In a discussion with someone recently about the Spiritual Growth Workshop (hereafter SGW), it was explained that the promoters of the wolf-gathering event dismiss criticism of the program by referring to those who voice opposition as “naysayers.” So, what is a naysayer? He is one who says no if given an opportunity to vote. He is one who refuses to go along with something. Obviously, the word has a negative connotation, implying that those who do not cooperate in a certain activity are a bunch of duds who would complain about anything positive.
Of course, such is hardly ever the case, except for a few cantankerous souls who do not want to see anything good occur. Those who oppose the SGW have at various times supported schools of preaching, benevolent institutions caring for children, and the evangelistic efforts of other congregations in the area. This congregation has hosted a one-day lectureship for five years on the topics of Biblical Morality, What Will Happen at the End? (eschatology), The Nature of God, the Family, and Why the Bible? All of these have been positive, uplifting, and edifying, yet fewer than ten congregations have been represented out of the fifty or more who have been invited. Are the rest naysayers? What is the difference between a lack of participation in an area event and disapproval of it?
Our lack of support of the SGW, however, is neither capricious nor arbitrary. Brethren in several congregations in this area (at least six in or adjacent to Orlando) intentionally do not have any involvement with it because of the false teachers who are always peppered throughout the program. Who those men are and what their false doctrines are have been noted time and again. Some of the speakers are simply liberal in their worship and doctrine; others are on record as actively challenging the Biblical concept of restoration. Some are from “universities” at the forefront of apostasy or from a paper “chronicling” liberal churches.
The Way It Really Is
In this instance a reversal of charges needs to be made concerning who the naysayers are: Those who plan spiritual events, such as the Tulsa Soul-Winning Workshop and the SGW are the true naysayers. The following list of items explains the rationale behind this assessment.
1. John, who wrote so much on the subject of love (1 John 4:7-11) clearly exhorted brethren: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). That means that some religious men are from God while others are not. What does the word translated “test” mean?
In the Greek is a verb, dokeo [1380], that is usually rendered “think” in its 63 appearances in the New Testament. A few times it is translated “seemed” or “supposed.” Dokimos [1384] descends from dokeo and generally means “approved.” The verb dokimazo [1381] is related to the adjective. In its 23 New Testament usages, it is rendered as “discern” twice and “approve” three times. In Romans 12:2, Paul exhorted brethren to “prove” what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. As it pertains to the Lord’s Supper, every man is to “examine” himself and so partake of it (1 Cor. 11:28). Every man is to “prove” his own work (Gal. 6:4). As Christians walk as children of light, they should be “proving what is acceptable to the Lord” (Eph. 5:11).
When John, therefore, exhorted the brethren to prove or test the spirits, he did not want brethren just to blindly and naively accept everyone who came along as being legitimate. How can someone be tested? Has he spoken somewhere? Has he written an article, a tract, a book? What’s on the church’s website where he preaches—or his own?
If he has written a book that mocks the idea of restoration and the Lord’s church, such might be construed as a clue that he will not pass the test John had in mind. If he disagrees with Moses that the days of Genesis 1 are literal, even though the Sabbath-day observance is based upon such a literal view (Ex. 20:8-11), he is found wanting.
The point is this: The true naysayers say NO to what the Scriptures teach with respect to testing men!
2. Peter informed brethren that, as there were false prophets among the people (under the Old Covenant), there would be false teachers among Christians, secretly bringing in destructive heresies (2 Peter 2:1). Peter then goes on to describe some of the immoral things that these men taught. Who tested these men? Did they not realize that open immorality contradicts the holiness of God? Had they forgotten that Christians are called to glory and virtue? Were these brethren saying no to what God had revealed to them about false teachers?
Many naysayers today refuse to believe that there are many, if any, false teachers.
3. Paul taught that brethren were to test or prove all things. He used the same word as discussed in point one above—dokimazo. He then added that we should hold fast to that which is good and abstain from every appearance of evil (1 Thess. 5:21-22).
The naysayers who operate and support the SGW say no to this principle. They continually, year after year, bring in men who say unscriptural and evil things.
4. Jesus taught that the wolves would wear sheep’s clothing but that they could be known by their fruits (Matt. 7:15-16). Instead of looking at the fruits of such men (who are compromising with denominationalism, giving up Scriptural objections to instrumental music, and even wondering if baptism must be in order to obtain forgiveness of sins), brethren have been suckered in by what they perceive to be a pious demeanor and are making pronouncements such as, “He’s such a godly man,” and, “He’s so spiritual in the way he presents God’s Word.”
Once again the naysayers are saying NO—this time to Jesus—in guarding against false teachers by looking at their fruits.
5. Paul wrote that brethren should mark and avoid such men (Rom. 16:17-18). These men teach things contrary to what the New Testament teaches, and they are marked, all right—marked for an invitation to speak at the SGW. Paul suggested these men ought not to be elevated—but shunned.
The true naysayers have said no to Paul when he commands them to mark false teachers.
6. To avoid those who call themselves brethren is to withdraw fellowship from them. It would be difficult to fellowship an individual whom one is steadfastly and purposefully staying away from. Two former lovers will not be able to kiss if they persist in hiding from each other. Fellowship requires presence, but Paul commands absence.
The naysayers again say no to Paul’s command to avoid those teaching other doctrines.
