Is Mormonism a Cult?

so the first thing is let's go to Galatians première passage right you guys knew I was going there Galatians chapter 1 it's an important passage in light of the discussions we have with religions that ape Christianity and use Christian terminology and preach other Gospels so Galatians chapter 1 a little bit of background on the letter of Paul to the church in Galatia this is probably the earliest letter written by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament that becomes important in this discussion because the Apostle Paul chose is one of his first subjects to actually talk about to tackle the gospel justification through faith in Christ apart from any work of law now notice that the Apostle Paul when he does this in Galatians he writes this letter he actually opens up in a way that he doesn't do in other letters and so I give you one case example if you read Romans you'll notice that in Romans the first the first part of Romans is well let me just mean to give you an example here go to Romans with one finger just to show an example of how important this was to Paul it better for you to see it with your own eyes the first sentence if you look at it in your in your Bible the first sentence is seven verses long first sentence seven verses long and just look at how he opens up here Paul a servant of Christ Jesus called to be an apostle set apart for the gospel of God which he promised before beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures concerning his son who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead Jesus Christ our Lord through whom we have received Grace and Apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ to all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be Saints grace to you and peace from our God and Father and the Lord Jesus Christ Wow one sentence seven verses now look at the difference in Galatians how serious this is Paul an apostle mediately pulling from his authority not from men nor through man but through jesus christ and god the father who raised him from the dead and all the brothers who are with me to the churches of Galatia grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age according to the will of our God and Father to whom be glory for ever and ever amen I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and her turning to a different gospel now that imagine for a moment now you are in Galatia you gather together as the people of God you come to worship and now you hear the Apostle Paul sent us a letter we're going to read it now in service we're going to read the Apostle Paul's inspired revelation to us and the pastor comes up before the church and he has a letter in front of them and you guys are ready to receive a word from Paul and he opens up and he's grace to you and peace and like always sounds so much like Paul he loves us all so much right and you're sitting there and you're waiting to receive this word it's short letter really and so you're like I just can't wait to hear from the Apostle Paul what's he have to say to us and what does he say as soon as he opens up he says I'm amazed that you are so quickly deserting him who calls you by the grace of Christ to a different gospel another gospel which is really not another that's what he says it's not really a gospel it's not another he says this he says not that there was another one verse 7 but there are some who trouble you and wanted to store it the gospel of Christ they want to distort it and he says but even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you let him be anathema accursed as we have said before so now I say again if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received let him be accursed now watch this importance if you want to know what the heart is behind this kind of very very strong language to the church this this this hostile response to another gospel look what he says verse 10 for am I now seeking the approval of man or of God or am I trying to please men first if I were still trying to please man I would not be a slave of Christ that's the heart how come the Apostle Paul is speaking so strongly against this other gospel he tells you right at the end of it he says look if an angel comes from heaven if I come back to you and preach any other gospel to you he says let me be an athlet that angel be anathema and athma is the word that Paul draws from in the Greek here that was probably the strongest word he could have drawn from in the Greek language to describe eternal separation from God in condemnation for ever and ever and ever anathema the Apostle Paul says look if an angel comes through those doors and an angel preaches to you a message different from what I have preached to you let that angel go to hell forever and ever and ever he says if I come back to you the Apostle Paul if I come back to you and I preach to you a different message let God condemn me to hell forever you think that's a strong language Paul it's very strong is it really that important I mean this gospel Jesus Heavenly Father these Judaizers coming in look they're saying Jesus is the Messiah they're saying Jesus died they're saying Jesus rose from the dead they're not denying the deity of Jesus Christ that he's God they're not denying any of that see really that important time is this little difference is Paul they're just saying going to keep circumcision they're saying yes it's faith in Jesus but you got to at least come under this one part of the wall receive this sign of the Old Covenant become essentially Jewish to follow the Jewish Messiah just keep the one part of the law and Paul says anybody preaching that message is to be condemned by God forever if they hold to it if they believe it he says this am I trying to please men or God you guys I got a choice here I'm either going to be pleasing to Jesus Christ be his slave or I'm going to try to please other please others and be the slave of men and that's when it comes down to brothers decisions when you think today in our culture and our time in our current circumstances how come the church is so impotent one of the reasons we are impotent is the way our lovers of men rather than lovers of God we're lovers of the pleasure of other men and women than we are more than lovers of the pleasure of God what how he sees us in what he is pleased with and in that's the thing and this is the point if we as a church continue to serve the emotions of other people the likes of other people the comfort of other people then we are ultimately serving that master Jesus says it you cannot serve two masters and that is what's happening here in this text in the Apostle Paul comes into this church in Galatia with this letter and he's telling them look this is an issue of eternal