X-Factor 2
Posted on January 17th, 2007 by Reformed Pope into the Uncategorized, Pastor Hank, Sermons categoryIn all fairness (in my last X-Factor post I made a few assumptions) I decided to listen to PF's latest sermon titled The Foundation for Expectation is Desire (1/07/07). I was hoping to hear a balanced approach to Expectation and at first I thought I was in luck.
Right from the get go Frank says something to the effect of "We will deal with Disappointment because you can't talk about Expectation unless you deal with Disappointment, because that is where people lose their Expectation." Sounds like we are off to a good start, Frank and I agree.
He then gives a formula for Expectation which is: Desire + Hope + Faith = Expectation. Unfortunately this is where he starts to lose me.
Throughout the remainder of his sermon he goes into how people lose their "desire" due to "disappointment", but instead of allowing his congregation to be "real" and helping them deal with "life", Frank's focus is only on "restoring Faith when lost".
Again, there is nothing wrong with that in itself, but without a balanced approach it is simply misleading… in my opinion.
Frank quotes a number of scriptures regarding God giving you the desires of your heart (Psalm 20:4, Psalm 37:4, Psalm 78:29, Proverbs 13:12, Proverbs 13:17) and then tells everyone that "God does not lie" and that "You can go to the Bank with God's promises". Hmmmnnn…..
To sum up his sermon in one sentence it would be "Don't Give Up".
Now, that's a great story for a pep-rally or for a half-time speech, but try telling that to someone who is being sexually abused… someone who's spouse is continually cheating on them… someone who's child has turned away from God.
"Raise up a child in the way he should go and he will not depart from it" Remember that verse? Now, if you have raised a child in the "way he should go" and he still "departs from it" you are left with 2 options:
Option 1: God is liar
Option 2: You suck.
Neither of these options lead to anything good and so many times I have seen people take Option 2 time and time again until they eventually give up and decide Option 1 must be the case.
I think you get my point so I'll end by once again saying, Life is not easy, but know that God's love for you is more powerful than any hardship you may be going through. We don't always have the answer and there are many times in life when it may seem like God has turned his back on you and when those times come…
Option 3: God has a plan for your life and I don't have all the answers…you should probably seek professional help.
See Frank, it isn't that hard.
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January 17th, 2007 at 9:14 am
I have another formula:
Frank + Inspirational Sermon + Gullible Audience = Tony Robbins
January 17th, 2007 at 9:39 am
Those who preach the “prosperity gospel,” as PF, do so at the expense of accurate biblical interpretation.
It is true, that the NT Greek word for “Hope,” means “confident expectation,” but such confident expectation is not based on man’s desires, independant from God’s revealed and personal will for that person, otherwise we just “desire” something, and rubber stamp Jesus’ name on it. The last time I checked the Powerball was up to $180mil. I would just “hope/confidently expect” God to give that to me, if this approach was valid. In my case I’d more than likely just waste $2 bucks.
The passage that is so often abused, to contrive PFs approach, is Romans 4:
18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
Several important things get missed when this is done:
1. vs 18 Abraham believed… Believed what? That he could have whatever he confessed or wanted? Not at all! He believed what God had “spoken” to him - “so shall your offspring be.”
2. vs 20 The Promise of God. God had promised something…Abraham didn’t come up with this deal on his own.
3. vss 23 & 24 tell us that this principle works for us too. What principle? Name it and claim it? No way! Hear from God, believe what God said, let hope (confident expectation) be connected to that word from God, and you will see what He has promised come to pass.
The prosperity message simply gives justification for the selfish desires of people to have whatever they want because God is powerful. It completely misses the “initiative” of God.
