Stuff Christians shouldn't say.

a slew of sayings Christians shouldn't say I with my levitational power so if you're here today you thought I can't be forgiven I'm too bad of a sinner you don't know how good of a Savior Jesus is no matter who you are no matter what you have done with sin did abound grace abound hello and welcome to wretched my name is Tod free oak I am your host the wretch the song refers to cliches evangelical Christianity we've got a slew of them don't we ask Jesus into your heart make Jesus your Lord and Savior make a decision for the Lord we love cliches and there ain't nothing wrong with a cliche as long as it's biblical unfortunately many of them are not and we have for your consideration a slew and I think that's the right word a slew o sayings that Christians probably shouldn't say starting with the classic god helps those who help themselves perhaps you've heard it said that God helps those who help themselves which is arguably the most quoted verse not found in the Bible the quote is often attributed to Benjamin Franklin written in Poor Richard's Almanack but an earlier appearance shows up in 1698 in an article entitled discourses concerning government written by Houghton and Sydney that's just a bonus fact for you there god helps those who help themselves is not anywhere in scripture the Bible actually instructs us to rely fully on the Lord and not on ourselves proverbs 3:5 says trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding proverbs 28:26 even says whoever trust in his own mind trust in a fool and as we read in Jeremiah 17:5 cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes it flesh his strength whose heart turns away from the Lord our works do not earn God's favor as the prophet Isaiah said even our best deeds are like filthy rags Romans 3:10 says that there is none righteous not even one the only work that God accepts as righteous is the work that Christ completed on the cross the wages of sin is death scripture says and Christ took that penalty upon himself all who are in Christ Jesus God looks upon his righteous not because of what we did but because of what Christ did and is still doing in us as it says in Titus 3:5 he saved us not because of works done by us and righteousness but according to his own mercy so God does not help those who help themselves he comes to those who humble themselves have you ever uh terd anything that resembles this I'm just at the end of my rope there's just nothing I can do I just don't it's all out of my control I don't think that I can do anything to make this situation better if that sounds like anything you have ever uttered congratulations you're right where God wants you quick caveat this is not to suggest we just let go and let God another evangelical cliche that needs to go away we get to work on the issue recognizing I ain't gonna fix this because without Christ I can do nothing if you've ever found yourself let's say despairing because you just didn't think that you could make this situation better now your theology is spot-on because you can't do anything to make this better you can't do anything without God if you kind of like that cliche that god helps those who help themselves I would like to suggest you it needs to vamoose and if you think well what how am I ever gonna get through this situation the answer is not you the answer is not you helping yourself God's going to get the credit for doing everything and when we are feeling like there ain't not and I can do to make this better that's exactly the place where God wants us got a question for you did you see another cliche in that video it was the here's man on one side of the cliff and here's God on the other and there's a big crevasse and you're gonna fall into that rug beam because your works can't get you there maybe you've even seen that illustration where somebody tries to jump and he gets out about two feet somebody tries to jump gets out about four feet but they all fall short of the glory of God would like to suggest to you that two is a cliche that needs to go away our situation is far more dire than falling into a ravine here's what that illustration is missing something up here and that something would be God and it's his wrath that is aimed at us where we're not just gonna try our best and let Jesus do the rest we're not gonna really run at this thing super hard and maybe we'll get there uh-uh we're dead in our trespasses and sins furthermore if it's if it's just a cross that somehow was crossing that divide how do I get to the other side how do I get to God in that illustration and it is not by walking that - would be work righteousness instead a better drawing would be Here I am in a heap toast or if you're German Toth I'm just dead I ain't got no chance to get to God but Jesus makes us alive and to work with the illustration he's the one who brings us to God I do nothing I don't run and jump I don't walk to get there I don't cross the cross instead my Savior makes me alive and in Christ I am reconciled to God now I know probably pretty difficult to make that drawing well let's sacrifice a drawing for good theology because time we start to get sloppy around the edges well there can be all kinds of consequences next unread hi Todd my name is Nathan my Castro Pennsylvania I'm a wretched radio listener I'm here at eastern Ukraine of tomorrow clubs to teach English and to teach the children about the Bible thank you very much for what you do way to go Nathan perhaps you'd like to take a trip to say Ukraine to start of tomorrow club and if you don't want to go that far just go to tomorrow clubs org slash wretched and you could support your own