COGWA: Your voice doesn't need to be heard

From a COGWA source.

6/5/2021 Sermon Transcript. Caleb Froedge, Pastor Kansas City COGWA.

I would like to start out today by talking about a riveting story introduced by Taco Bell. It is a commercial that I saw the other day on Taco Bell, and it was called chicken philosophers and it had philosophers arguing about what is the best chicken sandwich. I think maybe many of you have probably seen this commercial, but they're arguing back and forth. About pointless discussion, items that really don't make a difference about this chicken sandwich. Debating what is the best chicken sandwich? And they kept arguing chicken, mayo, pickle, bread. Bread, chicken, pickle, mayo, and every way with the same ingredients. It didn't make a difference; it was still a chicken sandwich. And then you have the wise come in with tacos. They didn't get into the debate, and I know there's things out there about those taco lovers and it's always going to be a taco over a chicken sandwich. But they stayed away from the pointless debate.

Now philosophical debating is something that we can be trained in. There are debate teams. You can learn the art of the debate. There's a political science. There's a science of debate. There's a science of philosophical studies. And one can really try to make an impact with their knowledge and wisdom and a philosophical approach. But can debate and philosophical discussions, even of the Bible, just because it's the Bible, does that mean this is what God desires from his members? Could debate and philosophical discussion on biblical matters actually cause someone in God's church to be entangled to their own demise? How much time does God want US spending quarreling, debating on speculative details in the Bible? Of course, you know, we're all going to have different opinions on speculative parts of the Bible where there's really no conclusive determination, well why was this? Or you know anybody who's been to FI, you know you're going to ask those questions and sometimes it is, “I don't know.” You know, watching the FI online with Mr. Ken Giese on the most recent one on Joshua and Judges, you know there are really good questions and thought provoking. But then sometimes the answer is well I really don't know. And so, you know it's, it's fun to sometimes talk about those things and explore. And uh, but can there be too much where we don't actually focus on the trunk of the tree and those foundational truths that are so very important?

It was funny, I saw a post the other day from a member, and it said which side of the paper clip, which side of the paper does a paper clip go? And of course, we know it's the left side, you know? So, I didn't know why that was really a question, but yeah, you know, everybody is going to have a different opinion, why? Well, I don't know why. Why is it the left side? It just seems right. It just feels right, but there's a theory for what is right and why we should do that, and it's fun to sometimes go over those different philosophies, if you will, arguments if you will. And it’s fun to kind of take silly things and get everybody's opinion. Again, another post I saw was let's end this lifelong debate. What is better, Coke or Pepsi? And then of course you have those rebels that put Dr. Pepper instead, they don't even get into the debate on that, but you know it can be fun to do at times.

You know, but to what point are we to involve ourselves in debates, quarrels? How fruitful will that become even if it's in biblical studies? Again, we are not going to all come to the exact agreement on every single thing, but those core fundamental beliefs we are to be in agreement on. We are to be in agreement as a church and that is a very positive thing. But are we to explore all of our disagreements? Is this a positive thing for the church? Is this where we should put our time?

Some have made their own religion about philosophical points in the past. They've looked for some obscure detail, and in studying a certain topic, maybe it's kind of a, it's not the trunk of the tree, it's a twig and, you know, they focus on that twig so much now it becomes, you know, “I have superior knowledge, I have superior intelligence and I've taken this idea and now it's become my baby.” Now it's become a pet doctrine and it is coddled like a little baby. You know, do some have some sort of superpower to understand speculative scripture? Is it a superintelligence or is it making one wise in their own eyes? But, you know, you can take a philosophical question in the Bible. or for anything for that matter, and you put in all this research into and come to your own conclusion, but should we really take it in and hold it tight to us? Those, you know, philosophical questions, the all-important, which came first, the chicken or the egg? If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is around, does it still make a sound? Yeah, you can find little things in the Bible that we would also, uh, look into and try to figure out as well.

What should we be aware of as members in the Church of God who study the Bible? One, we want to be aware of our own actions as we study the Bible. We study the Bible to look inwardly; to look at ourselves. You know, it is, God's word is to be a mirror to our path, a light to our path. And we look at and study the Bible as inwardly first we look how does this affect my life? How does it change my life? Do we study the Bible to feel superior? Do we study the Bible to correct others around us? Is that our, is that what God wants us to do? We have the knowledge, so now we can go sharpen one another with our words and tell everybody where they're wrong.

