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Scripture Reading: Isa. 53

Intro.:
A. Substitution Assumed:
1. The Calvinistic Theory of Substitution teaches that Jesus took our place on the cross, died in our stead, suffered the guilt and punishment
that rightly belongs to us, became a curse in our place, and did everything in our place as a substitute.
2. Now, pause for a moment... Can you think of a passage in the Bible where Jesus ever said He was taking our place? Did the apostles
ever say such a thing? Can you think of a verse anywhere that declared Jesus as our substitute on the cross?
3. What we want to do in this study is to 'search the scriptures to find out whether these things are so' (Acts 17:11).

I. Implications of Substitution:
A. According to Calvin's Doctrine of Limited Atonement:
1. If Jesus removed God’s wrath against sin, satisfied divine justice, paid all our debt in our place, took our punishment for sin upon Himself,
became guilty with our guilt, and was cursed in our stead when He died on the cross, then He has already 'done it all' in our place. Therefore,
we cannot be guilty of anything.
a. If Jesus has already taken my punishment upon Himself, then I don't have to worry because my punishment was removed 2000 years ago!
I cannot be held accountable to God for what I've done, because my substitute has already taken that upon Himself and removed any
responsibility from me!
2. The only conclusions that can be reached from the substitution position are: 1) universal salvation, or 2) Calvin’s limited atonement.
a. If Jesus died in the place of all humanity, then all humanity is universally saved. John Calvin realized this was not acceptable. Therefore he
taught the concept of limited atonement, that is, Jesus died for only the elect, and not for all people.
3. In his book "The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination", Lorraine Boettner wrote: "The great Baptist preacher Charles H. Spurgeon said:
'If Christ has died for you, you can never be lost. God will not punish twice for one thing. If God punished Christ for your sins He will not
punish you. Payment God's justice cannot twice demand; first, at the bleeding Saviour's hand, and then again at mine. How can God be just if
he punished Christ, the substitute, and then man himself afterwards?' "
(Boettner, Loraine D.D. (1932). The Reformed Doctrine Of Predestination. Ch. 12, Sec. 4. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/boettner/predest.i.html)
a. This statement accurately represents the doctrine of substitution. And, this doctrine is patently wrong. It has faulty conclusions based upon
faulty premises.

B. According to the word of God:
1. Despite what these men say, we are still accountable for our actions.
Rom. 2:6 teaches us that God "will render to each one according to his deeds".
Rom. 14:10, 12 say: "...For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ"…. "So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.".

II. Problems with Substitution:
A. While many people accept the belief that Jesus died in their place on the cross, receiving the wrath due to them; many cannot explain how
Jesus was their substitute. So, let us consider all the possible ways Jesus could be considered our substitute; and see if any of them 1) makes
sense, and 2) can be proven by the scriptures:

Was Jesus My Substitute:
1. In physical death?
a. If Jesus’ death was in place of my physical death, then I should not have to physically die. But it is evident that all people must still
physically die ("as it is appointed", Heb. 9:27). Do you know any people who just will not die? -- Any 200 or 2000 year olds? No.
Therefore, Jesus did not take our place in physical death.

2. In spiritual death?
a. Spiritual death is separation from God due to sin (Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:1). We know that Jesus committed no sin (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:
22). We also know that He is not eternally separated from God; for after His resurrection, Jesus ascended to the Father and began to reign
(Acts 2:29-35; 7:56; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 10:12-13). So, Jesus did not die spiritually and, therefore, could not have taken our place in spiritual
death.
b. Some have tried to teach that Jesus died spiritually on the cross as explanation for His statement "my God, my God, why have you
forsaken me?" However, Jesus declared that the Father would never leave Him or forsake Him (Jn. 8:28-29; 16:32-33). To think that Jesus
could be separated from the Father is to think of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three individual gods, rather than one triune God that the
scriptures describe.
c. Another question: If Jesus had been separated from the Father and the Spirit, then who saved Him? How was He reconciled? How did
He escape eternal death and return to the right hand of God?

3. How about a 'physical death' for a 'spiritual death'?
a. The punishment for sins is worse than physical death (Heb. 10:26-31). Punishment for sins is eternal separation from God, eternal torment
in hell with the devil and his angels, and the anguish of being cast out eternally from the presence of the Lord.
b. A physical death cannot stand in the place of eternal, spiritual death. Jesus’ physical death cannot take the place of my deserved spiritual
death due to sin. And, the scriptures never allude to this being the case.

4. Jesus did not take our place on the cross.
a. How could Jesus have taken our place on the cross, for sins, when none of us have ever been scheduled to die on a cross in the first
place? For Jesus to be our substitute on the cross means that I was supposed to be on the cross. But the Bible does not teach that all
mankind was to be on the cross. Jesus could not have saved us from the punishment of the cross because the cross is not the punishment for
our sins.