death dr. James White said in his book the God who justifies I highly commend it to you there's some Greek in it but you can skip right over that and just get to the other stuff it's really well-written so if you don't have a knowledge of the Greek it's still fantastic he says at the beginning of that book something that I've always remembered he says that people who preach false Gospels are soul killers people who preach false Gospels are committing eternal murder they are killing people's souls when you go door to door with a false gospel you are delivering not a message of life you are delivering a message of death in the New Testament we cannot get away from the fact that the New Testament shows us that there is a way that is true and a way that is false there is a true Jesus Christ a true and living Jesus Christ there is a gospel that saves and there are others that are false I'll give you another example in 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 verses 3 and 4 the Apostle Paul speaks and this is powerful in the first century not long after the death resurrection and ascension of Jesus he says that he's worried for that they will be deceived by the craftiness with which Eve was deceived by through Satan and he says very clearly that he's worried about them about believing in another Jesus another Christ another spirits another gospel which cannot save he basically says to him I'm worried that somebody will come into your church and preach a different Christ and a different gospel and he says and you'll put up with him I'm worried about you and in Galatians he's dealing with the same kind of issue not long after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus a false gospel here's the problem we have been dealing with false Christ's and false Gospels since the beginning of the church it's not new it's not it's not something out of the ordinary in terms of Joseph Smith coming along saying he received a private revelation from Elohim that all the churches were wrong all their Creed's are an abomination all the professor's are corrupt and he has a new way and he gives to us a different Christ and a different gospel it's not strange it's happened before there are religions that borrow our terminology they ape Christianity and they end up distorting the entire message and so let's get into that discussion because it's vitally important to get because look here in this in this text in Galatians think about it for a moment the Judaizers were essentially respected they looked religious they would have used your terminology they said Jesus Christ they said Messiah they said what was essentially Orthodox the Apostle Paul and get this the Apostle Paul does not go after other issues of Orthodoxy I'll give you an example in the book and in Corinthians first Corinthians 15 he always goes for the jugular every time he goes for the heart of the issue and goes for it in Corinthians he says about the resurrection look if Jesus isn't raised then we're most to be pitied were found to be liars because we're saying God raised Jesus from the dead when he didn't raised Jesus from the dead we're still in our sins if Jesus isn't from the dead then we are lost Paul was teaching goes for the jugular right in this case the Apostle Paul in this letter doesn't address a single other issue of Orthodoxy in terms of who Jesus was you know what that actually says to us that the Judaizers who came in the Galatian Galatia did not deny that Jesus Christ was gone they did not deny that he came in the flesh they did not deny that he died they did not deny that he was risen from the dead so they would have held to essentially ready mere christianity just the basics right but what did they teach they taught in Paul addresses it that it wasn't enough to simply trust in Jesus Christ for salvation you needed something more in order to get reconciled to God to be justified declared righteous you had to have faith in this Messiah and keep Jewish circumcision just one thing Paul just give us one just that just the law just give a circumcision Paul you know Paul says to him Galatians 5 Christ has become of no effect to you whosoever of you attempts to be justified by law you fallen from grace he says there's two paths here there's grace and there's law you cannot get on one road and the other at the same time you're either going to get on one and be set on that course or the other pick one and Paul says if you're choosing law to be justified by God even that one law you've chosen law Galatians three you are under the curse of the law now to fulfill all of it and glaciers three guys what does he say to the church it's amazing you see his hardest pastoral heart is right there on the page he says in Galatians three he says I want to know one thing from you just tell me one thing did you receive the spirit through the works of the law or by hearing with faith what would the answer in the church of Galatia been well we heard the gospel we believed he says are you so foolish having begun by the spirit are you now perfected by the flesh he says don't you understand whoever is of the law that respect what they were trying to do is under the curse of the law to fulfill all of it and don't you know that Christ became a curse for us he was hung on that tree he's the one that died and took the curse for us and in Galatians 5 how does Paul Christian Paul our our example of the master evangelist think about it he's the master of Angelus how does he deal with a false gospel in his day is he super sweet he's light is he like y'all I just don't know about that you all that false gospel in Galatia I just don't know about that right you know I just don't want to judge all souls yeah is that how Paul deals with the false gospel Galatia read it read in Galatians 5 nobody says crises have no benefit to you if you receive circumcision he essentially says you're done and he says these people this is obviously a rough explanation of the text but read it later he says these people who want to circumcise you they're going to be judged and he says I hope they cut themselves off now that means what you think it means he says in the text I hope they emasculate themselves these guys would like to play with knives they want to bring you under the Jewish law they want to bring you into that law as a means of justification he's not by the way dissing the law he's not saying it's not good he's saying in terms of justification and the use of the law and Jesus Christ he's saying they want to put you under the law he says I hope the knife slips and they cut themselves off and it means exactly that oh that's not loving you see it is loved to use a serrated edge with your words when somebody's soul is at stake these people are adding to the