Lincoln Nebraska. Tim what your question well, thank you so much for taking my call about called to be for target development now but anyway where in the Bible to talk about impermanence more girl wants to earn billboard born into a girl and it's really affected my family moved to Europe tomorrow before Jesus with all my heart and I'm concerned about family member plumbing part of this is just what were talking about biblical sexuality. The doctrine of man here me in how God created us what our identity is rooted in and it seems like today in our culture and how their excuse me Tim. There are many people who want to route the core of our identity in our sexuality and particularly in how we feel and so I I I am attracted to this sex or I feel like my gender doesn't match my biological sex. That kind of a thing is, so there really has been a shift, especially in recent years in terms of understanding the people's understanding of human identity and so I think this is bigger than just one.

One Bible verse to my think it really is looking at what it means to be made in the image of God in the that the core of our identity as creatures made by the true and the living God is as God's got God's creation that he loves and cares for and calls to live in a certain way and so you know when the Bible talks about sex, gender, be think about God creating Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden there to complement one another to love one another and we just really twisted that in in society today. Now I know that there's so much of the issues I think just were inundated with these things were hearing and social media from the culture. Just you need to embrace these ideas otherwise you know you're here hateful or or something like that will well know, that's not the case necessarily reacts actually have to stick to what the Scriptures say here and speak the truth in love, and so I think I don't know entirely what the situation is with your family member did sounds like getting some pastoral care bill just even in terms of, you know the sort of psychological stuff that's going on what what would you add there while one of the big concerns right now is if you go to a secular psychologist that allows thinking that build your embrace, your gender identity. And of course it doesn't fit with the research is more the political views of let's say the American psychological Association which have some big concerns about myself.

So yes, pastoral counselor or a Christian therapist who is basing their advice on God's truth and scientific truth, not on some political beliefs or some agenda so I think that's that's really key. Yeah yeah and and maybe just getting back to the basics of what the Bible says about about human identity and and and sexuality is not to be popular in in today's culture, but having those kinds of conversations and I actually think that the beautiful thing about this is being able to look at your more than your your lot more than your feelings. You were made in the image of God and sin entered the world and because of sin were were broken we experience brokenness and we have these disordered feelings. This disorder desires the psychological effects but there is a God who is gracious toward sinners and we can go to him.

We can confess these things we can get get encouragement help hopefully and in the life of the body of Christ may be as you even said Bill is a Christian therapist or counselor to walk alongside of people who are going through some of these some of the struggles I think this is so important, so I thank you for for that question to May the Lord be with you in and give you wisdom in the situation big as we talked about many times there is a God and you enter it that you don't get to the your at your absolutely right on that. That's part of the problem. I think a lot of times today's is we want to reject what God has said in embrace you know RRR's always certain rules when it comes to mankind humanity.

Paul Paul talks about that in places like Romans chapter 1, so this is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Let's go to Al and Fort Worth or Fort Wayne Indiana Al what your question for April.

Yeah, my question is about the Mormon Jesus Mormon worship the same that we worship and can the Mormon Jesus removed sin. Forgive sin fail. Thank you for that question. I do not believe that the Mormon Jesus as he's described in in Mormon doctrine is the Jesus of the Bible and so I think if somebody's putting their trust in that Jesus there. There is an issue and Paul the apostle talked about this and he said that it one of Satan's tricks is going to be confusing people about the identity of Jesus.

You coming as an angel of light is what the apostle Paul says in second Corinthians chapter 11. He's writing the great things and he says I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness do bear with me for I feel divine jealousy for you since I betrothed you to one husband to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning. Your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus and the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept the different gospel from the one you accept that you put up with it readily enough another season. Look, I'm concerned for you, criticisms, and come along and preach a different Jesus one that we did not preach one that we didn't deliver to you in our gospel proclamation and if you put up with that if you embrace it, you know you're you're knocking to be receiving the spirit of the true and the living God receive a different spirit. Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. He is not showing up wanting you to just reject everything that's good and true and beautiful about Christianity will fill you know, dress it up a little bit you. Let's accept some of the morality, some of these family values is those things but confuse them about who Jesus Christ is and I think that the Mormon church is confused about who Jesus is and about his his church and it's interesting when Mormonism started, it was all about basically send all the all the churches around right now are false, their apostate. We are recovering the gospel of Jesus Christ so that they set themselves against that the church landscape singlet.

We are the true revelation of who Jesus is. Nowadays it seems like they change their tune like they're trying to be more and more, you know, accept it as justly as we want to see the table word were Christians just like you are that kind of the things of the there's been I think the shift in terms of the way that they try to do apologetics and get people to join their church and it's it's deceptive because they'll oftentimes use Al that the exact same terms that we you still talk about Jesus, grace the heavenly father. But when when you get into the important you know points of Mormon doctrine. They define each of those things differently than the church has historically they reject the doctrine of the Trinity.

They rejected that the doctrine of the incarnation as it was articulated by as it is Artie delayed by the Scripture and and by many faithful Christians throughout the history of the church. They have I think an incorrect understanding of the gospel of justification by faith alone in Jesus Christ. So there.

All of these things where where they use the same language and that's what makes this so so hard for a lot of people to to really see through it.

But we have to be.

We have to be discerning.

This is why it's so important brothers and sisters that we know the word that you understand the Scriptures, because as Paul says Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. He doesn't just deny the Scripture. He takes it, and he twisted it so it's it's it's up to us to be in faithful church is where the word of God is his top.

Well I'm overhearing it were encouraged were were growing in our understanding of the Scripture so that we can see through the lies that are out there and confront them with the truth. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer.

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