Are we aware of false teachers of the Bible? Teachers who do not have authority from God but they’re self-proclaimed teachers. Now, they have put themselves up on a pedestal, and they've said, “I'm, I'm going to put myself in a position of superior intelligence and I'm going to judge the Church of God, and I'm going to make claims, this is the way the church should function. This is my philosophy. This is what the church should do.” Are we aware of false teachers? Really, there's nothing new under the sun, and there's those who have fought against the Church of God and the core doctrines over the ages, and many have done it in the name of theory and philosophies, superior knowledge, and philosophy. Men who have, came along with no authority to teach, but yet they claim superior knowledge and intelligence. And they, in turn, are drawing members away from the Church of God, where there are firm proven truths.

Paul had to fight against such knowledge and philosophies such as Gnosticism and different things that stem from Gnosticism: Docetism, Gnosticism. And it takes the name of the Greek word, gnosis, G-N-O-S-I-S and it means knowledge, especially spiritual truth, and there's this great spiritual knowledge. And so many of the so-called gnostic groups are characterized by mythiology [sic] and distinguishes between the inferior created world - the physical - and the more transcendent god and the order of being. But in the book of First John, he wrote to reassure and to comfort the church members who were contending with dishonorable individuals, intent of shaking the faith of the members through false and heretical teachings. 1 John 2:19, “They went out from us, but they were not of us.” So, the indication was that they were once members with the church, but then they went, and they left. “For if they had been of us they would have continued with us, but they went out that they might be made manifest that none of them were of us. But you have an anointing from the holy one and you know all things. I have not written to you because you do not know truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is the Antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either. He who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. Therefore, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning, that what you heard from the beginning abides in you. You also will abide in the Son and in the Father, and this is the promise that he has promised us – eternal life. These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.” So, there is a deception. He was talking about some had come out from among them. There's sufficient internal evidence that suggests that certain people from within the church, likely former members, were expounding HERESY contrary to authentic and foundational doctrines.

The Zondervian [sic] illustrated Bible Dictionary states, “The purpose of the author was to warn the readers against false teachers who are trying to mislead them and to exhort them to hold fast to the Christian faith that they had received.” What was the heresy in this particular case? According to David and Pat Alexander, the Lion Handbook of the Bible, “John’s letter was written to counter some of the early form of ‘Gnosticism’ being propounded by men who were once church members but had now withdrawn from the group. They liked to think of themselves as intellectuals, processing [sic] a superior knowledge of God. They made a complete distinction between the SPIRITUAL (which was pure) and the material (which was evil). In practice, this often led to immortality – because nothing the body did could tarnish the purity of the spirit. It also led to the denial of Christ's human nature – which was either ‘make-believe’ or temporary [in their mind]. The Christ – being spirit – could not have died.” So, this was where that superior knowledge LED them ultimately to rejecting Jesus Christ as a Savior. And you start getting out on the limb – superior knowledge – putting oneself on a pedestal and making judgments towards the Church of God, it leads to the denial of Jesus Christ.

So today, I want to look at philosophies, a little bit about false philosophies that are out there, and philosophies that we should be aware of as the church. We need to understand what ideas are out there and what are being promoted so that we aren't straying from the church. And now, there ARE teachings that are just wrong, they're not biblically supported: Heaven and hell theory, Trinity, Sabbath is on a Sunday, that’s just strong philosophy, you cannot back them up biblically. But then there are those that may have an understanding of the truth but yet they have put themselves in a position to be a teacher, not by God's authority, but they put themselves in a position to make judgments on the church, “This is the way the church should function. This is the way this is the way the overall culture of the Church of God should be.” And they're teaching this is what should happen within the church. And it's based on philosophical wisdom and not biblical instruction, and it's very dangerous, and it's very hard to recognize sometimes that it's actually a false teacher.

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So, let's look at some of the false philosophies that are floating around. I'm not saying this is from any particular individual, but these are philosophies that are out there and they're philosophies that are going. Some have put themselves into a position of quote unquote superior intelligence and it's a theory, and it's a philosophy and basically ADVISING and putting themselves in a position of being a church auditor, basically, and going to ADVISE the WHAT the church should be doing. That's called division, that's called discord. One is NOT going through the church to do this – away from the church putting themselves in this position, and now this is what the church should be doing out of discontentment – so, something we must be aware of.

