The Need For Sound Doctrine
A Sermon
by Dave Redick
Hwy 20 Church of Christ, Sweet Home, OR
We have come to the place today where, among many followers of Christ, doctrine is no longer an issue. There was a time when hard and fast lines were drawn between people on the basis of their particular brand of doctrine - and those lines were not crossed. Certainly, while we abhor division, indeed, the scripture tells us to strive to agree, it seems that many have gone to an opposite extreme where accurate biblical doctrine is purposely avoided and is felt to be the source of division rather than the solution. I believe such thinking wrong-headed thinking is disasterous to the body of Christ.
Introduction
We live today in the most privileged and free civilization in the history of the world. We have nearly total freedom of worship and of propagating our faith. Never before in the history of the church have God's people had so much of this world's goods at their disposal. Never before have we been so inundated with material and spiritual blessings and opportunities. We have every imaginable advantage of education, time and resources at our disposal. There are dozens of libraries, millions of books, millions of Bibles, commentaries, and sermons available. You can find instruction in print, on video or audio tape, in braille if you're blind, on computer disk, in movie and film form - you name it.
Despite all these opportunities, however, the average church member across this nation knows very little about the faith he espouses. Most people simply cannot tell you why they believe what they believe. Many cannot even tell you what they believe. The really sad thing is, it is getting worse, not better.
While there are a number of reasons for this sad paradox, there is one that I want to focus on in this message: the diminishing importance in the minds of many of maintaining sound doctrine.
We have come to the place today where, among many followers of Christ, doctrine is no longer an issue. There was a time when hard and fast lines were drawn between people on the basis of their particular brand of doctrine - and those lines were not crossed. Certainly, while we abhor division, indeed, the scripture tells us to strive to agree, it seems that many have gone to an opposite extreme where accurate biblical doctrine is purposely avoided and is felt to be the source of division rather than the solution. I believe such thinking wrong-headed thinking is disasterous to the body of Christ.
The popular thing today has been to replace concern for sound doctrine with concern for experience. It matters not what you believe in many circles, as long as you have "a personal relationship with Jesus Christ." While I certainly would not challenge the need to have a personal, vital faith that you strive to live every day, and that you seek to know God with all your heart, to do so at the expense of correct doctrine makes such living meaningless.
It is very common in these days to hear the mention of a mysterious gap supposed to exist between the "head" and the "heart." The thinking is, of course, that the mind, the intellect, is the "head," while the "heart" is the feelings or emotions. It is assumed, therefore, to be possible to have "head knowledge" without "heart knowledge."
While I am ready to be the first person among us to declare the need to feel and to experience faith in Jesus Christ, I'm concerned that some believe this can be done without employing the intellect.
I was traveling through a small Midwestern town a number of years ago listening to a couple of religious teachers on the car radio. They were talking about the unity of believers (a very noble subject). What they were proposing as a solution, though, is typical of the issue I am talking about. They were calling their listeners to "forget about doctrine and just unify on a personal experience with Jesus Christ."
Stop and think about that. Is that what we should do? More importantly, is that what God would have us do? Abandon doctrine and unify on some mystical personal experience with Jesus Christ? Here's a way we can find out? Let's ask the writers of the New Testament! They spoke for God. What did they say? Not surprisingly, they said a lot. Here are a few representative passages.
Luke tells us in Acts 2:42 that those in the early church were "continually devoting themselves to the apostles' [doctrine] teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."
Now your translation may say "teaching" instead of "doctrine." That's because teaching is what doctrine is. According to Webster's Random House Dictionary, the word "doctrine" means, "a body or system of teachings relating to a particular subject." In short, doctrine is teaching.
If you can get along without teaching, then you can get along without doctrine. They're one and the same.
Luke writes in Acts 5:28 that the sitting high priest in Jerusalem accused the apostles and said they had "filled Jerusalem with their doctrine."
Our obedience to the gospel in Romans 6:17 is referred to as the obeying of a certain "form of doctrine."
Paul gave the following instructions to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:13: "Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and doctrine."
You will find that Paul gave Timothy a list of representative things that were "contrary to sound doctrine" in 1 Timothy 1:10. The passage says, "law is not made for a righteous man, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine."
Paul exhorted Timothy to "preach the word" in 2 Timothy 4:3, because the time would come when people would no longer endure "sound doctrine." (I think those times have come!)