5. Jesus did not take our place in suffering for righteousness sake (1 Pet. 3:14).
a. Crucifixion was a truly terrible way to suffer, but there were also other terrible ways to suffer (i.e. fiery furnace, Dan. 3; Heb. 11:35-37).
Many of the apostles suffered as much for their faith in Jesus as Jesus suffered (Peter crucified, also). If Jesus took their place in suffering,
why did the apostles suffer? Why do Christians suffer? Why did Jesus tell James and John that they would drink the cup He was about to
drink (Mk. 10:38-39)? So, Jesus did not take our place in suffering otherwise we would not have to suffer for the sake of Jesus.

6. Jesus did not take our place in punishment for sins.
a. The punishment for sins is still levied against the disobedient. Jesus did not remove the wrath of God against sin. God’s wrath is still in
place against all sinners (2 Thes. 1:6-9).
b. If the death of Jesus on the cross appeased and took away the wrath of God against sin, then the very nature of God was changed. We
would expect that God would no longer have any such wrath and would no longer render punishment for sins on anyone.
c. If Jesus received the punishment for the sins of the whole world, then no one will have to be punished for sins (even the disobedient or
evildoers) for Christ satisfied God’s wrath. Clearly, Jesus did not take our place in punishment for sins since punishment remains for the
disobedient (Mt. 25:30, 46).

III. A Supposed 'Fix'
A. Well, the proponents of substitution recognize these problems. Some will suggest that what Jesus suffered was not the exact same
punishment for sins that we might receive in eternal torment; it was just “equivalent” punishment, but not the same in quantity or quality.
1. But to accept this doctrine makes God inconsistent. Who knows, then, who will suffer, and in what way, if God can change His mind
about it.
2. It would be unjust for God to inflict eternal punishment on the lost when just a few hours of torture and physical death is sufficient payment
for their sins!

B. So, not only do the scriptures never speak of Jesus taking our place or acting as our substitute, but there are no acceptable (scripture
based) explanations to describe in what way Jesus could have been our substitute.
1. However, we do know that Jesus made propitiation and reconciliation for the whole world, and offers mankind a way to receive
forgiveness for sins.
2. The scriptures teach that Jesus died for all people, yet not all people will be saved because they will not meet the conditions necessary to
take advantage of His saving blood.

IV. Proof-Texts Of The Substitution Theory:
Doctrines such as these do not come about with absolutely no scriptural basis (as John Calvin was not an evil man, but a great theologian).
But, they mostly come about due to a misunderstanding of scripture. For instance:
A. Jesus Became Sin (2 Cor. 5:21)
2 Cor. 5:21 -- "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
1. It should be evident from the reading that there is nothing stated concerning Jesus dying in our place or becoming a substitute for us.
Rather, the scriptures state that Jesus died "for us," "for our sake," and "on our behalf" as many other translations word this verse.
2. If Jesus was a blemish free, spotless, holy, and righteous sacrifice, how could He actually and literally "be sin" or "be a sinner" on the
cross? Heb. 4:15 tells us that Jesus is our high priest who was tempted like as we, yet without sin. If Jesus was without sin, how can we say
that 2 Cor. 5:21 is teaching He had sin, or was blighted by sin?
3. Heb. 7:26-27 says that Jesus "was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the
heavens ... this He did once for all when He offered up Himself."
a. The writer of Hebrews argued that Jesus did not have sin on Him when He offered Himself for us on the cross. So how should we
understand Paul’s words that Jesus was made to be sin?
4. Some Bible versions have a footnote next to the word "sin" which says, "or to be a sin offering." The idea here in this context can mean
"sin sacrifice" and this can be seen throughout the scriptures.
a. In Heb. 10:6-8 we see the same usage: " 'In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. 7 Then I said, 'Behold, I have come
— In the volume of the book it is written of Me — To do Your will, O God.' 8 Previously saying, 'Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and
offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them' (which are offered according to the law),"
b. Notice the words "sacrifices" in verses 6 and 8 are italicized because the whole phrase is not there in the Greek, just the idiom. The
translators added the word "sacrifices" as it is implied and is required for understanding the text.
c. The New Living Translation (which I rarely consult) is correct in its translation of 2 Cor. 5:21, "For God made Christ, who never sinned, to
be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ."
d. Is there any other reasonable way to understand how Jesus became sin without violating other plain passages of scripture?
5. If sin is on Jesus and He dies with sin on Him, do we not realize the consequences of such a proposal? Jesus dying with sin on Him means
He is not the perfect Lamb of God, but is a broken, blemished lamb that is unacceptable to God.
a. The Old Testament required all sacrifices for sin to be perfect and without blemish. Jesus became the perfect sacrifice for our sins (Heb. 7:
26-27; 1 Pet. 1:18-19) and could not have sin on Him to be acceptable to God.
b. Thus Christ is always described as our sin sacrifice and never as our substitute in the scriptures (Heb. 10:9-10).