tomorrow club welcome back to a wretched cliche fest perhaps you have said or use the cliche preach the gospel and if necessary use a mission ball a [Music] popular quote about sharing the gospel goes like this preach the gospel always if necessary use words the quote is attributed to st. Francis of Assisi there was even the inspiration behind an award-winning gospel music album first of all there is no record that st. Francis ever said this secondly it isn't mythical the quote is often used to argue that actions are the primary tool for sharing the gospel while words are merely a backup but that's not the gospel the word gospel means good news it must be declared in Matthew 28 when Jesus commissioned his disciples to go and make more disciples he told them to teach and that's exactly what they did in acts 2 on the day of Pentecost the disciples went into Jerusalem and did what made sure everyone saw them miming the gospel no they went in and verbally preached about the events concerning Christ's death and resurrection and three thousand people were baptized that day in Romans 10 the Apostle Paul tells the church to confess with their mouths he writes how will they believe in him of whom they have never heard and how are they to hear without someone preaching so the quote is true in the sense that it is necessary to use words but false if the quote is being used to say that our actions are all the gospel we need the gospel of Jesus Christ is history a message that must be spoken our actions affirm that we truly believe in what we speak so live a life of godliness preach the gospel and if necessary use words is this foolish two-three-four what what's the problem to a talk-show and if necessary talk people can't understand the gospel unless we do use words what is the delight that some people seem to take in this cliche that we should preach the gospel and if necessary use words I think it gets us off the hook of evangelism I know it is hard to start a spiritual conversation in fact it's probably the hardest part just getting going springboarding from the secular into the spiritual it's really hard and this cliche which is not biblical I think it just gets us off the hook I'll wait for somebody to ask me because I'm looking so Christian got a question for you what does that look like exactly there's plenty of pagans who clean up just fine they look entirely Pleasant but that doesn't communicate anything now if you think well I'm just gonna live in such a way that people ask me about the hope that lies within me now while I understand that you're gonna be waiting a long time or even worse a number of years ago Kirk Cameron told a story of him trying to apply preach the gospel and if necessary use words he was doing a movie someplace and they were being taken from their trailers to the set and on the bus there was another actress with him and he wanted to preach the gospel to her without using words I'm gonna do my best impression of what Kirk tried to do so that she would ask him about the hope that lies within him in other words we tried to look a lot like Jim Caviezel try to come up with this ethereal look like oh I'm kind of on a different plane and don't I look peaceful the actress looked at him and said you okay you look like you might be getting sick yes everything did you eat the tuna what happened didn't work at all I get it it's hard to start a spiritual conversation now but what does Romans 10 tell us how will they hear unless a preacher goes and a preacher doesn't do mime you don't communicate the gospel by being stuck in a box which is sin and only Jesus can somehow get you out you need to use words to summon up the courage and get yourself into the conversation what what's this doing here it's a mission ball this is for you if you are going on a missions trip now remember a missions trip by definition is to be sent to be misión and to actually preach the gospel now if you want to go dig wells that's fine but that's a mission of mercy but it's not a missions trip it's doing nice things and that's nice but that isn't really a missions trip by definition we go to proclaim the Gospel this is a great way to get the conversation started I think I've been familiar with the mission ball for 15 years just Torre Babb does such a great job with this this is a soccer ball bring this to Argentina or Venezuela or any place where they've tried socialism and they're desperately poor because that's always the result of socialism with all due respect to Jim Carrey who thinks that we should just go ahead and become a socialist nation that was a political aside absolutely free the mission ball gathers attention I mean you take it out of the box of course but bring this to a field in a country where people are poor they love soccer this will assemble a crowd this isn't just a one on one sort of thing it will absolutely it will gather people because they want it so you use their covetousness to actually read what's on the soccer ball it comes in about a gazillion languages so you can you can visit the mission ball dot org the mixture ball Dhaka visit the mission ball website and you can find this in the language of the nation that you're going to and then just gather a crowd around and just read the thing as you can see it's got tons of ink and by the way Tory worked with the University of Minnesota to come up with an ink that cannot be kicked off not kidding and so for instance it has the ten commandments and and it goes through them so people can understand they're a sinner it talks about God's Word this is like sort of like a magic 8-ball in the Box I think I'm just gonna keep it here and then it's got God's plan