BY JACK WARD
PASTOR, TOMAHAWK MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
Colossians 2:8-10: “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.”
In the film “Glory,” based on a true-story Civil War captain Robert Gould Shaw, before he and his men were going to charge a Rebel fort, Shaw gave this charge: “If the flag bearer should fall, who will carry the standard?”
The flag bearer did fall during the charge, and another came along and took up the charge despite bullets flying. Soon he fell, then another took up the standard, and the flag never fell during that battle.
Who will carry the standard today? I’m not talking about the flag; I’m talking about our faith – our real faith, the truth of God in Jesus Christ. I’m talking about John 14:3: I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” I’m talking about Exodus 32:36: “Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’s side? let him come unto me.”
Today our faith is being attacked like never before. We are being attacked by those preaching tolerance and understanding at any cost. We are being attacked by those who even bring false religions into God’s house and let them read from their corrupt Godless scriptures.
“Beware” means to be on guard. Man has created over 1,800 religions and isms in the world. Do you know what they all have in common? They believe that they are the only ones who are going to inherit the earth and receive God’s blessings.
Well they can’t all be true, can they? Someone is naturally wrong.
We must be ever on guard against false religions and ideas.
Beware of any teaching or philosophy or tradition that leaves out Christ. Christ is our life. Christ died so that we might live. How can we leave Him out when we talk about changing the world? How can we leave Him out when we talk about making life better? How can we leave Him out when we talk about making peace with others? How can we leave Him out when we talk about the cures for man’s ills?
The world will leave Him out. Will you and your church leave Him out?
You must have a basic understanding of false religions. And that understanding is this: Christianity is NOT a religion but a RELATIONSHIP with a living Savior. Then YOU must trust in Christ and in Him alone as your Savior and Lord, and then and only then will you have no fear of those who follow after anything and everything but Christ.
Who will take up the standard? Will you? Will you cave to those who would bring false ideas and religions into Christ’s Church? Will you be among those who welcome false teachers and preachers into God’s house? Or will you pick up the standard, the cross of Christ and His truth and carry it until the blood is sloshing in your boots and they pry it from your cold dead fingers?
Is this graphic? Not really. This is the battle that we of this generation are facing. Are we going to stand up for the truth of the Bible and the word of God? Or are we going to let our standards down?
We are the generation that previous generations will blame if we fail. But praise God, because of our faith in Christ, we will not fail. All those who trust in Him will have victory.
1 John 5:4: “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”
Hear Pastor Jack’s sermons and get sermon texts and much more at tomahawkmbc.com.