B. Jesus and the Curse (Gal. 3:10-13)
Gal. 3:10-13 --"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue
in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.' 11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for
'the just shall live by faith.' 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but 'the man who does them shall live by them.' 13 Christ has redeemed us from the
curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree'),".
1. The curse that men bore was the curse of the law. The Old Testament offered no method of true forgiveness, for "it is not possible that the
blood of bulls and goats could take away sins" (Heb. 10:1-4). Perfect law-keeping was the demand of the law. Anyone who violated the
law became cursed, and all people violated the law of God. Therefore, all people bore the curse of the law.
2. Also, notice that the text does not say that God cursed Jesus. The “curse” Jesus bore relates to the command given in Deut. 21:22-23: "If
a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 “his body shall not remain overnight on
the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance;
for he who is hanged is accursed of God."
a. This is capital punishment for capital crimes. If a man did something deserving of death, he was to be put to death and hung on a tree for
all to see that he was a violator of God’s law. Notice also, that Paul explicitly does not quote the whole sentence of being cursed by God,
because Jesus was not cursed by God.
3. Did Jesus commit sin deserving of death? Absolutely not! Jesus was not a sinner and did not violate any of God’s laws. Jesus’ death
removed the power and authority of the law, thereby removing the curse upon men (Col. 2:13-14; Eph. 2:14-16; Heb. 8:6-7). In what way
did Jesus become a curse for us, according to the text? He became a curse in the fact that He was killed like a heinous criminal. Jesus was
not cursed by God, but viewed by the people as cursed. The curse Jesus had was not the curse of the Law, but the curse of dying on a tree.
a. The Jews considered Jesus guilty, charged Him of blasphemy and was therefore worthy of death (Mt. 27:39-43). Jesus did not become a
curse in our place. Rather, in the process of becoming our sacrifice for sins which removed 'our' curse, the people perceived Jesus to be
cursed by God. Neither 2 Cor. 5:21 or Gal. 3:10-13 prove that Jesus died in our place. Rather, these passages continue to show Jesus
acting as a sin sacrifice to remove our sins.

C. Jesus Bore Our Sins (1 Pet. 2:24)
1. If Jesus did not literally have the sins of the world placed upon Him, then what did Peter mean in 1 Pet. 2:24, "who Himself bore our sins in
His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness — by whose stripes you were healed."?
2. I think we must first notice what the text does actually say. Notice that it says He “bore our sins in His own body on the tree". So what
did the body of Christ do? What does it mean when Peter says Jesus bore our sins?
a. The Greek preposition 'en' means "in, by, and with". Jesus bore our sins. How? The prepositional phrase explains how He bore our sins.
He bore them "in (or by) His own body on the tree" -- in other words 'in the crucifixion'. This is very similar to the wording in Heb. 9:28.
b. The word “bore” in the Greek is the word anaphero, which means “to carry up, take up, offer up.”. There are two basic meanings of this
word, depending on the context, as used in only 12 N.T. scriptures. One means to bear up, or carry:
Mt. 17:1 -- "Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves;"
Lk. 24:51 -- "Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven."
c. The other, in the context of a sacrifice, means to offer up:
Heb. 7:27 -- "who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He
did once for all when He offered up Himself."
Jas. 2:21 -- "Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?"
d. But, I believe Heb. 9:28 gives us insight as to how it should be used. It says: "so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To
those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation." It says that Christ was presented to bear sins.
Notice, He was not going to offer sins as a sacrifice, but was going to bear them away in His own sacrifice.
3. Understanding the word “bore” makes the words of Peter rather simple. This passage does not say that Jesus “carried” our sins literally
'in' or 'on' His body. The body of Jesus was offered up on the cross as a sacrifice, an offering to God, to bear away our sins.