of salvation here's what it reads just I'll just be the little bouncing ball the most important question of your life is will you go to heaven when you die God says in order to go to heaven you must be born again quotes the Bible it's littered with Bible verses it opens up the law it talks about Jesus dying for sinners it even defines repentance and faith it is a great gospel presentation whether you're going overseas third world country or not you might want to consider this or consider well frankly anything else consider any sort of thing that you can use where you feel comfortable don't stub your toe a lot of people are using that these days to simply give gospel literature to somebody and say hey didn't you get one of these yet hey have you read this yet hey this is my last one but it's just for you and whatever the means is just preach the gospel and it is necessary to use words but perhaps you're thinking well if I'm that heavenly minded not going to be of any earthly good next on wretched listening to wretched radio will make you better at baseball listening to wretched radio will make you better at basketball swish listening to wretched radio will make you better at horse whispering listening to wretched radio will make your life perfect can we promise that your life will be fantastic why not false teachers do it all the time so tune in daily to wretched radio and you will soon be a billionaire she was probably going to have an abortion because her boyfriend was pressuring her but she took with her a little baby bag that we gave every client and when she got home she told us that her boyfriend took out the little fetal model that we would put in each bag he said I don't think we should abort this baby for just $28 a month you could provide a free ultrasound and we could see more stories like that please visit Freeborn dot org slash wretched welcome back to a wretched cliche fest we have oodles of them perhaps you've even heard or use this cliche yourself don't be so heavenly minded that you're of no earthly good have you ever heard that expression before it is a lie from the pit of hell more accurately don't be so earthly minded that you're of no heavenly good jesus said to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all the things you need will be added to you the writer of Hebrews said to desire a heavenly City for here on earth we have no lasting City but we seek the city that is to come Paul wrote to the Galatians to hold to the promise of the Jerusalem from above and he told the Colossians if you have been raised with Christ seek the things that are above where Christ is set your minds on things that are above not on things that are on earth flip-flop yes we're aware of what we're doing on this planet yes we prepare for the future yes you make a bag lunch to bring to the office so you can eat at noon we don't just let go and let God having said that our thoughts should regularly not perpetually you can't do that you probably can't even drive well if you're just thinking ethereal thoughts but regular our minds should be fixed on not this life but the afterlife this is not some sort of placebo that we take it is reorient our thinking to remember this thing is a vapor it is going to go food like the morning fog which is the exact sound that morning fog makes there I saw a special on that Geel and they've got a fog ometer that indicates food is the sound fog makes when it disappears which is exactly what that cliche should do but it does beg a question how do you do that how do you think about the better things which is what the book of Hebrews is all about Jesus is the better thing what he's done for us in salvation is the better thing the place where we're going it's a better thing than this life there's only one way to become more heavenly minded and that is to read the book that talks about heaven okay there's another book you can get Randi Alcorn's heaven because it's a study of the word on heaven and I'm telling you when you're done with this book you're gonna want to go there like now because it's going to be so amazing have you pondered what heaven might be like remember we're not gonna be flying off to a cloud someplace when Jesus returns he's gonna torch this place just burn it all up this set your home anything that you put your hand to the trees outside your window obliterated with fire because this is all a cursed planet and he's going to cleanse it with fire but then he doesn't whisk us off to start playing a harp full time he's gonna create a new heaven and a new earth like this place here's a question for you do you think the new heavens and the new earth will have less than this place it doesn't make sense does it randy alcorn bring this out magnificently in his book heaven you're not gonna get a mind swipe you're not gonna go to heaven and go oh I wonder what I did when I was alive on the planet it's not like you're gonna bump into family members and go so what's your name wanna go to the banquet and hang out a little bit and learn something about each other you're not gonna lose your memory then I'd also suggest to you you're gonna be doing the stuff that you love only better thorns and thistles that's what this planet is work every time something goes to fritz every time everything in the home is acrimonious thorns and thistles because of the curse but please remember that Adam Eve worse they were assigned a job before the fall they were told to subdue the earth it means tending it requires labor and that means I believe that you and I will be doing works in eternity what what are you talking about we're just gonna be feeding the poor no that's not going to be an issue