But one of the philosophical ideas that are out there is that the church needs to learn to disagree, the church needs to learn to disagree. We need to WELCOME disagreements, be brutally honest, speak your opinion, welcome criticism. Is this what we should be doing as a church culture? Would this help create unity? In the name of unity, we all need to have more emotional intelligence, if you will, to handle disagreements, to handle to handle conflict, to PROMOTE disagreements. Is this what our focus should be? As members, is it going to help create unity? Is this the right philosophy that should be applied to the Church of God?

First Corinthians 1 and verse 10. What is it that brings unity? Does God want us to explore our differences? “Let's all focus on our differences.” Or are we to be in agreement? What is it that creates unity in the church? First Corinthians 1 and verse 10. If we look hard enough, we can find where we don't agree on certain details, but shouldn't we focus on what we do agree, and focus on edifying, and focus on encouraging one another as was brought out in the sermonette? First Corinthians 1 and verse 10? Is it disagreement that brings unity or is it agreement? 1 Corinthians 1:10,

“Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be NO divisions among you, and that you be perfectly joined together in the SAME mind in the same judgment.”

Teach as we've been taught. This was also brought out in the sermonette. God does not want divisions; God does not want there to be disagreements among the brethren. That doesn't mean that we all don't have different backgrounds, different ideas, different thoughts about certain subjects. If that was the case where we're all yellow pencils and we all are exactly the same, you know, it's just not the way it is. There are disagreements in particular areas, but if we're all to be in agreement in that way, we all walk alone, but we know that, “can two be together unless they are agreed?” We are to WALK in agreement. That's a part of what brings us to the truth in unity. There is ONE Spirit, ONE body of Christ. There is a unity, one Father, there is a oneness. And we are to speak the same thing in love, there (are to) be NO divisions. You know, even though this was not a doctrinal issue, as you can kind of continue on, the contentions among them, “I'm of Paul, I'm of Apollos,” there's an issue there, and it was a people issue. But the same point in this is, “I plead that you be an agreement.” There needs to be an agreement here. There should not be the contentions. Can two walk together unless agreed?

As the body of Christ, we are not of the world, we are not of the world’s philosophies. There is a world philosophy out there which does say, you know, we are to kind of be everybody’s auditor and everybody needs to buck up buttercup, and, you know, listen to the tunes. But if you if you want honest opinion you need to hear honesty and I'm going to tell you all your faults and this is going to be honesty. If you don't WELCOME that then there's problem, you’re not going to really have unity as you want, and that's a worldly philosophy that's found in worldly workplaces, it's found in corporate America. This is the body of Christ. This is not corporate America. It does not function the same way. You don't take the handbook of Google or Amazon and try to apply that to he Church of God. We are to be in agreement, it's the spiritual matters, and Bill Gates is not the head of the church, it is Jesus Christ. It isn't to function as corporate America where, you know, everybody needs to have a little more, a little thicker skin. You know, yes, we are not to be easily offended, that is what love is, but we are also not to provoke. We are also not to seek our own. Let's go ahead and turn here, of course I didn't have this in my notes, but it is worth looking at. Because you can have knowledge, you can have a certain amount of knowledge and understanding, it's nothing if you don't have the right attitude behind it. 1 Corinthians 13:1, this is what love is. So, are we to disagree in love? Is that our focus?

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, if I have not love, I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy (there's knowledge), and understanding all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, if I have not love, I am nothing.” What's the point if we can't have love, and what is love?

“And though I bestow all goods and feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love is (patient) suffers long.” You know, if the first time we hear, see something we don't like about somebody, maybe we should just go up quickly and tell him about it, “Hey, you got a problem here.”

“It suffers long, it is kind; it does not envy; does not parade itself, it is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, it does not seek its own, is not provoked, it thinks no evil; does not rejoice in sin, but it rejoices in the truth; it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” We are to be patient with one another. Our aim is not to see where we can disagree in love. We are to be in agreement. Our focus is not to go at each other and to stir up contentions. Could you imagine if that was our focus, and this is what we have prodded to do every week? We should come in here and we look at each other and we start telling people where they're wrong. That would really build a lot of unity within the body of Christ, wouldn't it?