D. Language of Isa. 53
1. This passage is often used to prove the theory of substitution. So let's spend a little time looking at what Isaiah says in his prophecy.
Verse 3 tells us that "He is despised and rejected by men" not by God.
Verse 4 says, "Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows;.."
We understand the word “bore” means “to take up; to carry; to take away; to remove”.
Matthew quotes this part of Isaiah’s prophecy in Mt. 8:16-17 and declares that Jesus fulfilled it while He was on the earth, healing people of
demon possession. Jesus has taken away the people's sorrows and griefs in a limited sense.
"...Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted."
Again, the text does not say that God afflicted Jesus, but that we esteemed (considered) Jesus afflicted by God. This goes to prove our
understanding of Gal. 3. Jesus was not cursed by God, but the people considered Jesus cursed of God.
Verse 6 is an important verse that we must understand: "...And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."
What does it mean that the Lord "laid on Him" the iniquity of us all? The word for "laid on" is the Hebrew word 'paga', which means
according to Strong’s, "come (betwixt), cause to entreat, fall (upon), make intercession, intercessor..." In the same context, the word used
by translators is “intercession.” Verse 12 says,
"And made intercession (paga) for the transgressors." Similarly, Isa. 59:16, Jer. 7:16, and 15:11 has (paga) translated as "intercession." The
Septuagint, uses the Greek word paredoken from paradidomi, meaning “to deliver up or intercede.” The base of this Greek word is found
twice in the New Testament.
Rom. 8:32 says, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered (paradidomi) Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely
give us all things?"
Similarly, Eph. 5:2 says, "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given (paradidomi) Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to
God for a sweet-smelling aroma."
We're now able to see that there is nothing in these words implying substitution. Rather, Isa. 53:6 is simply saying the Lord delivered,
offered, or gave up Jesus for the iniquity of us all. Jesus' sacrifice was to make intercession for our iniquities.
Verse 8 does not require a substitutionary view either. "...For the transgressions of My people He was stricken."
It simply tells us that it was because of our sins that Jesus was needed as a sacrifice for sins.
Verse 10 is useful because Isaiah says exactly what we have been arguing: "...When You make His soul an offering for sin,"
Thus, it states the very point we are making concerning Jesus’ death. His death was not a substitution but a sin sacrifice. The sacrifice of
Jesus was well-pleasing to God, offered on our behalf to open the way of God’s mercy for us. This is exactly what Paul said concerning
Jesus in Eph. 5:2
Verse 11 says "By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities."
Hopefully we now understand what it means for Jesus to bear our iniquities, as we noted previously in 1 Pet. 2:24. The Hebrew word for
“bear” here is sabal which means according to Strong’s “to carry (literally or figuratively).”
This is the same word used back in verse 4 of Isaiah that Jesus “carried (sabal) our sorrows.” The Hebrew word sabal is translated in the
Septuagint with the word anaphero, which we noticed already means “to carry up, to carry away, to offer up.” Thus Jesus will take them
away.
Finally, verse 12 concludes, "...And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors."
The Hebrew word for “bore” is nasa which means “to lift, to carry, to take.” Similarly, the Hebrew word nasa is also translated by the
Septuagint with the word anaphero. Again, the meaning is that Jesus took away our sins and carries them away in His sacrifice to God.
Therefore, the Bible claims Jesus not as our substitute but a pleasing sacrifice offered up for us.

V. Songs We Sing:
We have songs that assert the substitution theory as scriptural fact. In our book "Hymns For Worship":
#152 "By Christ Redeemed" -- Vs. 2 "His body given in our stead".
#158 "Nailed To The Cross" -- Vs. 1 "There was one who was willing to die in my stead,"
#161 "Hallelujah! What A Savior!" -- Vs. 2 "In my place condemned He stood"
#165 "Thus Remember Me" -- Vs. 2 "Jesus, given in our stead"
#176 "In The Glory Of His Cross" -- Vs. 2 "...so that He could take my place"
And, there may be others which we have missed...
We may have never thought about some of these words before. And, we may not be conscious as to how they are understood by others,
especially of those in denominations which accept Calvinist doctrine.
About two years ago, we decided that we didn't want to teach and admonish others with error, or with a false understanding. So, no longer
sing them.

Conc.:
A. Nothing in the Bible declares Jesus dying in our stead or acting as a substitute for us. Rather, Jesus paid the ransom price, through His
death, to redeem us to God.

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Searching the Scriptures

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your
own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your
own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be
health to your flesh, And strength to your bones."
Proverbs 3:5-8

Does It Really Matter Where You Go To Church?
Scripture Reading: 1 Sam. 15:10-23

I. "Just Attend The Church Of Your Choice"?
A. We All Like Choices.
1. What brand of toothpaste do you use? What flavor of soft-drink do you prefer? There are a hundred different kinds of cars available,
which model did you buy?
a. As Americans, we enjoy the privilege of choice. We can choose Crest instead of Colgate, Pepsi over Coke, or GM rather than Ford.
We all have a choice as to exactly what we want.
b. Is it the same with religion?
2. When religious folk wake up on Sunday morning, they want to go to worship. Most Americans say "Just attend the church of your
choice!" "As long as you go somewhere -- that's all that matters".
a. It may not matter which toothpaste you use; they all do about the same thing -- just as long as you brush. But, are churches the same
way? Is it all the same to God -- just as long as you go somewhere?
3. My friends, contrary to popular opinion, worship is not like toothpaste, soft-drinks, or cars. Despite what most denominations teach, the
Bible teaches that there is one and only one right choice.
a. My own personal preference means nothing if it is not based on scripture. The Lord's choice is what matters.
4. Now, pointing out the fact that many religious groups practice and teach error is not popular. A lot of people will stop right here, close
their ears, and ignore the rest of this lesson.
a. But, honest, sincere folks will listen and see for themselves. Because, the Bible (not just me) teaches that the idea of "go to the church of
your choice" is fraudulent and deceptive. The Bible teaches that it does matter where you go to church. Please notice:

II. It Really Matters Where You Go To Church, because:
A. It Matters How We Worship.
1. When you read about people worshipping, in the Bible record, did it make a difference whether or not people worshipped Jehovah or
Baal? Certainly it did!
a. In fact, in 1 Kgs. 18 we can read of 450 prophets of Baal worshipping and calling upon Baal, but it did them no good. Yet, when Elijah
called upon God, Jehovah sent fire down to consume the sacrifice and prove that He was the real God.
b. Likewise, when we worship, for there to be any benefit at all -- Jehovah must be the object of our worship (Mt. 4:10).
c. Hear what Jesus said in Mt. 4:10 -- " ...it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve’."
2. Now, is God obligated to accept anything and everything that people do under the guise of worship? What does the Bible say?
a. In Gen. 4:1-7, we find that certain worship is acceptable to God, and other worship is not. Notice that "the Lord respected Abel and his
offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering." (vss. 4-5). Verse 7 tells us that Cain did not do well regarding his offering.
b. Perhaps, Cain thought that God should have accepted anything that he offered, regardless of what it was (kinda like folks do today)? But,
as we can clearly see, not everything is acceptable to God.
3. Lev. 10:1-3 tell us of another incident where God made perfectly clear that He did not accept 'anything and everything' as worship.
a. Nadab and Abihu "offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. 2 So fire went out from the Lord and
devoured them, and they died before the Lord.". If we do not worship God in a pleasing manner which He prescribes, how can we be
regarding Him as holy? Is He glorified when we do as we please? (vs. 3).
b. Now, I have cited these Old Testament scriptures -- not because we are under them today (for we are all under Christ's New Testament
Law) -- but because God's Book teaches us that the Old Testament scriptures "were written for our learning" (Rom. 15:4).
4. What else can we learn about worship from God's Word? Looking to the New Testament, we also find examples of worship that did not
please God.
a. One is found in 1 Cor. 11:17-22. In these passages we find that the apostle Paul is very upset with the brethren at Corinth. He said that
they came together "for the worse." What they did was not good. When they came together, instead of partaking of the Lord's Supper
(communion) in the proper way, they were making a mockery of this solemn event. They had turned it into a common meal, and some were
grievously sinning! Paul actually told them that what they were doing was not in any fashion the Lord's Supper (vs. 20).
b. Now, should God have accepted this behavior anyway? It was 'their way' of supposedly worshipping God, and remembering Christ's
death on the cross (vs. 26). Was God obligated to appreciate what they were doing under the guise of religion? Certainly not.
5. So, in these few examples, we see that it is possible to offer worship unto God which is not at all acceptable. In fact, in Mt. 15:9, Jesus
Himself said that vain (empty, worthless) worship is possible -- because these people were currently doing it. They did what they wanted to
in their worship -- and not what God wanted them to.
a. Were they not sincere? Were they not religious? Did they not try? Certainly, 'YES' to all these questions. But, regardless of their efforts,
their worship was unacceptable, because it was not according to God's Will.
6. As we have seen in all of these cases -- God does care about how people worship Him, and He rejects what is not pleasing.
a. Jn. 4:23-24 states that "…the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the
Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
b. This suggests that we are either true worshippers, or false ones. God is seeking true ones; and those who would worship God must
worship in a certain fashion.
c. The passage mentions two very important criteria: spirit and truth. 'Spirit' here denotes not the Holy Spirit, but the frame of mind. Truth
designates that which is according to God's will (Jn. 17:17). So then, our mode and our motivation must be right. The 'How' and the 'What'
must be correct.
7. Rom. 10:1-3 deals with this same issue. Paul said that his brethren in the flesh, the Jews, were very zealous -- but zeal alone is not
enough. If they would have had the same zeal, and also had followed God's righteousness (God's plan of righteousness), then they would not
have rejected Christ, but would have become Christians. Instead, they rejected God's plan, and were condemned (they were not saved, vs.
1), even though they were religiously zealous.
a. So then, people can be religious, even very religious, and still be unacceptable to God. Therefore, we ourselves must take great care to
find a church to worship with, that worships in spirit and in truth.
1. Some churches pray to and venerate (and even worship) humans (both dead and alive) and angels; but what did Jesus say? -- " ... ‘You
shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve’." (Mt. 4:10).
2. Some churches worship God with bands and orchestras, but God has not asked for this kind of worship.
Eph. 5:19 -- "speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,"
Col. 3:16 -- "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
3. Some churches have women teaching and preaching over men, but God has spoken about this also:
1 Cor. 14:34-35 -- "Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the
law also says. 35 And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in
church."
1 Tim. 2:11-12 -- "Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. 12 And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a
man, but to be in silence."
b. We must diligently seek for those who will worship acceptably, as the early church did (Acts 2:42) -- because our worship matters.