Jesus went so far as to say that if we don't watch ourselves, we can actually worship in vain if we are teaching the doctrines and precepts of men as a substitute for God's precepts. Matthew 4:1 says, "But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as their doctrine the commandments of men."
Then there are those"doctrines of demons" that Paul mentions in 1 Timothy 4:1 - forbidding marriage and advocating abstaining from certain foods.
Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:3, "If anyone advocates a different doctrine, and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing..."
Hebrews 13:9 tells us not to be "carried away by strange doctrines."
I could go on, but I think I've made my point. Frankly, I'm appalled when some person supposed to be a spokesman for the teaching of Christ, looks me in the eye and says in a condescending tone, "I don't get hung up on doctrine!"
Doctrine is unavoidable! The doctrine that doctrine is unimportant is in itself a doctrine!
Let me make a blunt, but true statement. The person who ignores the doctrine of Christ will lose his soul! I have no doubt about it.
Here are four reasons why:
I. The Person Who Does Not Abide In The Doctrine of Christ Is Without God.
I didn't make that rule - God did. Listen to 2 John 1:9-11:
"Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the doctrine, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds."
Do those verses sound like they are advocating a "doctrine-less" Christianity?
The verses say that it is possible to go beyond the doctrine of Christ. That happens when additional teachings, the teachings of mere men, are introduced and accepted as equal in authority to the Bible. That sort of thing happens all the time.
Take infant baptism, for instance. You won't find a single mention of it in the New Testament, yet there are over 600 million Catholics in the world who practice it. That is an example of going beyond the doctrine of Christ. There are many others.
These verses also teach that those who go beyond the doctrine of Christ leave God behind. Reading part of the verses again: "Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ, does not have God..." Now I didn't say that. The Bible did.
I am amazed at the ignorance of people who say, "Oh, it's no big deal. After all, we're all trying to get to the same place, aren't we?" That's like being headed for Portland and passing a friend on the freeway going the opposite direction. You get on your CB and say, "Hey, where 'ya going?" He says, "I'm goin' to Portland." You say, "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but you're going the wrong way." To that, your friend says, "O well, that doesn't matter. We're all headed for the same place anyway. See you there!" That's crazy! But it's no more crazy than hearing a person who is ignoring God's directions to heaven and explaining it by saying, "We're all headed for the same place anyway!" We're not all headed for the same place if we're going in opposite directions. That's absurd!
A second reason why a person who ignores the doctrine of Christ will lose his soul is
II. Christ's Doctrine Is Truth And It Alone Will Set Men Free.
John 8:31-32 says, Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
The NIV puts that verse this way: "If you hold to my teaching [doctrine], you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
The doctrine of Christ is what sets us free! Should we listen to someone who advocates abandoning doctrine?
Suppose I inadvertently locked myself in a bank vault. On the back of the door are posted instructions for opening the door from the inside. To ignore the doctrine of Christ makes about as much sense as ignoring those instructions on the vault door. It is what sets me free! Free from what? Free from sin. Free from anxiety about the future. Free from many of the troubles people bring on themselves when they do their own thing as opposed to living by God's law.
It is the doctrine or teaching of Christ that sets us free. Should we ignore it?
A third reason why I say that the person who ignores the doctrine of Christ will lose his soul is this:
III. Walking By Faith Is Walking By Doctrine.
I mention this because of discussions I have had with those who are caught up in this experiential, "doctrine-less doctrine" idea.
Such a person says, "Dave, we walk by faith, not by sight. It seems you are walking by sight because you insist that you must find everything you believe about God in the Bible."
Let's examine that reasoning. According to such a person (this has happened to me on several occasions so this isn't hypothetical), I'm walking by sight and not by faith because I insist on limiting my beliefs about God to what is written in the Bible. For the sake of argument, lets assume that this is true.
Now, if looking in my Bible for the doctrine of Christ is walking by sight (something opposed to walking by faith), then the best thing I could ever do with my spiritual life is get rid of my Bible so I won't be tempted to walk by sight.
(Set Bible aside)
Now, I've gotten rid of my Bible. My life will be much better now that I can walk purely by faith. OK. Let's get started walking by faith....
First question: What or who am I supposed to have faith in?
"In Jesus," says my walking-by-faith friend.
OK. Where do I find out anything about Jesus?
"In the Bible, you nitwit!" he says.
No, I can't do that because it is walking by sight.