The apostle Paul had something to say about this too. Colossians 2 and verse 4. Colossians 2:4.

“Now this I say lest anyone should DECEIVE you with *persuasive* *words*. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I'm with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the STEADFASTNESS of your faith in Christ. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, ROOTED and built up in him and established in the faith, as you have been taught (again from the beginning, they've been taught these things) abounding in it with thanksgiving.” You know, our approach should be with THANKSGIVING and a content heart, very thankful for what we've been given, that we have been set apart and called into the body of Christ. What a wonderful gift.

“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the traditions of men….” There's always been, from the very beginning, there's been philosophies, there's been man’s ideas of what will work, and we should be aware of that. There is a philosophy of the world that does say, you know, it's your due diligence to go after your brother and they should, they should uh, they should just be more willing to accept that. Is that, is that really emotional intelligence? And if we could all come to this certain emotional intelligence, then we would be able to disagree more in love and have more unity. Well, that's foolishness. We would not… you know, emotional intelligence that is something that is taught in the workplace, and we need God's Spirit working in us, we need that we don't need this physical self-help book, emotional intelligence, that…YES, it is a great tool, we should respond to each other in a positive way, we should have tolerance, but we need to bear the fruit of God's Spirit that is love, and joy, and peace. Peace, not being full of contention or disagreement.

“For in him dwells all fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in him, who is the head over all principality and power.” So, don't let someone cheat you with philosophies. Be thankful. Be thankful. Who was it that wasn't UN thankful? Who was it that were discontent? Who was it that was critiquing Jesus Christ all the time? Nitpicking Jesus Christ, critiquing, who was it? Who was constantly challenging through philosophical debate? It was the Pharisees. They were some of the most argumentative debating, contentious, quarrelsome people mentioned in the Bible, and God referred to them as a brood of Vipers and of their father the devil.

What does a servant of God look like? What is the mindset that God leaders are to have? Second Timothy 2 and verse 23. 2 Timothy 2:23, “But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate STRIFE.” This is something we avoid. We don't generate strife; we don't look for disagreement. We look to be IN agreement. Where do we share the unity through God’s Spirit? And a servant of the Lord MUST NOT QUARREL, but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition…” I don't find… well, I won't go there, “If God perhaps will grant them repentance so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” Satan is very crafty. He wants God, people to disagree MORE, criticize MORE. Constructive criticism is… if that's… if there's a time and a place, you know, I do understand, there are the scriptures, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend,” as was also mentioned in the sermonette, basically, you know, that we will. But if you're talking about sin here, you're talking about there's a sin that is noticed and you go to your brother and you let him know, out of love, is it would be better to let him know, “Hey, you're getting close to the cliff!” As a friend, you know, you're going to let him know in that way where there is SIN involved. That is where we should go to our brother in that way. But we aren't too… it's not going to bring a healthy unity to look for where we are in disagreement. But he's crafty, you know, he wants us to disagree to get into POINTLESS disputes, idle babblings. Foolish and ignorant disputes is a tactic of Satan the devil.

Philippians 2 and verse 2. Philippians 2:2 (reads verse 3), “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in loneliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” As when we come to church services, our goal and our aim is to lift each other up to edify. That's what edification means it is to build up; we’re to strengthen one another. We are looking to encourage one another. “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which is also in Christ Jesus….” We are to be of the same mind, the same mind, a lowliness of mind, encouraging one another. You know, *swift* *to* *hear,* slow to speak. We are to be slow to speak and swift to hear. God wants us to encourage one another, edify one another. That is what a friend is for. That is what friendship is about.

What about iron sharpening iron? Aren't we to go after one another? “I need to sharpen my friend.” Isn't that what a friend is for? (Mocking) We need to hash out some disagreements, open criticism. We have this emotional intelligence because of it. We're really becoming better by doing this. What? “Iron sharpening iron.” Let's turn to Proverbs, I think it's 27. Proverbs 27 and verse 17. Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the COUNTENANCE of his friend.” It’s encouraging the countenance of a friend. And that's the other thing, they're already friends, they're in agreement, iron, sharpening, IRON. Not iron sharpening clay, not iron sharpening something else. It's talking about they're in agreement, they're the same, that we need to have that, there needs to be that unity. And that is what will sharpen one another, and build the friendships, and edify one another. Again, we do understand that “Open rebuke is better than love, carefully concealed,” there's a balance, but that is, we're talking about sin, we're talking about, we notice a sin and it's a friend and we go to them and let them know is better than love that is concealed. But it isn't talking about our, focus is to go after each other and to sharpen one another, that our due diligence is to stir up disagreement, discontentment, discord. Playing devil's advocate, we've heard that before, there's always the flip of the coin. You know, you can say something: this water is half empty, you know, “Oh, I think it's half full.” OK, so that really accomplishes a lot, you know. We can be a devil's advocate. Who wants to be a devil's advocate? Doesn't sound like that's a good friend. It's called contention. In the Church of God, he has called us to be in agreement so we can be of the same mind so we can build each other up so we can speak the same things and love. We are to edify one another.