It Really Matters Where You Go To Church, because:
B. Doctrine Matters.
1. It is very important that what is preached from the pulpit, or taught in classes, is the truth, and nothing but. When one claims to preach
God's Word, people usually listen and accept it as such.
a. It's good when people want to hear Bible teaching; but what happens when the whole truth is not being taught? What happens when
people are taught opinions or doctrines of men either by accident or on purpose?
b. The Muslim religion teaches that Christians are in error. The Branch Davidians thought that David Koresh was the Messiah. Certainly
churches have been used throughout the ages for the public teachings of many human opinions and errors (Spanish inquisitions, etc.). We
must be careful!
2. In 1 Tim. 4:16, Paul cautioned the young evangelist Timothy: "Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this
you will save both yourself and those who hear you." We see here that Timothy was to be careful of not only what he did, but also of what
he taught people as being God's Word.
a. If we desire to be saved, we too must be careful as to what we teach and adhere to. 2 Jn. 9 says "Whoever transgresses and does not
abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son." This verse
teaches that abiding in the doctrine (teaching) of Christ is very important. It's the difference between having (fellowship with) God, and not
having Him.
3. Now, we might hear someone say "Everyone has their own interpretation of the scriptures -- who is right?" Certainly we can see the
honesty in this question. -- It's a good question. And the Bible itself gives us a good answer to it.
a. In Mt. 16:1-12 Jesus warned His disciples to "beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." By this, He meant that they taught
and believed a skewed doctrine (vs. 12).
b. Also, Jesus showed in Mt. 22:23-33 that "the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection", were totally wrong in their interpretation of
scripture. "Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God." (vs. 30).
c. Whether we realize it or not, Jesus is giving us the answer to our question. When two or more people differ as to what they think the
scriptures say, either one or both of them must be mistaken. The reason is: someone does not really know the scriptures, and is not rightly
dividing the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). The Holy Scriptures cannot mean many different things -- God is not the author of confusion (1
Corinthians 14:33).
d. Furthermore, Paul the apostle commands God's children to "…not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is." (Eph. 5:17).
Does God command (thru His Word) for us to do things that are impossible? Paul himself wrote so that the reader "may understand" his
knowledge of God's will (Eph. 3:4). But, we must be careful how we read, and how we understand.
4. The Bible contains objective truth -- not subjective truth. It is what it is, regardless of what I think. My opinion does not change what the
scriptures mean. I can't just feel how I want to feel.
a. For example, the scriptures teach us that Jesus came to this earth (Jn. 3:13; 6:41), He died on the cross (1 Cor. 15:1-3), and that He will
come again in judgment (Acts 17:30-31). Now, these statements are True (Jn. 17:17).
b. When a man teaches that He did not come -- is he true or false? If I believe the man who teaches that which is false, will I still be saved?
2 Tim. 2:16-18 give us the answer. Right after the warning to rightly divide (carefully discern) the truth, Paul states "But shun profane and idle
babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort,
18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some."
c. These two men that Paul mentioned were absolutely wrong on the subject. The fact that they strayed (erred) meant that they missed the
truth. Even worse than that -- some people believed what they were taught by these men, and their faith was overthrown.
d. Thus, these passages alone teach us that it is possible be taught error and to subsequently have to suffer the consequences. That is why it
is so important that we not just take a man's word for it (Acts 17:11).
5. Notice what Paul charged Timothy with in 2 Tim. 4: "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the
living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort,
with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires,
because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned
aside to fables." (2 Tim. 4:1-4).
a. When people refuse sound doctrine, and hearken to their own desires, nothing good can result.
1. Some churches proudly teach that Hell does not really exist, but what do the scriptures actually say?
Mt. 18:8-9 -- "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed,
rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. 9“And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from
you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."
Mt. 23:33 -- "Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?"
2. Other churches vehemently proclaim that water baptism is not essential for salvation. But, what did Jesus Himself say about it?
Mk. 16:15-16 -- "And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 “He who believes and is baptized
will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned."
Acts 2:38 -- "Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins;
and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
1 Pet. 3:12 -- "There is also an antitype which now saves us — baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good
conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,"
b. Churches of today teach and preach things which either cannot be proven by the scriptures, or things which the scriptures clearly refute.
My friend, the Bible says that doctrine matters.