I know! I'll get on the radio and listen to my favorite preacher! But wait a minute. How will I know if he's telling me the truth? After all, there have been some real shysters on the radio in the past. Maybe I should check it out in the Bible. No, that's walking by sight. I can't do that.
In the meantime, as I'm floundering around, trying to figure out how to walk by faith, along comes someone who tells me that Jesus has already returned in His second coming and is walking around on the earth today in the form of a guy named Sun Mung Moon. He's a convincing speaker, so I swallow it.
Want to know why so many people join fanatic, non-Christian cults today? Ignorance. They know nothing of the doctrine of Christ! Many have been taught that such doctrine is divisive and that it should be set aside.
You know, I guess, to a certain extent the doctrine of Christ is divisive. It divides real Christians from all the rest, doesn't it?
Listen to some words spoken by a pretty famous theologian of many years ago:
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will be the members of his household."
Oh my! What kind of a mean-spirited person could say such divisive words as that? Why, that is terrible! Such a person ought to be thrown out of the church for talk like that!
In case you aren't up on the doctrine of Christ - Those words were the words of Jesus Christ Himself in Matt 10:34-36!
If you're going to walk by faith as the Bible says, your going to have to walk by what Jesus said. And that, my friends is His doctrine - His teaching.
Proverbs 14:12 warns us:
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."
What seems to be right on the basis of my feelings just may not be right. I need a solid, unwavering source by which I can make reliable decisions. That source is the doctrine of Christ. Ignore it and you risk losing your soul!
The fourth reason I say a person who ignores the doctrine of Christ will lose his soul is this:
IV. The Doctrine of Christ Will Be The Basis of Judgement.
Believe me, if there is anything people like to avoid in the doctrine of Christ today, it's the subject of judgement.
"Oh, we must not be too judgmental" people say. By that some mean merely that we shouldn't run around condemning people as though we are the judge. If that is the way a person means it, I have no problem. But more often than not what is meant is that you should never, under any circumstances, point out something wrong in another person's life.
Is that true? What does the Bible say about it?
Listen to what God said to Ezekiel in Ezekiel 3:17-19:
"Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. When I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die'; and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand."
Does it sound like Zeke was to being "non-judgmental" in sense that the term is used today?
"Oh, but that's Old Testament," I can hear someone say.
OK. Let's look at the New Testament. The is 2 Tim 4:1-5:
"I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths."
Is that "judgmental?" If it is, then I guess it will just have to be.
Listen to more words from that noted theologian I quoted a moment ago. This is John 12:47-48:
"And if anyone hears My sayings, and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day."
That's Jesus again, my friend. His word, His doctrine will judge you. Are you ready for that? Do you want me to shut up about these things and "quit being so judgmental" so that we can all go to hell because we are ignorant of the words He spoke that will judge us in the last day?
Conclusion
Join me momentarily on a little bit of nostalgia. I'm going to drift back to my college days. There I am, taking Chemistry. Let's say that another student comes up to me and says, "Hey, Dave, I've figured out a good way to pass the test at the end of the semester. Listen to me. Here is how we'll do it.
"The first thing we'll do is quit concerning ourselves with that dry old text book. It's hard to understand anyway. Besides, we know those chemists don't agree on everything. Plus, that teacher we have is a real drag. He teaches for forty five minutes at a time and I just can't keep my mind on what he is saying. All he ever talks about is that cornball textbook. I know a guy across campus who has a new method of teaching chemistry. It's called The Experiential Method. It's a blast! You see, all you do is go to class and start mixing chemicals. Man, it's great! You should see all the colors that form in those test tubes! You can even get high on some of the fumes! One student last year blew out the north wing of the building when he threw some stuff together. There's all kinds of action over there. Usually you have to go early just to get a seat."
Should I go? More importantly, when the test comes, will I pass the Chemistry class?
My friends, it is even more foolish to ignore the divine guidance of the Bible, the doctrine of Jesus Christ! If you ignore it, you will flunk the test at the end of time.
The doctrine of Christ is important. It is the issue! Walking by faith is walking by doctrine! Christ's doctrine is what sets you free! It will be the basis of judgement! Learn it. Live it. Teach it to your kids. Share it with your neighbor. Shout it from the roof! And most of all, don't fall for the "doctrine-less doctrine" that seems to be so prominent today...
Dave Redick is Minister of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Sweet Home, Oregon and Editor of The Preacher's Study. He may be reached at pstudysupport@comcast.net.
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