gospel and Paul says if you add to faith in Jesus Christ for justification he says you are condemned it's a false gospel you are accursed and now we look through history religions that ape Christianity they borrow our terminology and this is precisely the problem how many of you guys have the kingdom of the kingdom of the cults in your library kingdom of the cults okay sell your shirt and your shoes to go buy the kingdom of the cults okay go buy an old edition of the kingdom of the cults like dr. Walter Martin kingdom of the cults dr. Martin was one of my heroes of the faith he's really one of the first ones that began this kind of counter cult evangelism on a large scale he wrote the kingdom of the cults from a biblical perspective giving you the history of the cults and a refutation of the cults according to Scripture and dr. Walter Martin opened up that book the kingdom of the cults I think in one of the best ways possible he says in the kingdom of the cults you have to first learn to scale the language barrier this is what I often run into and perhaps you've run into it as well when you talk to people who have actually started to talk to say Mormons they'll say well I don't understand like I talked to these more missionaries for two hours and they sounded exactly like we were on the same page you ever deal with that you talk to a Mormon and you think well what's all the fuss about I talk to these missionaries they seem a little off maybe a little strange but they sound just like us I've talked to people that said pastor Jeff I had in my house for an hour and they said they agreed with everything I said my response to that is well you got to learn to scale the language barrier and you need to know that they're taught in their seminary training and their missionary training to appeal to common ground with you to sound as Christian as you are it's part of their strategy scale the language barrier the Mormon says Jesus Christ Heavenly Father resurrection Bible salvation cross all those things they use our language they speak our ghetto language they borrow it but they pour entirely different meanings into it at every point when the Christian says ready Jesus Christ you immediately right now interpreting when you think Jesus Christ you're automatically as a believer thinking in terms of what the Bible tells you about Jesus Christ you're thinking John 1:1 in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God he was in the beginning with God all things came into being for him and without him nothing came into being that came into being and the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory and he is the monogamist they asked the unique and one-of-a-kind God who was in the bosom of the Father he has made the father known you thinking about that you think in Colossians 1 that he is the firstborn over all creation for Tata cos means he has the preeminence he is the firstborn over creation doesn't mean born it means first point of a creation as in he is the heir over all creation the firstborn he is the heir he has all preeminence and it says in him in Jesus Christ all things were created whether in the heavens are on earth visible or invisible whether they be Thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things created through Jesus Christ you see we all do that right when you say Jesus Christ to a Mormon they are thinking immediately redefining Jesus Christ the literal offspring of heavenly father Elohim and one of his goddess wives in the pre-existence Jesus Christ Lucifer's spirit brother not the creator of Lucifer his spirit brother classic Mormonism taught that Jesus Christ came into the world was a polygamist his atonement began in the garden was finished on the cross your works end up being the basis ultimate basis of whether or not you are making it into the celestial kingdom the highest kingdom Mormonism teaches about Heavenly Father that he has one God among many gods that he had a God before him who had gone before him who had a God before him it's an infinite regression of gods and ultimately the goal and Mormonism is to become a god or goddess over a planets just like the god of this earth did Joseph Smith said many men say there is only one God in history the church he says the father the son the spirit or only one God he says I say that's a strange God anyhow 3 & 1 1 & 3 it's a curious organization all going to be crammed into one God according to sectarianism he said he'd be a wonderfully big God he'd be a giant or a monster he said I wish to declare I have always and in all congregations when I when I have preached on the subject of the deity it has been on the plurality of gods many gods when Joseph Smith gave the pearl of great price to the Mormon people therefore standard works the Holy Bible the Book of Mormon the Doctrine and Covenants and the pearl of great price when he gave the pearl of great price to the Mormon people he redefined and retold the story of creation instead of in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth he said in the beginning the gods created the heavens and the earth in the king fall at discourse he said in the beginning the head of the Gods came together and formed a council the head of the Gods came together in the Council of God's many gods Joseph Smith says this in the king fall at discourse his most clear message he ever gave on the subject of God he says that message was given to him by the Holy Spirit so it's direct revelation from God it's not his anat his own understanding and interpretation he said it was from the Holy Spirit and he says this I'm going to tell you how God came to be God I'm going to tell you how God came to be God he says we've imagined we've imagined and suppose that God has been God from all eternity he says I will refute that idea and take away and do away the veil so that you may see you've got to learn to become gods yourselves that say 'we all gods had done before you that is the substance of the mormon faith it's not listen for the christian we say like what the gospel is about is that we get God Piper has a book I love it the title it says God is the gospel that's it for the Christian the good news is I get him it's not I get to go to heaven one day we got to get away from that by the way that's not how the Apostles preached the gospel do you not want to go to hell you want to go to heaven one day pray this prayer with me not the gospel not the gospel not how is preached the Apostles preached the gospel of reconciliation and peace with God through what Jesus did they call people to repentance and faith to be reconciled now so for the Christian we hear about Jesus and the gospel we think about I have Jesus and he has me I know God I'm forgiven I'm at peace for the Mormon salvation