It Really Matters Where You Go To Church, because:
C. Membership Means Something.
1. When someone is a member of the 'NRA', it means that they support the right to own a fire-arm. If one is a member of the Audubon
Society, it means that they support the conservation and protection of wildlife. We all understand that membership in something means
'endorsement and agreement'.
2. Look once again with me at 2 Jn. 9-11 where John stated this warning: "Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ
does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring
this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds."
a. Here-in, the apostle plainly affirms that we cannot support false doctrine. We will be an accessory to the crime -- aiding and abetting a
group which teaches or supports evil!
3. If someone comes up and tells me "Hi, I'm a member of "Al Qaeda" or "Hamas" -- What am I to think? Well, he must be a racist,
prejudiced, a terrorist, or a murderer. At any rate, he is a partaker in evil works of darkness.
a. But, what if he says "Well, I'm a member, but I don't agree with everything that they do."?
Does he attend their meetings? -- Yes.
Does he pay dues or give monetary support? -- Yes.
Does he admit that he's a member? -- Yes.
Then he's a part of it! He's an accessory to their crime!
b. But, on the other hand, what if he says "I'm a member of the XYZ Church. But, I don't agree with everything that they do. Am I OK?"
Well, does he attend all of their meetings? -- Yes.
Does he give them his financial support? -- Yes.
Is he on their membership roll? -- Yes.
Then he's a part of it! And, if they teach error and false-doctrine, then he's an accessory to their crime! He shares in their evil deeds. "But, I
don't agree with the things they do which are not taught in the Bible... I go for other reasons!"
4. Folks, we cannot please God while being a member of a church that does not practice New Testament Christianity, just because we might
like the speaker, the recreation, the location, the people, etc.!
a. When I am a member of a group -- I am together with them. This is what the Bible calls fellowship. Scriptural, spiritual fellowship is not
food, fun, and frolic! It's having a part in something spiritual. This term 'fellowship' comes from the Greek word 'KOINONIA' and means
"communion, fellowship, sharing in common".
b. The Bible says "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them." (Ephesians 5:11). If I'm a member
of a church which does something unscriptural (having no authority from scripture) -- and which they refuse to correct -- I cannot continue to
participate in that church without being held responsible for supporting their sinful actions.
5. In 2 Chr. 11:13-16 we read of the reaction of all of the faithful people of Israel. They refused to stay with Jeroboam, but instead went
over to Rehoboam: "And from all their territories the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel took their stand with him. 14 For the
Levites left their common-lands and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from
serving as priests to the LORD. 15 Then he appointed for himself priests for the high places, for the demons, and the calf idols which he had
made. 16 And after the Levites left, those from all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to seek the LORD God of Israel, came to
Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers."
a. The God-fearing people left. They didn't say "But, this is where my momma lived; and my friends all live here; and it's close to home; and I
like the governor here."
b. Likewise, faithful, God-fearing people will refuse to stay in a church where there is compromise, error, and otherwise unscriptural activity.
They won't say "But, this is where my momma went to church; and my friends all attend here; and it's close to home; and I like the preacher
here." My friend, it will not work. You cannot serve God and mammon (Mt. 6:24)! Seek first the Kingdom of God (Mt. 6:33)!
c. If the church where you regularly attend teaches that homosexuality is OK -- that it's just an alternate lifestyle -- (1 Cor. 6:9), that a person
may divorce and remarry for any cause (Mt. 19:3ff), that you can call a mere man your 'spiritual father' (Mt. 23:9-10) and that he can absolve
your sins; then it's high time you get out!
6. You see folks -- membership means something.

It Really Matters Where You Go To Church, because:
D. Jesus Must Be Our Lord.
1. Have you ever driven into a town and seen a sign that read "Jesus is Lord over 'XYZ'-ville"? Well, was Jesus really Lord over that town?
a. 'Lord' comes from the Greek word 'Kurios' which means "lord, master, or owner". If I claim that Jesus is my Lord, I am professing that
He is my Master, my Owner. If He is indeed my Master, then I am His servant. If He is my Owner, then I am His possession.
b. Now, does a servant follow his own will, or the will of his master?
2. In Lk. 6:46, Jesus was rebuking some people who evidently claimed Him as their Lord. He said to them "But why do you call Me ‘Lord,
Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?".
a. Is he a very good servant, who disobeys his master? Simply claiming Jesus as our Lord, doesn't cut it; we must do what He says.
3. Now, most people usually choose a church based on their own desires: music, sports, various secular ministries, entertainment, social
groups, etc. What about what Jesus desires?! What about what He wants?
a. 'What suits me' is the wrong starting point. I need to ask "What suits the Lord?".
b. Can Jesus be my Lord while I'm accepting or supporting something contrary to what He says? Will I go to Heaven based solely on what I
think religion ought to be? No! Jesus said that we will be judged by His words (Jn. 12:48).
4. In Mt. 7:21-23 Jesus said "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of
My Father in heaven. 22 “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your
name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice
lawlessness!’". Now, what was it that these people were doing wrong? Weren't they sincere? Weren't they religious? Didn't they 'go to
church' somewhere?
a. Why -- their pastor may have been on TV. They may have had pageants and bazaars; bake sales and charity fundraisers.
b. They claimed to do many 'wonderful works' in His name! They may have led the cancer drive, or brought in the blood-mobile. They may
have been the biggest church in the whole town. And, there may have been lots of praying, singing, and preaching…
c. But, their religion was lawless! -- It was unacceptable.
5. How could their religion have been 'lawless' and unacceptable while they were so busy doing all these 'wonderful works'?
a. They did not have authority for doing some of the things that they did. They were operating outside of Christ's law, and they were
condemned to Hell for it. They did things 'in His name', but had no real, Christ given authority to actually do them.
6. You see, simply claiming that we're doing something 'in Jesus' name' is not the same as actually doing that thing 'in His name'.
a. Col. 3:17 says "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus" -- this means 'by His authority'. That's like
the phrase "Stop, in the name of the law!" --it's by the authority of the law.
b. If those works had really been done 'in His name', then those people would have had a "thus saith the Lord". They would have had a
"book, chapter, and verse" for what they did.
c. Some churches take the Lord's money and send it to various charities, support hospitals, colleges, and even orphan homes. Now, these
may be some real good institutions... and I can decide to help them if I want, out of my pocket. But, for me to take money out of the Lord's
pocket without His approval is stealing and presumptuous. God never gave us the OK to do such a thing. He tells us what the work of the
church is, and none of these things fall into that category. They are individual responsibility.
d. Yes, Jesus said that there are going to be a lot of religious, well-meaning folks in Hell.
7. Do you believe what Jesus said? This is serious business, my friend! Jesus must be our lord.