I think we're all thinking about Larry Williamson and, I too, you know, didn't get with Mr. Anderson before, and we didn't talk about we were speaking on, but I thought about friendship with Larry Williamson. He was a good friend. When I think about the friendship that I had with him, I think about at services, you know, you come with him, you talk to him, and you walk away edified, you walked away encouraged. He would share stories of faith and how God's word was true in his life. And those words of encouragement, you know, he used God's word as a way to edify, to build up. He would offer advice, but it was how it worked in his life. And I remember, you know, there are certain things I’d talk to him about he said, you know, “This is what I would do; this is how it helped me in my life,” and it was really edifying. He used God's word to edify, to encourage, to build up. He esteemed others better than himself. He was a friend. You know, he did not… he was not one that sparked debate or dug up disagreements, he was not one that did that. He was very… he had a strong foundation, he was strong in the faith, and he sharpened the countenance. I would go over there wanting to talk to him and encourage him and I'd walk away encouraged. That was Larry Williamson. His focus, you heard it all the time, his focus was the Kingdom of God; it was always pointing to the Kingdom of God. You would talk to him about things, and it was when God's Kingdom comes it's going to be like this. He was focused on that future. He wasn't focused on the here and now. But we want to use God's word as a tool to edify one another, to encourage one another.

Proverbs 13 and verse 12, you know, thinking about, you know, iron sharpening iron in agreement of the same mind as a friendship there, that's a part of that unity that's already there, which builds on the friendship. Proverbs 13 and verse 20. Proverbs 13:20. “He who walks with the wise man will be wise (you know, your wise? Walk with the wise), but the companion of fools will be destroyed.” We don't want to associate with foolish discussion, quarrels, foolish debate. What does it bring about; what's the fruit of it? That's not the sharpening that will help. It's not going to sharpen our countenance. Now, there's a safety, as we see here, a safety of being with the wise. We want to be in agreement from the beginning.

Proverbs 11:14, “Without wise leadership, a nation is in trouble, but with good counselors their safety.” We want to associate where there is safety. There's not safety with wrong philosophies and self-proclaimed teachers.

There is a philosophy out there that, you know, in judging the church, they've kind of taken a step back, put themselves in a position to judge and say, “We don't like the way the Church of God is doing dot-dot-dot, and as a result we are going to get it done ourselves.” Is this wisdom that is of meekness [that it’s] talking about in James? Is that a meekness and a wisdom that started with meekness? And there's also a philosophy you need everyone else’s opinion. Everybody has an opinion and that has to be… there needs to be an open opinion, everybody's opinion is needed. What if a family worked like this? “OK kids, we're gonna go out to eat today. What do you want? Every opinion matters. What do you want to eat?? Pizza! Hamburger. Tacos. Say, “OK, we're gonna do Italian.” Now you have a car load full of very happy content. Individuals, don't you? “I'm glad I got everybody's opinion. Thank you for sharing. Now we're going to Olive Garden.” Should we get everybody's opinion on everything? Is not being honest, you know, as the Church of God, not being honest unless you get everybody's opinion? You're not, you know, not gonna have the right unity unless everybody’s opinion is involved.

Romans 12 and verse 9. Romans 12:9, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another, not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind with one another (we are to be in agreement). Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be WISE in your own opinion.”