isn't simply being reconciled to God and peace with God for the Mormon it is working through exaltation to move through the different levels of heaven ultimately through your obedience through temple service through baptism for the dead through genealogies through your works of righteousness through your tithes not simply because of the work of Jesus Christ who's a different Jesus anyway it's working through exaltation to become a god and goddess over a planet just like the god of this world did but they use our terminology and so the goal in evangelism with the Mormon is to get through the basic surface level Christian language it's not enough simply to say Jesus to the Mormon it's not enough to simply say Heavenly Father we must address the underlying issues when I say Jesus and you say Jesus we mean completely different things when I say Jesus I'm talking about the creator of all things including Lucifer including Satan don't you believe that Jesus and Lucifer our brothers they say well yes as are we all right that's what you believe but how do you answer John chapter 1 where it says that Jesus Christ created everything in existence and that nothing came into being except through him how do you answer Colossians chapter 1 verses 16 and on where it says that Jesus Christ through him all things were created in the heavens and on earth that's a different Jesus that's a false Christ and Jesus says in John 14:6 I am the way and the truth and the life no man comes to the Father but by me he's the only way to life and peace with God the only way Mormonism began a little bit of history of Mormonism might be good Mormonism began with a denial of what the scriptures say about Christ and his kingdom this is fundamentally important and brothers and sisters I hope you grab hold of this because I want to say that not many people approach this subject at the beginning in this way and I think is one of the most effective and devastating reputations of Mormonism if you approach it in this way Joseph Smith in his first vision account by the way as a side for your further research and study I would highly recommend two books in terms of history one is one nation under God's by Richard a bonus ABA and es one nation under God's it's fascinating and the other one is no man knows my history by faughn Brody no man knows my history by Sean Brody that will give you a good background of the history of Joseph Smith and Mormonism and it really is it reads like a novel it reads like a movie it is just fascinating I've always been fascinated by the history of Mormonism but Joseph Smith in one of his first vision accounts and yes I said one of there are numerous different first visions that first vision accounts they changed over time Mormonism wasn't initially based upon any first vision accounts that actually progressively became part of the church's doctrine and early on we can see from 8 to the 1830s through the 40s we can see that there was progressive change in the claim of Joseph Smith's first vision so in other words these first vision accounts don't even jive in some of the accounts it's different as to who was there as to the purpose of the revelation they don't jive but the revelation that you and I get today when the missionaries come into our house the first meeting they have with you they are to tell you about the first vision and in the current first vision account they tell you about they tell you that Joseph Smith was confused as to which church to join he says that there was so much disagreement in his time over denominations that he was confused as to which church to join and so he says that he read James chapter 1 and in James chapter 1 it says if any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God now Joseph Smith wrongly interpreted that passage to mean that if you have a question to ask God ask him and he'll give you the answer that's not what wisdom is wisdom to a Jew and James Jesus brother was a Jew wisdom to a Jew is skill in living it is how do I live it's not about simply knowledge it's how do I apply godly knowledge and truth wisdom so James is saying if any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God what's I talking about sanctification if you want wisdom you want to live for God in his glory if you want to have skill and living ask God he will give it to you that's the truth it wasn't about asking a question and getting an answer for God from God but Joseph did according to Joseph he asked God by going into the woods to pray to seek God on this subject and he said this is kind of a terrifying description he says that he was overcome with darkness that he was seized with this fear and darkness surrounding him it's an odd way to describe meeting God but he says that when he was about to be we overcome by this darkness he looked up and he saw Elohim and Jesus Christ two personages different beings and different persons both resurrected God men he says that he saw Elohim in Jesus and Elohim addressed him when he asked which church to join Heavenly Father told Joseph Smith joined none of the churches for they're all wrong their Creed's are an abomination their professors are all corrupt they draw near to me with their lips but their hearts are far from me that was the beginning of Mormonism now we need to address that immediately what's wrong with that claim what's wrong with that claim Joseph Smith didn't claim to come to restore I'm sorry reformed the church he claimed to come to restore it because it was gone from the earth you gotta grab hold of that he said there was complete apostasy and the church was gone from the earth he came to restore it not to reform it big difference what's the problem what's the problem is that Daniel chapter 7 verses 13 through 14 Daniel gives us this vision of the son of man you know what he says he says it he's looking he's looking in the night visions and behold one like a son of man was coming on the clouds of heaven and he says that this son of man came up to the Ancient of Days was presented before him and to him was given Dominion glory and a kingdom that all the peoples nations and men of every language might serve him he says his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which will not pass away and his kingdom is one which will not be destroyed that's Daniels vision of the Son of Man think for a moment which direction is Dana say the son a man goes up he came up to the Ancient of Days and what is given to him Dominion glory in the kingdom that all the peoples nations and men of every language might serve him it's a Dominion and a kingdom that lasts forever Matthew 28:18 through 20 Jesus says all 40 in heaven and on earth has been given to me go therefore because all authority is mine go therefore