I'd like to mention from the beginning here that I am not hunting for trouble and I am not out to defame anyone's good name and I am certainly am not intentionally trying to attack anyone, specifically Pastor Slack, but I am simply attempting to address issues that are counter to the preaching of the Gospel which Pastors are commanded to do. I am no scholar, but I have a passion for the truth of God's Word. The shepherd is to feed his flock. I hunger and I hope many hunger for the meat of God's Word week after week, not some watered-down, so-called "relevant," therapy session that leaves the soul empty. Oh how we need to get back to place where Pastors feed their flock. Preach the Word!! I should point out that there is some good advice in this speech and I believe that Pastor Slack is certainly sincere in his address, but there is NO excuse for clouding the Truth with fluff and failing to preach the most important message ever--The Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is an expose of a "sermon" spoke at Westlink Christian Church on the weekend of September 7, 2008.
"How vain, as well as wicked, are all attempts to kill the gospel. Those who attempt the crime, in any fashion, will be for ever still beginning, and never coming near their end. They will be disappointed in all cases, whether they would slay it with persecution, smother it with worldliness, crush it with error, starve it with neglect, poison it with misrepresentation, or drown it with infidelity. While God liveth his Word shall live." ~Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Be pre-warned, this is a prime example of "Pastoral Malpractice!" This is a so-called "Sermon" that is part of a four part 'Sex Series' from the "church" that I am presently attending! This is primarily anthropocentric as opposed to the Biblical method which is Christocentric. Not only is this type of seminar (It is not a real sermon) NOT appropriate from the pulpit, but this is not even original. This is a marketing scheme/idea copied (and possibly purchased) from the likes of seeker-sensitive, biblically negligent so-called "churches" like Granger Community, Willow Creek, and Saddleback (just to mention a few). Looky, here's proof: Click Here! This is a joke! I am sad to see so many "churches" deteriorating back into the world for the sake of attendance numbers!! We are called to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, period!! Pastors are to preach, not give self-help, self-esteem, 'your best life now,' pop-psychology seminars behind the pulpit. This is blatant Pastoral malpractice!! Okay, I am going to give a brief review of this sermon to point out some of where this Pastor has failed in his duty to preach the Word of God without compromise. Please note that this is not intended to be an exhaustive review of this but just a brief overview of some serious issues that I noticed when listening to it. Let's look at a few passages in the Bible to get us started in the right direction. Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16-4:5 (ESV),
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. I 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, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist,fulfill your ministry."In 2 Corinthians 4:1-6 (ESV) Paul writes to the Corinthian Church,
"Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."Take a listen and then see my review notes following it. Thank you.
PUSH PLAY to Hear "Sermon"
Brief Review:
1) The "Sermon" is only 38 minutes 40 seconds in length to begin with. Pastor Slack uses up (fluff and filler) the first 9 min 13 secs with statistics and an extremely inappropriate joke. It takes that whole span of time to even mention Scripture at all. At 9 mins 20 secs (around 10 mins) he opens the Bible (has the congregation open their copy of the Bible) and finally reads from Genesis (Chapter 1:27-28 and 2:18-25). The congregation is not led to stand in reverence of the reading of God's Word. I do not see where these passages are an invitation to have a "sermon" completely dedicated to "the best sex you will ever have" which is the title of this "sermon." As a matter of fact, these precious passages do not portray any inclination or expression toward having "your best sex now."
2) At 16 mins 19 secs he reads a passage from Deuteronomy 24:5 (ESV), "When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be liable for any other public duty. He shall be free at home one year to be happy with his wife whom he has taken." It is a far stretch to singularly apply this to sexual fulfillment and having one's best sex now. Matthew Henry's Commentary on this passage states,
"Provision made for the preservation and confirmation of love between new-married people, v. 5. This fitly follows upon the laws concerning divorce, which would be prevented if their affection to each other were well settled at first. If the husband were much abroad from his wife the first year, his love to her would be in danger of cooling, and of being drawn aside to others whom he would meet with abroad; therefore his service to his country in war, embassies, or other public business that would call him from home, shall be dispensed with, that he may cheer up the wife that he has taken. Note, 1. It is of great consequence that love be kept up between husband and wife, and that every thing be very carefully avoided which might make them strange one to another, especially at first; for in that relation, where there is not the love that should be, there is an inlet ready to abundance of guilt and grief. 2. One of the duties of that relation is to cheer up one another under the cares and crosses that happen, as helpers of each other’s joy; for a cheerful heart does good like a medicine."There is a LOT more to marriage than just sexual intimacy and reproduction, as important as those are. This is really an eisigetical injection in my opinion and certainly an over-emphasis and a complete disconnecting of the broader implications of the passage especially when it is read and studied in its context.
Reference: Henry, Matthew: Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible : Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody : Hendrickson, 1996, c1991, S. Dt 24:5.
3) At around 16 mins 48 secs Pastor Slack again hangs on a passage (Genesis 26:8) that is blatantly overemphasized and ripped out of context. It is a real stretch as it is to pin this verse to sexual intimacy. The literal translation of the ESV has it written, "When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac laughing with Rebekah his wife." The NKJV has it written, "showing endearment to Rebekah his wife." So, it appears that this is more eisigesis than exegesis and therefore is an error. Besides, even if this was to represent sexual intimacy, it doesn't negate the fact that this "sermon" should be about preaching the Gospel and the exposition of the text, not saturating a time that is supposed to be dedicated to the preaching of God's Word with pure drivel (n 1: a worthless message) or post-modern crap.