7. John wrote: “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds” (2 John 10-11). Not only do hundreds of Christians greet these false teachers, so do the other speakers on the program. Many try to deny the reality of this fellowship, but it exists nevertheless. Can anyone imagine any of the apostles on the Day of Pentecost saying, “Oh, sure, I’m speaking in tongues with these other apostles, but I don’t endorse everything they teach or believe”?
While it is the case that out of 30 to 40 speakers, one might not know all of them (and it’s possible for one of them to hold a deviant view), nevertheless how can one not know the views of those who have written a book enjoying a wide distribution that takes issue with the Scriptures? How can one not know about a man who has spoken all over the brotherhood with messages which deny the truth?
The naysayers are at it again, saying NO to John’s command to withhold fellowship, just as they do Paul’s.
The naysayers are not with those who have examined certain programs such as the SGW and found it wanting by means of evaluating the speakers; the true naysayers are those who refuse to follow the Scriptures as taught by the Lord, Paul, Peter, and John.
Certainly, nothing is wrong with spiritual growth. Our One Day Lectureship will have as its theme this year: “Genuine Spiritual Growth.” The Bible teaches growth as a responsibility of the Christian. As always, however, we will invite those who believe what the Bible teaches about salvation and acceptable worship.
All of us say NO to certain things. Because of what the Bible teaches, we cannot be part of certain events that have been evaluated and proven to be faulty. But, ideally, brethren would want to be part of a good work built upon a solid foundation of respect for the truth. Those who refuse to make a reasonable evaluation are, in reality, the naysayers.
APOSTATE ACU—TAKING LIBERALISM TO A HIGHER LEVEL
Marvin L. Weir
For the past forty years or more ACU [Abilene Christian University] has been in a downward spiral as far as God’s truths are concerned. They are now advertising their 104th Annual Summit scheduled for September 19-22, 2010, Aliens & Light: Finding God in the Darkness. “The only hill in Abilene” (their words) would be an excellent place to begin the search—it cannot get much darker than it is now at ACU!
Apostate “theme speakers,” such as Rick Atchley (known for his association with Richland Hills in the Fort Worth area) and Charlton Taylor (associated with Golf Course Road in Midland area) are two excellent reasons to avoid “the hill” on the above dates. It is not enough, however, for ACU to rejoice at packing their program with apostate brethren; they must also include featured guests at Moody Coliseum “who will stimulate our minds and hearts.” These guests have been extended “the hospitality of Christ.” Who are these guests? Let’s first note who they are not: They are not members of the Lord’s church!
James Bryan Smith is “assistant professor of religion at Friends University” and “an ordained United Methodist Church minister…. He is a popular speaker for Renovare conferences and a founding member of Renovare, the spiritual renewal ministry.”
Kathleen Norris (no, ACU doesn’t have a problem with ladies addressing men), is a
best selling author and award winning poet; the geography of life in Lemmon, S.D.; the liturgical life of the Benedictines; and the pains of death…. She will speak from her latest book, Acedia & Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer’s Life, a study of acedia, the ancient word for the spiritual side of sloth. She examines the topic in the light of theology, psychology, monastic spirituality and her own experience.
One thing is for sure: ACU does not have to worry about book, chapter, and verse for this exercise in foolishness.
Shane Claiborne [another speaker on the program]
is an author, Christian activist and speaker. With tears and laughter, he unveils the tragic messes we’ve made of our world and the tangible hope that another world is possible…. He graduated from Eastern University and did graduate work at Princeton Seminary. Shane’s ministry experience includes a 10-week assignment working with Mother Teresa, a year serving at Willow Creek Community Church….
Amazing, isn’t it? Shane’s ministry experience is just enough to qualify him for a keynote address at ACU! Maybe it is the earring in his ear, the bandana wrapped around his head, or the goatee that impressed ACU with this speaker (see photo in their advertising brochure).
On the back page of the brochure (a 44 page booklet), is the following statement:
The 2010 ACU Summit draws the theme, “Aliens & Light: Finding God in the Darkness,” from the collections of 1 Peter and 2 Peter. Collected late in the first century and attributed to Peter, these texts provide a stirring call for Christians enduring suffering in a tumultuous world. At times, followers of Jesus are treated like aliens and exiles in this world.
Collections? Attributed to Peter? 1 Peter 1:1 reads as follows:
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect who are sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.
2 Peter 1:1 declares:
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and the Saviour Jesus Christ.
Collected from whom—inspired or uninspired men? The apostles spoke the inspired (God-breathed) Word as revealed to them by the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 16:13). ACU is obviously more impressed with the denominational dogma of men and a poet’s “own experience” and examining the “spiritual side of sloth” than God’s inspired Word!
The Holy Scriptures declare:
Whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God: he that abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son. If any one cometh unto you, and bringeth not this teaching, receive him not into your house, and give him no greeting: for he that giveth him greeting partaketh in his evil works (2 John 9-11).
Brethren, these denominational featured speakers that ACU is in fellowship with are false teachers who do not abide in the teaching of Christ! ACU has gladly provided a platform for the devil’s doctrine to be taught from within and without to as many as will travel up “the hill.” This is one hill the faithful will not climb!
What about those who support ACU and are enthralled about what occurs on “the hill”? John, speaking by inspiration, makes it clear that they are partaking in his evil works. One thing is certain: ACU desperately needs to find God as they are in total darkness!
—Bonham Street Beacon (Paris, TX) July 11, 2010