make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you in which direction of Jesus go up the vision of the Son of Man and no.7 13 through 14 as he goes up and he's given a kingdom his kingdom is never destroyed his Dominion is everlasting Matthew 28 what Jesus do he goes up and once he tell us before he goes go get the nation's the Bible teaches that Christ's Kingdom has arrived in history in Matthew the discussion with Peter we all know right Peter says with something they say well some say you're the Christ some you say this but he says who do you say that I am he says you're the Christ the Son of the Living God he says blessed are you and then what's the final summary of it all he says I will build my church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it Joseph Smith came along 2,000 years later and he said Jesus lied he says the gates of hell did prevail against the church it fell into apostasy it was gone from the earth and it needed to be restored Daniels wrong Jesus is wrong with Peter in Jude verse 3 it says for Christians to earnestly contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the Saints if you had a single verse alone it would come from one of the smallest books in the Bible it doesn't even have chapters it's Jude verse 3 when you say it's a new believer Jude verse 3 they're like what's chapter what's Jude verse three which chapter dummy right it's like it's a single page right there's only one it's only one so it's first three earnestly contend for the faith which is once for all delivered to the Saints once for all we can go on for days the Bible teaches the Christ them arrives in history and it is never destroyed it is everlasting he has victory psalm 110:1 brothers and sisters psalm 110:1 did you know is god's favorite bible verse you know okay so i guess i'm taking a stab at it if it's the verse that god quotes the most I think that's his favorite bible verse so it should probably be ours do you ma anybody know what you know I'm talking about psalm 110:1 it's the most quoted Old Testament text in the New Testament of all the Bible passages in the Old Testament it's the one the Apostles draw from the most psalm 110:1 the Lord said unto my lord sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet God's favorite Bible verse and in 1st Corinthians 15 what Paul says about our current circumstances in 1st Corinthians 15 he says Jesus is seated and he's putting all his enemies under his feet and then he'll return after all his enemies are put under his feet that's the timeline now whatever you view on eschatology is understand that Paul puts Jesus on his throne putting his enemies under his feet now and then he returns to deliver the kingdom now Joseph Smith disagreed Joseph Smith came up with a new system and said the church is destroyed and gone from the earth that's the story to begin with now how do we engage Mormons remember the chairs right remember the chairs people say what's the difference in engaging a Mormon and an atheist what do i what do I do because I think I understand like the atheist now you step into their position you refute their worldview you call them to repentance and faith what about the Mormon well let's think about what they believe what are they standing on as their primary revelation you can participate now because we've all been sitting here for a while probably getting tired so let's let's ok so raise raise your hand I'll point to you what's what are they standing on as their primary revell forms of revelation yes so Joseph Smith's teachings okay what yes okay private revelation and Joe Smith's of what he said they're saying that's from God right that comes with authority yes okay so that's yeah that's their own personal experience so they have this experience this private experience from God but even that is based on revelation from Joseph Brigham Orson Pratt Orson hi Joseph fielding Smith Ezra Taft Benson whatever Monson so when you think about what they're standing on that's their worldview right but what it what's their standard works the Bible Book of Mormon Doctrine and Covenants and Perley great price now here's the thing that's not all they'll tell you these are our standard works but the truth is Brigham Young taught in the Journal of discourses he has never yet given a sermon and sent it out to the sons of men that they couldn't call Scripture that's actually biblical in the sense that if Brigham Young is truly a prophet of God then when he gives a sermon it is inspired revelation now of course he's a false prophet but he said that his sermons were Scripture Joseph Smith the same thing he did revelation from the Holy Spirit of God now Mormons are supposed to be standing on the Mormon revelation their prophets and apostles but here watch this what's inside that revelation the Bible the Bible is a part they say of their revelation so Christians are standing on the Bible the Word of God and Mormons say they're standing on the Bible the Word of God but what's the problem is you've got two standards running side by side you've got the biblical revelation and you've got the revelation of the Mormon prophets and apostles running alongside the Bible and brothers and sisters less than every single time do you know what happens do you know what happens when you have a standard that has the same authority as the Bible running alongside the Bible this other standard begins to eat up the Bible think about it for a moment now when you take Roman Catholicism we agree on the Trinity we agree on the deity of Christ we agree on the resurrection of Jesus Christ we agree on the need for holiness all those right but we disagree on a fundamental that's justification through faith in Jesus Christ we disagree on other issues in terms of worship we disagree on the mass the atonement of Jesus Christ we disagree on so much but why is it because the Bible can't be understood is it because we're just reading the Bible in a different way there's really no way to get at the truth no the reason Roman Catholics deny the biblical gospel is because they have a secondary standard running alongside the Bible that interprets the Bible for them and that divine standard eats up the biblical revelation Mormonism does the same thing you've got the Bible and they give credence to it except where the Bible disagrees with their revelation when the Bible disagrees with their revelation which one is wrong the Bible and so we need to do in evangelizing Mormons is we need to actually do what the Proverbs tell us to do don't answer the fool according to their folly or you'll be like them and then answer the fool according to their folly lest they be wise in their own conceit so let's do it together okay if I'm standing on the biblical revelation let's start with only two