I suspect now this is this is using a heavenly imagination but I suspect the planets gonna be well it's gonna have trees and fauna and it'll have all kinds of animals I think in that in the new heavens and the new earth I don't think there's gonna be less than what there is now and I think we're gonna have to start by building it up now we know that there's a city it's the heavenly City but the rest of the things that we see now I think that we're gonna get to work on perhaps recreating even better why will they be better not because we're gonna be more brilliant per se but because we're gonna do it with the right motivation we're not gonna build a skyscraper to demonstrate look what men can do we're building our way to the heavens look at how accomplished we are now we're gonna do everything because look at what Jesus has done for us so I believe you're gonna be working but with the right motive I believe that there will be arts there will be entertainment we just won't be consumed by it we'll do it all for the glory of God you say I like eating and cooking why wouldn't that exist in heaven I suspect it's going to be a lot tastier in fact in Luke 13 we hear that there is going to be a heavenly banquet prepared for the Rif exception of the bridegroom Jesus Christ and guess who the servant at this magnificent banquet is going to be Jesus Christ Himself is going to serve the servants ponder that for a minute and you will stop being so earthly minded you're of no heavenly good think about the amazing things that Jesus has done for us what he's going to do for us and you then with that information in your brain you'll want to preach the gospel and you'll realize it's necessary to use words and you'll actually use some surprise next on read Todd I was given out a Bible to a woman the former village witch doctor and she took that Bible for me course had the biggest smile on her face and she held it above her head and ten times she said louder each time I'm a new creation in Christ I'm a new creation in Christ I'm a new creation in Christ for just $5 a Bible you could write a story just like that something I asked you how many stories could you write visit wretched org slash Bible a testimony from Amy dear mister mister mister Friel alright please if you're going to write in it's mister mister mister mister Friel to you Amy writes this I'm very very grateful to God for your ministry God has brought you into my life at the perfect time everything is and your daily companionship and wisdom has been life-saving and life-changing god bless you Amy god bless you Amy and may God bless our Gospel partners which make testimonies like this even possible it is only because of your ongoing monthly support that we get to hear from people that this ministry is affecting would you please become a gospel partner at wretched org slash donate the issue with TM AI is is very simple biblical training training men to be the kinds of pastors that are defined and described in the New Testament if you would like to make a great investment please consider supporting the master's Academy international training indigenous pastors to be expositors in 16 different countries TM AI dot org slash wretched welcome back to a wretched surprise two words heavenly athletics question do you think in the afterlife there might be sports competitions my question for you again this is based on Randy Alcorn's I think the way that he has this position helps us so much to understand what's in store for us there'll be no less in heaven than there is on earth sports competitions are not innately sinful we turn them into a sinful mess when we score the touchdown and we run away from all of our players as if to say give me the glory and not to say thank you to a team none of that will exist but why can't at let --ax exists I think we're gonna be playing sports stuff that we love maybe we'll even continue to invent new sports why wouldn't we we invent new stuff now that's not sinful if done rightly why wouldn't we be inventing new things to enjoy in heaven remember activities that we tend to do on earth tend to keep our minds off of God and distract us and amuse us not so in heaven instead we're gonna do athletic competitions the way that God would have us do them mindful that he's given us the bodies he's given us the strength the skills the ball to use whatever it is that we're gonna be using and it's all from him and for him and through him and to him and so we'll compete without cheating that won't happen because that's a sin but maybe you're thinking no he can't do sports because somebody's gonna lose right but that's not a sin I think there'll be different people with different skill sets there'll be people who think better in heaven and let again why would it be different in heaven that it is on earth all that to say use a sanctified imagination but it ain't a bad thing to be thinking heavenly thoughts so that you become more earthly good let's see who won something shall we congratulations to Leonardo Erin Steen Stein sorry Leonardo untethered you could win to simply visit wretched org subscribe to the free wretched newsletter and your name might appear there and I could butcher that too and until tomorrow go serve your king thank you for watching wretched tea be a donor supported television program if you've benefitted from wretched would you consider supporting our ministry your tax deductible gift allows us to preach Amazing Grace thank you

Channel: Gospel Partners Media / Wretched

Views: 226,966

Keywords: Todd Friel, Wretched TV, Wretched Radio, Evangelism, Gospel

Id: CWgiL24PkJU

Length: 28min 30sec (1710 seconds)

Published: Thu Nov 08 2018