It Really Matters Where You Go To Church, because:
E. There Is Only One Right Way.
1. In Mt. 7:13-14 Jesus warned: "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are
many who go in by it. 14 “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Our Lord
said that there are only two ways in which people can go -- towards eternal life, or towards eternal destruction.
a. Let me ask you a question: "Are you of the many or the few?"
2. In 2 Pet. 2, Peter tells his readers that there is only one right way -- it is the Lord's way. Notice what he says in verse 2 of false teachers:
"And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed." Notice, he said "the way of truth"
(singular, not ways). If there is a "way of truth", then all other ways are ways of error.
3. Notice also in verse 15 that Peter says "They have forsaken the right way and gone astray…". Now if there is a "right way" (singular, not
ways), then all other ways are wrong ways.
4. Finally, look at what he says in verse 21: "For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having
known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them." He said "the way of righteousness", not ways (plural) of righteousness. So,
any other way is a way of unrighteousness.
5. The Lord's way is the only way (Jn. 14:6). In which way are you headed?

It Really Matters Where You Go To Church, because:
F. There Are Many Options, But Only One Right Choice.
1. In Acts 17:16-31, when the apostle Paul was in Athens, he saw that the city was full of idols. There was even an altar for an 'unknown
god'.
a. Did Paul tell them "just pick the god of your choice"? No; Paul said "the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you".
b. There is only one God and Father (Eph. 4:6). Though, people like to have a broad selection, Paul gave them only one right choice.
2. In Mt. 27:38, when the Lord was crucified at Calvary, there were two others crucified there. -- There were a total of 3 crosses.
a. Did Peter, on the day of Pentecost, tell the people to "just pick the cross of your choice"? No; Peter said "God made this Jesus, whom
you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
b. Despite the fact that people like to have their own choice, there is only one Lord and Savior who was crucified for you.
3. In Mt. 16:18, when Jesus was speaking to His apostles about building a church, did He give them a choice about which one to join? He
said "I will build My church", not churches.
a. We need to join the church of the Lord's choice! All churches are not equal; and, despite the fact that folks like to choose, there is only
one that is acceptable to God.
4. Now, since Christ said that He would build His church (singular -- not churches). And, since Christ is head of His body (Col. 1:18), the
church (singular -- not bodies or churches). How many does He have?
a. Eph. 4:1-6 ought to clinch this idea. Regarding the essential grounds of Christian unity, Paul said "There is one body and one Spirit, just as
you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through
all, and in you all."
b. Did you notice how many God's there were? -- Just One. How many Lord's did Paul say that there were? -- Just One. And, how many
bodies? -- Still just One.
c. Which church is this "one body"? -- The one you can read about in your Bible. It is referred to as Christ's church (Rom. 16:16), and
God's church (1 Tim. 3:15).
5. You can read about the church of Christ in the Bible; but, how many denominations are named in God's Book? -- None! So, none of the
others are the Lord's church, no matter how similar they may seem.
a. See folks, there is only one right choice.

Conc.:
In this lesson, I have proven through the scriptures that it really does matter where you go to church, because:
A. It Matters How We Worship. Sincerity and zeal alone are not enough.
B. Doctrine Matters. We must abide in the doctrine of Christ to have God.
C. Membership Means Something. It means that I have a share in it for good or evil.
D. Jesus Must Be Our Lord. We must follow Him in all that we do.
E. There Is Only One Right Way. It is the Lord's way, and no other.
F. There Are Many Options, But Only One Right Choice. There is indeed only 1 true church of Jesus Christ.
In all of the choices that we have to make, how many are there when it comes to religion? Two -- God's way and man's way. Friend, which
one will you choose?