issues and by the way just say this quickly when you're evangelizing Mormons it's really really important for us brothers and sisters to stick to the essentials in other words you got to give them grace on certain issues it's not healthy ultimately meaningful to talk about issues like coffee tea Mormon underwear and those sorts of things it's true I've actually seen Christians outside the Mormon temple in Mesa abused Mormons on the issue of Mormon underwear I they hold this as really sacred and when you take a jab at their underwear they get very very offended and immediately cut off contact from you because they don't think you respect them now here's the thing there are probably a lot of Christians in this room right now that are wearing some very strange underwear okay and I don't want to talk about that with you either okay and we shouldn't do it with them now if they're saying that this Mormon underwear saves them in some way that's connected to the gospel we could talk about it but to do it in a way that mocks them does not show love to them and it doesn't even show that you desire meaningful relationship with them so stick to two issues God and the gospel Walter Martin said something is stuck with me my whole life he says if you're wrong on your doctrine of God or the gospel it doesn't matter wherever else you're right you're wrong enough to lose your soul if you've got the wrong gossip God and got the wrong gospel you lose your soul so let's talk about that issue God the Bible says what about God isaiah 43:10 put that in your pocket that's a passage that cannot be overcome by mormons isaiah 43:10 before me there was no god forms neither shall there be after me what does Mormonism teach there were gods before God they'll be gods after God as man is God once was as God is man may become that's a common quotation memorized by every Mormon in seminary in high school as man as God once was as God as man may become they teach that many men say there's only one God strange God anyhow 3 & 1 1 & 3 curious organization giant-monster Joseph Smith says I'm going to tell you how God came to be God we've imagined and supposed that God was gone from all eternity I'll refute that idea you've got to learn to become gods yourselves the same way all God's done before you that's what Joseph says now the Bible says none before none after isaiah 44:6 i am the first and I am the last besides me there is no God Isaiah 44 8 is there a God besides me indeed there is no other God I know not one what's God saying he says he doesn't even know of any other God besides himself so this is about pushing the antithesis this is about bringing their claims about God into conflict with God's own claims about himself and so as we do evangelism it is exactly as you think what's a consistent apologetic with the Mormon it's to stand on God's revelation to take what they believe about God and say well I know you say that you believe this about God can you explain to me how you would answer God in isaiah 43:10 where he says there's none before none after and the Mormon will usually say this all he's talking about idols take a breath and think that isn't answer the question before me there was no Idol formed and neither shall there be after me that work does it work doesn't it's a quick response it's a meaningless meanness meaningless response what you do what you need to do is show the Mormon that doesn't answer God he says there was no God formed before him no God formed after him and then they'll say this this is common responses 20 years of evangelism outside the temple I've heard all the arguments this is one of the main ones well that's that's for this earth that's for this earth it's okay so before me there was no God formed neither shall there be after meet your responses that's for this earth okay it still doesn't answer the question because God says he's the first and the last you don't believe either he says he doesn't know of any other God you disagree with that he says none were formed before him none after him you disagree with that but your answer is that's of this earth okay I'll bite Deuteronomy chapter 4 verses 35 and 39 God says he is God alone in the heavens above and on the earth below there is no other so when they say well that's for this earth well God's addressed that too he says that he's the only God in the heavens above and on the earth below next points in discussing the gospel there's just quick answers this which you know press with the Mormon and discussing the gospel specifically justification through faith in Jesus Christ it's important to know that Mormons when they borrow our terminology sound so much like us I am was able to witness God saving a Mormon missionary on his mission he was at the Mormon temple in Mesa I was around the west side of the temple it was dark outside and I was outside the temple gates and I was talking to this young Mormon girl and this missionary comes out his name was Wesley he comes out wearing all the stuff and usually try to avoid us at the temple of Mason they don't want to talk to us it's a he walks up very curious and he's listening to my conversation with this girl and I have these tracks in my hand we have some like seventy five thousand of them and I'm talking to the girl so he started to ask questions and I'm talking to him and I'm talking to her and I give him the track and he's looking at the track talking to him talking to her and then as I'm talking to her I notice that Wesley is starting to bend down to reach into my backpack to grab my tracks a stack of tracks out of my bag he's like reaching in to grab them all so I see it in my / if and I've been down and I surf in my hand and I say hey I said I have 75 thousand of those I said I'll tell you what it's no good to steal them from me I'll be back I said I'll tell you what I'll make a deal with you I said if you can show me from the scriptures where I am wrong from the scriptures I'll make a commitment to you I will leave and I will never come back so there's passages verses in that tract if you can show me where I'm wrong I will commit to never ever showing up here again and so we start talking and as we start to talk he breaks down and starts crying and so he just stops in the middle of a conversation and he turns around and walks away and the next day I came back and when I come back now his attitude is a little bit different now he comes back and as he walks up he says hey Jeff you got another verse for me and I would say uh yeah isaiah 43:10 before me there was no god form neither shall there be after me you believe yes there was and you become on one day he was like thanks man and he would like walk away so this happened for about two weeks back and forth he keep coming out and getting a verse