Not every opinion matters – just the way it is, and we should not be, you know, love does not seek its own. If we have an opinion, again, slow to speak, quick to hear. This is what God's word tells us. So, if there's other teachings out there saying otherwise, and this is the way the Church of God should function, we should disregard that opinion. That opinion is only an opinion. Are we to prove all things? So is opinions, is welcoming everybody opinion – open opinion; everybody needs us put in their opinion – is that the way we should prove all things? If we don't do that, we're not proving all things. Is that what it is talking about in proving all things? When you look at the context of proving all things and testing the spirit it is basically before you even acknowledge someone's opinion you're testing, “Is it true?” Now, of course we study God's word, and we prove all things, Mr. Armstrong always said, uh, you know, “Don't believe me, believe the Bible.” And that goes both ways: if somebody is out there preaching a philosophy that the church should have, don't just take their word for it, prove it in the Bible, what does the Bible say? We have to test the spirits.

First Thessalonians 5 and verse 12. 1 Thessalonians 5:12, “And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly. Well, this is advice for brethren; this is vice for you and I. “Now we exhort you, brethren warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourself and for all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecy. Test all things; hold fast to what is good. Abstain from evil.”

There is a testing of what is good and what is evil; what is of the spirit and what is not. And we are told in a variety of scripture what God’s Spirit, and the fruit of God’s Spirit looks like, and it's not the promotion of contention, discord, disagreement. We must test the spirit.

James, three and verse 13. James 3:13, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.” So the action, you know, if someone is to take it upon themselves, build their own platform and say, “I'm going to judge the church. I'm a self-proclaimed teacher,” is that done in the meekness of wisdom? “But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but it is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.”

It's very clear. Those actions that we are to acknowledge as wisdom or not. There are certain actions that we must reject. If someone has stepped aside and said, “I'm going to be a chief auditor of the Church of God, and this is what the Church of God needs to do. This is what the members need to do,” I would be very aware. If someone is saying, “Be critical, speak up! Let your opinion be known. Don't keep quiet, form your own opinion. Every voice needs to be heard. Learn to disagree in love,” that's not of God. This promotes foolishness. Satan is very crafty, and he is going to welcome disagreements, criticism, debate, contention in the name of philosophy.

Proverbs 29 and verse 22. Proverbs 29 and verse 22. What type of individual stirs up strife, stirs up contention, stirs up conflict? Proverbs 29:22, “An angry man stirs up strife and a furious man abounds in transgression.” An angry man doesn't have to just be outwardly angry in all his speech and actions. He can have a pinned up, frustration and anger, that's deep inside. And this willingness to divide; a willingness to stir up disunity, one can come across very charming – nice outwardly – but they're stirring up conflict as it says, it is a man of sin, it’s a man of anger and full of sin.

The Bible is very clear in how we should. Be towards one another. Philippians 2 and verse 14. Philippians 2:14. “Do ALL things (so this doesn't leave anything out), do ALL things without complaining and disputing, that you become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in whom you shine as lights in the world….” Everything without complaining, and other translations say without complaining, without arguments.

Titus, three and verse one. And Paul is giving instruction to Titus on how he should admonish the church himself. And he was to warn the church, Titus 3:1,

“Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey (you know, be willing to yield to the authorities that God is put in place), be ready for every good work and to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior towards men appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing and regeneration of the renewing of God’s Spirit, of the Holy Spirit.” You know, God has given us his Spirit so we can be peaceable, so we can have and share in the same love, not deceived, “Whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by his grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.”

Second Corinthians 11 and verse one, 2 Corinthians 11:1,

“Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly – and indeed you do bear with me. For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” So here is this example of future bride of Christ, and God is a jealous God, and there's a jealousy there. But what is it that is going to provoke God? “But I fear lest somehow as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you have received a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted – you may well put up with it!”

False ideas; deceptions. Christ is looking for a bride that is going to be in disagreement with him or agreement with him? Is he looking for a bride that is going to criticize MORE, always object? Is that what Christ is looking for from the church?

What is the closest friendship that you can have in this life, as was also mentioned in the sermonette? Our spouses, a physical relationship with our spouses. Should we be in disagreement all the time, so we look for fights? Should we look for disagreement? Would that be a very positive thing in a marriage?

What does God want? Now, First Timothy 3 and verse 3, and we have some advice towards a spouse, towards a wife, and you think if this parallels a wife and husband relationship in the physical, what is Christ looking for with the church, with the spiritual Church? What will it be like? And also, to think about here too, you know, this does not just to apply, this this attitude, only applied to a wife. You know, a husband needs to also adhere as well, (so) we don't want to be contentious as well.