Now go on out and buy that Powerball ticket, and then work up a really good Holy Ghost shout and spit session, while you do a Jericho march around your living room declaring “God bless me, God has blessed me, it is mine. I declare, in Jesus Name, I have what I speak, and I speak $180mil, in Jesus Name. Hallelujah, Thank you Jeeeeesssuuuus, thank you Jeeeesssusus…!!!!!” Send me your 10% tithe too please…
And send Henri a buck, at http://www.gimmeabuck.com/ . Tell him I sent you…
January 17th, 2007 at 10:06 am
Thanks for the plug, Tom.
My tag line is.. “Getting rich, slowy… very very slowly.” It has a nice ring.
January 17th, 2007 at 10:17 am
Good points. I’m impressed that you made it through a sermon.
One of the reasons I left CBC was the sermons. I couldn’t take them anymore. After leaving church, you should feel strengthened by truth, not screaming on the inside, “That’s NOT what the Bible says!! That’s NOT who God is!!”
When I heard about the X-factor, the inner screaming started. Seriously. When I read the Bible, what stands out to me is that it is the story of God’s relationship with people. The Lord did not create pets for Himself; He created a family for Himself. In a family, people know each other. And God is worth knowing.
The ones who really knew who He was, gave up everything they had to know Him more. He is the pearl of great price. God was not being egotistical when He told Abraham, “I AM your treasure.” The Lord knew that the richness of His presence would fulfill Abraham — and it did.
David felt the same way. Once the disciples saw who God was in the face of Jesus, they gave up everything to be with Him — physically, and then spiritually. Paul considered all his achievements to be rubbish compared to the worth of knowing God.
When Jesus prayed, He asked the Father that His disciples would know the Father and be with the Son. In the recorded prayers of Paul, the one thing he asks more than anything is that people would know God. In Revelation, the repeating statement about the Lord is that He is worthy — full of worth, matchless value.
And then I hear a sermon like…. You can use God for your own desires. You can presume to force the uncreated God to give you what you want by using His own words in His face. (Good luck with that.) And you can even twist His arm more by fasting — He’ll just have to cave. (!!??!!)
If your life is not what you want it to be, then you don’t have enough faith and hope. God promised you a life of success and prosperity, (because that’s what brings happiness of course). So “Don’t give up” seeking after the fulfillment of your dreams.
And nowhere in this whole message is a peek of who God is (unless you think He’s Santa Claus). There is no sense of majesty, a fear of His sovereignty, a glimpse of His Person filled with fierce love/joy/peace/dread. No wonder God says, “Woe to you, shepherds….”
In Jeremiah 2, there’s this verse where God speaks to the heavenly realm and says, “Be astonished! My people have committed two evils: they left ME, the fountain of Living Water, and they dug for themselves broken cisterns that hold no water.”
And then they have the audacity to say they are preaching the word and they deserve money for it.
End of scream.
January 17th, 2007 at 10:56 am
anna, that was no “scream,” that was one of neatest sermons I’ve heard in a long time.
Outstanding!!!!
January 17th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
Just to add a bit of balance to that sermon, hear what Jesus says in Rev. 2:9-10. “I know your tribulation and your poverty(but you are rich)
:10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
Hmmm, I thought we weren’t going through any tribulation! Why were these people not raptured? Jesus knows about their POVERTY! Why didn’t He do anything about it? And what is with the (but you are rich) comment?
Is it possible that riches in the kingdom of God don’t mean MONEY?
You will not hear a sermon on these verses in a mega church. You can though, just sit down with your bible and listen to what Christ preaches to you.
January 17th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
ROLLING ON THE FLOOR!!!!!!
January 17th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
BRAVA ANNA!!!!!!!!
January 17th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
I used to be confused about faith, until I realized it’s only faith if you have a promise from God to base it on. Anything else is wishful thinking. I agree with Tom, that to have faith there must be a solid basis for that faith. That basis is God’s initiative to promise us something we can’t do for ourselves.
I take this to mean that my faith in Christ is secure because God promised it, not because I hope it is true. Faith is believing what God says to be true.
I am sure and certain of God’s promises, and those are the only things worth hoping for!