Be discerning
The church can be persecuted, but it is much sadder when the church experiences decay and destruction from the inside. This morning we looked at one of the main forces of the attack from within, false prophets or teachers. Many have been a part of a church where some faction within it determined to cause problems — whether over doctrine, power, control or the color of the paint or carpet. This morning’s passage (Matthew 7:15-23) deals with anyone or any group that attempts to attack from within for their own selfish purposes, rather than the will and glory of God. I have seen individuals discouraged and defeated due to the war of voices about Biblical issues. And unless this is addressed quickly, they usually end up moving away from the church, any church.
I think we all understand that men are men and as such are fallible. Pastors should strive to correctly teach and preach the Word of God. It is in those cases in which men in authority abuse their role and trust to serve themselves and their desires that we addressed this morning. I caution you to be wise and discerning in who you listen to or read as you seek to grow and live out the will of God laid out in Scripture. Here are some that I listen to on a regular basis, and the reasons why:
The Briefing with Al Mohler, president of Southern Seminary is a podcast each weekday dealing with the news of the day from a biblical worldview. https://albertmohler.com/the-briefing/ I also will listen to Thinking in Public as Al Mohler interviews various individuals from their expertise. I just finished the one with Carl Trueman recently as they discussed Carl’s newest book, The Desecration of Man. This can be found at https://albertmohler.com/thinking-in-public/
The World and Everything in It is a podcast produced by World Magazine. It is available every weekday and presents the news from a Christian worldview.
The Truth Encounter is a podcast that started very recently by Del Tackett, who has been in our church a number of times. https://www.deltackett.com/truth-encounter-podcast
Breakpoint from the Colson Center is a podcast dealing with worldview issues of the day. https://breakpoint.org/breakpoint-podcasts/ This is short, under 10 minutes, on a daily basis. Then on Saturdays there is Breakpoint This Week, which is a weekly conversation between John Stonestreet and Maria Baer about the news and trends of the week. https://breakpoint.org/breakpoint-this-week/
Cold Case Christianity with J. Warner Wallace (former cold case detective and Colson Center Centurion) covers a wide array of apologetic topics. If you’re looking for concise and clear Biblical answers to questions you face in sharing your faith, checkout the library of episodes here. https://coldcasechristianity.com/category/podcasts/
These are ones I trust, listen to (The Briefing and The World and Everything in It on a daily basis) and point others towards.
Want a refreshing start to your day? My friend Matt Tullos does a podcast called Scattered Moments, which has become a favorite encouragement for me.
And if you are a Buckeye fan and want to know where I listen, email me and and I will let you know.
Pressing on…
Ron Tipton, Senior Pastor