First Timothy 3 and verse 3. (I'm in Thessalonians, excuse me, that didn't look right). 1 Timothy 3:3, qualifications of an overseer here, and goes into the detail, “Not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence….” I had the wrong verse here, so I apologize. OK, here we go. (I Timothy 3:11), “Likewise, (and talking about qualifications of deacon) likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all issues….” And I'm looking for a different verse, but I don't have it in front of me, so I apologize, but it is basically, you know, a contentious wife, that's not what God desires in a wife.

Titus, two and verse one. We can turn there. Again, I apologize, I did not have this in my notes, “But As for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound, in faith, love and patience. The older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, or given too much wine, teachers of good things – that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.”

But there are other scriptures in talking about, you know, not being a quarrelsome or contentious wife, you know, but a husband is not to be contentious towards their spouse either. It's not going to edify, it's not going to encourage one another. You know, “Hey, would you mind buying some towels for the bathroom?” And they buy towels, they go to the store, go shopping, “But you didn't get my favorite color, take ‘em back!” You know,

“I made you this dinner, I hope you like it.” “Well, I didn't know you hated me this bad, why would you do that? I don't like this stuff. Take it back!”

You know, “I think the fastest route would be this way, this is what the GPS says, maybe we can do that.” “Ahh, I know it's going to be bad; I'll do my own way.” Everything, you know, it could be, you could drive somebody INSANE. At every step of the way there's a contentious, or there's something on the flip side, “Well, we need to look at this and over analyze it. You know. Now, we apply this within a physical relationship in marriage, but what is it that God is looking for from his future BRIDE the Church of God? Is it always, you know, my opinion matters the most all the time, and my voice needs to be heard?

As we conclude, I'd like to just give one final thought, and, you know, if we accept these damaging philosophies and we don't acknowledge what God's word says, not only will we have more strife among ourselves and our relationships; not only will we not have unity, but we’ll also and it will lead to rejecting Christ’s supreme authority. It will lead to quarreling, debating, criticizing and putting themselves in a position to judge the church, which is led, and the head is, Jesus Christ. So (if) we ever get to a point where we think, “I can do it better, and I'm not going to wait around for anybody else. I don't (basically you're saying) I don't trust God. I don't trust the Christ. I'm going to fix it myself,” then we should reconsider.

Remember Job, he did not understand what was going on when he was facing, you know, the trial beyond any comprehension. He did not understand, but he got to a point, he didn't understand it, and so he wanted to debate with God. “I'm ready to debate you and your intent, and I'm ready to quarrel. You don't know what's going on. You don't have it right, and I question you.” And then God responds to Job with 72 questions of his own, that he has no answer for. God’s thoughts are above our thoughts, his ways are above our ways and we have to remember that. Job 40 to conclude. God’s intelligence is the supreme intelligence. Job 14 verse one, Job 40:1,

“Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said (you know, this is after he's already asked him quite a few questions), ‘Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? He who rebukes God, let him answer it.’ Then Job answered the Lord and said: ‘Behold, I am vile; What shall I answer you? (‘I have no answer,’ he was seeing himself clearly. ‘I should not have tried to debate with you. I should not have, uh, I should not have done this’). Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.’” And then God challenges him more and goes on with more questions.

Drop down to verse 42 [sic], and Job responds again after those 72 questions. (Job 42:1), “Then Job answered the Lord and said: ‘I know that you can do everything, and that no purpose of yours can be withheld from you. You asked, “who is this, who hides counsel without knowledge?” Therefore I have uttered what I do not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I do not know. Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

And at that point God poured out the blessings on Job. Job contended, he wanted to quarrel, he wanted to debate. He disagreed and he went after God; he questioned him. And God helped him to see that his thoughts are much higher than Job's.

There have been many arguments, debates, philosophical ideas out there that have attacked the Church of God over the years. Gnosticism, whatever it may be, you go back, there's always a philosophy, there's always an idea. There's always a, “We can do it better ourselves.” But maybe before one takes the time to introduce criticisms, opinions, quarrels, debate, criticism towards the Church of God, they should first answer those questions that God questioned Job with. And until one has those answered, maybe they should stop questioning, themselves. Job repented, Job responded, and God blessed. Until we can answer those questions, maybe we should do the same and be quick to hear and slow to speak.