now we started actually exchanging phone numbers and he started meeting us in alleys like he was like we're like what would they like I mean it looks really really you know off and I get a call from my friend one night late at night my friend Casey he says you're not gonna believe this I just talked to Wesley he turned to Christ and the next day literally the next day we go out to the temple and Wesley is with us in plain clothes with his Bible and tracts the Mormon missionaries in the temple were freaking out they're running out Wesley you're brainwashed they've deceived you come home brother and he was like no you're deceived the Bible says and he's quoting scripture scripture scripture and it was he was on fire and he was reaching them in the way that I absolutely couldn't and the bishop showed up and like roughed me up and grabbed my tracks and took off a police were there was like a big deal Wesley turned to Christ it was an amazing thing but what was important was in all of our discussions in preaching to Wesley it was speaking about God in the gospel and it was sticking to the specific area of the gospel justification through faith in Christ alone you'll notice that Mormons borrow our terminology to such a degree that when you're talking to them oftentimes and they're quote Mormon doctrine it sounds nearly identical to passages in the Bible so I'll give you an example ready man you we just did this this is a great one by grace are you saved through faith to you are you already continuing if we're ready by grace are you saved after all you can do ii ii 525 23 so in the book of mormon it says by grace are you saved and christians go through faith and that not of yourselves and as a gift of god not according to works joseph smith says by grace you saved after all you can do after all you can do and it says in the articles of faith the third article of faith it says that we believe that through the atonement of jesus christ all mankind may be saved and as christians we hear that and we say man yeah the power of the atonement like god that's unlimited power that's an unlimited that has efficacy that cannot stop right the atonement of jesus christ all mankind may be saved and then it says through obedience and so you think okay well there's there's the poison right there's there's speaking highly about the work of Christ and then poisoning it well we need to know in our Bibles is Romans chapters 1 through 5 and the book of Galatians there's no way in a short time we have together today to go through all those passages but it's important to know some of it so go to your Bibles to Romans chapter 3 and we'll end there for today by the way I want to be able to have time to ant ask questions and we have lunch maybe what we do is in the next session we'll do questions about Mormonism before we start because there's so much more we can do and I have so many resources we can draw from right now but in Romans chapter 3 this is important starting in verse 10 it says as it is written none is righteous no not one no one understands no one seeks for God all have turned aside together to become worthless no one does good not even one their throat is an open grave with their tongues they keep deceiving it says the poison of asks is on their lips there's no fear of God before their eyes now watch verse 19 and we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law so that every mouth would be stopped and the whole world may be held accountable to God what's that mean the law was given to shut the world up why because you see in the law not your righteousness but you see your unrighteousness the law was given and it stops your excuses when the law is given it shut your mouth so the whole world may be held accountable to God for by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight since through the law comes knowledge of sin the law is fundamentally good the psalmist says in psalm 119 Lord graciously teach me your law god I hate the double minded but I love your law the psalmist doesn't diss the law of God he says the law is fundamentally good it's gracious of God for him to teach us his law but however the law given to unholy and sinful people brings death it exposes our sin and what Paul says here is that through the law comes the knowledge of sin but now verse 21 the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law although the law and the prophets bear witness to it the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe for there is no distinction for all of sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by His grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus quick point on that quick point justified as a gift by His grace in the Greek Paul stuttered he says it's a gift gift how gracious is God's salvation how much of a gift is it Paul says it's a gift gift it's a gift gift it's so gracious he repeats himself it's a gift gift right that's how much it is not through works it's a gift gift he says justified by his grace as a gift gift as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God put forth as a propitiation by his blood to be received by faith a propitiation is a diversion of Wrath think of the cross and Jesus on it think of God's wrath being diverted away from you and exhausted in Jesus that's what perpetuation is this was to show God's righteousness because in His divine forbearance he had passed over former sins it was to show his righteousness at the present time so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus here we go then what becomes of our boasting it is excluded by what kind of law by a law of works no but by the law of faith here we go verse 28 for we hold that one is justified by faith apart from the worst of law people ask sometimes to say where do you get this notion of faith alone where do you get it where's the Bible say you're justified by faith alone oh I would say well where do you want to start okay but here's a good place Romans 3:28 Paul says we are therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law faith apart from works of law is faith over here by itself faith alone apart from works of law so the Mormon says oh so you're saying that you could just believe in Jesus Christ say you believe in Jesus and do whatever you want I would say you're not listening because Paul says after he preaches this justification through faith apart from works he says in the very text verse 31 do we then overthrow the law by this faith by no means on the contrary we establish the law do you catch that Christian New Testament authors don't diss God's law they don't say oh it's all grace it's all faith and so God doesn't care about law or that is a completely fictitious view of the not biblical the Bible answer says through faith