4) At 30 mins and 1 sec Pastor slack quotes a rank heretic, Rob Bell, as if this heretic has some sort of authority. This could be a whole separate review and critique in itself, trust me! But for some insight into his heresy here are some direct quotes form Rob Bell: (a) [The Bible is a] "Human product...rather than the product of divine fiat." -from Emergent Mystique, Christianity Today; (b) "For Jesus, the question wasn't, how do I get into heaven? But how do I bring heaven here? The question wasn't, how do I get in there? But how do I get there, here? -from his heretical book Velvet Elvis; (c) "What if tomorrow someone digs up definitive proof that Jesus had a real, earthly, biological father named Larry, and archaeologists find Larry's tomb and do DNA samples and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the virgin birth was really just a bit of mythologizing the Gospel writers threw in to appeal to the followers of the Mithra and Dionysian religious cults that were hugely popular at the time of Jesus, whose gods had virgin births? But what if as you study the origin of the word virgin, you discover that the word virgin in the gospel of Matthew actually comes from the book of Isaiah, and then you find out that in the Hebrew language at that time, the word virgin could mean several things. And what if you discover that in the first century being "born of a virgin" also referred to a child whose mother became pregnant the first time she had intercourse?" -from his heretical book Velvet Elvis; (d) Following the former quote he states, "Is the way of Jesus still the best possible way to live? Or does the whole thing fall apart?...if the whole faith falls apart when we reexamine and rethink one spring, then it wasn't that strong in the first place, was it?" -from his heretical book Velvet Elvis; (e) "We're rediscovering Christianity as an Eastern religion, as a way of life." -From the The Emergent Mystique, CT; (f) This is part of the problem with continually insisting that one of the absolutes of the Christian faith must be a belief that “Scripture alone” is our guide. It sounds nice but it is not true… When people say that all we need is the Bible, it is simply not true. -From Velvet Elvis; (g) "Hell is full of forgiven people. Heaven is full of people God loves, whom Jesus died for. Hell is full of forgiven people God loves, whom Jesus died for. The difference is how we choose to live, which story we choose to live in, which version of reality we trust." -From Velvet Elvis; and (h) "I can't find one place in the teachings of Jesus, or the Bible for that matter, where we are to identify ourselves first and foremost as sinners" -From Velvet Elvis. Blashphemy!! An abomination!! All of these are heresies, period!! So, I really don't care what Rob Bell has to say about anything because he is a liar and a heretic!! These are just a view of the tons of heretical writings and comments from this so-called "Pastor" and Pastor Slack has the audacity to quote him in his seminar (since it is not a real sermon). Shame on you Pastor Slack and those at Westlink Christian Church that condone this type of "sermon." REPENT!!
5) At 17 mins into the "sermon" Pastor Slack involves the Book of the Song of Solomon into his commentary saying that "the entire book of the Book of the Song of Solomon is poetry that describes and expresses the beauty and the joy of sex between a man and a woman." Okay, this is probably true to an extent (I believe it is), but I do not think that it is primarily just sexuality as so often it is interpreted as being. It is the full scale of intimacy that is found in Biblical marriage. Not just that, but a Biblical marriage with a full range of intimacy and closeness points to Christ (and His bride, the Church). We should not separate these out. As important as this intimacy is, the primary focus of the Bible is Jesus Christ--all books and every chapter and verse!!
6) Although the last points are quite important indeed, they are fodder compared to these following points. Throughout the "sermon" Pastor Slack slings around the name of Jesus and the "Gospel" without ever explaining it or going deeper into it's meaning and significance. He doesn't preach the Gospel--sin, repentance, faith alone, trust alone in Christ alone, etc. We don't ever hear of hell and the wrath of God. It is totally devoid of the true Gospel message. At about 27 mins 50 secs Pastor Slack reads Ephesians 5:31-33, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband." Praise God. Note: "It refers to Christ and the church." As important as marriage is (it should be part of some sermons certainly), ultimately, it is about Christ and His Church!! So, preach that along with the true Gospel message and quit topically expounding on sexuality as if that could save anyone's soul. The flock needs to receive the full Gospel every single week without fail. Since every part of the Bible is about Jesus Christ it should be clear that the Gospel is the most important thing. We should treat it as the most important thing. We should preach it as the most important thing--without compromise.
At 28 mins 25 secs Pastor Slack definitely makes an important point that gives glory to God through Jesus Christ. He states (regarding Ephesians 5:31-33), "Husbands Wives can love each other in marriage only because of Jesus Christ. Only because of the love of God shown through Jesus Christ." This is so true. The question all should ask then is why do we rebel against God then? Husbands love your wives. Wives love your husbands. All the while we continue to lust after sin!! People need to hear this part, hello? Where's the conviction? Hold the Law up so they may truly see their need for the Savior and then soften their hearts with the true Gospel message. Ephesians 2:1-22 (ESV) reads,
"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit."
It takes until 32 mins 35 secs to even mention the word sin--he lists off a bunch of sins, starting at around ____ mins.
(....More to come)
Paul writes in Galatians 1:6-10,
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."
LINKS to Good References and Articles on this subject:
A)
B) Sex Sermons in a Box
D) Slice of Laodicea
E) More Slice of Laodicea
The “Seeker” Sensitive “Gospel” Leads Men & Women Straight to Hell (WATCH THIS!)
Romans 3:19-26 (ESV):
"Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."
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