in Jesus Christ you're justified apart from any work of law and because now that you're saved and dwelt with the Spirit of God with a new heart in Jesus Christ alive from the dead now you have a new relationship to the law it is no longer death to you you are no longer hostile to it because God lives in you and causes you Ezekiel 36 to observe his statutes so now Christians have a new relationship with the law guess where it's not it's not on stone tablets outside of the people of God guess where it is Jeremiah 31:31 in you do you see internally motivated to obey God's law so when the Mormon says all you just think you can say you believe in Jesus and do what you want I would say didn't say that it's true faith in Jesus Christ that saves us it's not merely a profession James chapter 2 not merely a profession and if you are truly in Jesus Christ you're alive from the dead you desire to obey the law if you don't you're not in Jesus Christ stop fooling yourself the result of the gospel is a change life not perfection but if the life isn't changed you have not come into contact with the Living God if you haven't changed if your life isn't transformed I'm not saying perfection if nothing is fundamentally different about you then you haven't gone from death to life final point I'd point you to is in Romans 4 when he brings up Abraham he says what ship then should we say was gained by Abraham our forefather according to the flesh if Abraham was justified by works he has something to boast about but not before God what his the scriptures say abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness now to the one who works his wages are not counted as a gift but as what is due here's the contrast and to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly his faith is counted as righteousness do you know how distinctly Christian that is how unbelievably contrary to human nature and understanding that is do you see what that just said do you see how Christianity just came into conflict with every single world religion to the one who works his wage is not credited as a gift that's a wage you're earning something that's not a gift Paul says he says but to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly the wicked no religion in the world teaches that wicked people are declared righteous by God what do they all say you got to become righteous you have to have a righteousness in yourself that God that God sees is acceptable so he says okay now you're righteous the New Testament says no God declares wicked people righteous and you say how does God do that without perverting his justice because he takes sinful wicked people and he joins them to his son so that they are wrapped in his righteousness and perfect life and their death was met in his death so that they are dead in him and alive in him and so the message of the gospel is Loretto the righteousness you and I have is not our own Paul says in Philippians 3 when he gives us resume circumsized eighth day tribe of Benjamin as to the law a Pharisee he says I count this all loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord and I want to be found in him not having a righteousness of my own derived from the law but that which comes through faith in Jesus Christ that comes from God through faith Christians stand righteous before God not because of our deeds because of Jesus deeds we're hiding in him anything any religion that teaches that you through your own obedience need to be acceptable to God is a religion of death because it offers no life because we are foul we are not righteous it is filthy rags we have nothing to offer God and I'll tell you what you have a choice to stand before God you can stand before God as a wretch a rebel a sinner unrighteous unholy with your record of wrongs before God and any one of them means you transgressed the whole law or you can stand before God hiding in Jesus United to him covered in his perfect law keeping so the father declares you righteous on the basis of Jesus righteousness your representative not because you truly are and you know what else it does biblical justification joins you to Jesus gives you a new status and it gives you new life because union with Jesus Christ is the substance and basis of all of it Christians believe and Paul argues it in Romans six it's what he says to the imaginary objector what should we say then shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase what's a Christian message yeah right 21st century Evangelic ilysm yeah right I may God look really big with all my sinning that's a Paul get set do we continue in it so the grace made by God looks more gracious the more Cyndi's forgiving he looks so great Paul says what no by no means he says watch how shall we who died to sin continue to live in it his answer to that person by the way and I know I keep saying last thing but this is important this is important watch did you read did you notice that Romans six he preached the gospel of grace grace grace grace grace grace grace faith faith faith faith faith no works no works no works all Jesus to God's glory and what is it he anticipates the objection of the person that heard all about grace so their immediate response was Oh what so it's all gray so you just keep sinning listen if we're preaching the gospel well then that means that occasionally will come across the person that goes that here's this grace and they say that sounds unbelievably gracious that mean you can do whatever you want if you're preaching it like that it's kind of good that they ask that because they're hearing the graciousness of it but they don't fully understand that what we're saying is by God's grace he joins you to Jesus Christ so that there's a death that takes place your death in Jesus Christ and a resurrection that takes place your resurrection in Jesus Paul says this Christians you died you died your old self crucified with Christ you died and you rose again how can you still live in sin if someone's still living in sin it automatically reveals there was no death that occurred that's why Jesus says what come die take up your cross follow me a death has to occur if it doesn't occur you don't know them but there is only one thing joins us Jesus it's not our works it's faith in Jesus Christ and we're declared righteous

Channel: Apologia Studios

Views: 31,910

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Keywords: Jeff Durbin, christian apologetics, mormonism, joseph smith false prophet, mormon, book of mormon, southpark mormon, apologia church, mormon leaks, mormon tabernacle choir, james white, douglas wilson, mormon missionairies get owned, mormon missionairies, mormon temple, mormon cult

Id: VsnVFO_mqbw

Length: 62min 3sec (3723 seconds)

Published: Wed Nov 23 2016