Class Average: Week 1: 95% Week 2: 99% 25 Memory Verses Learned!! Key Stats:

Memory Verse for today “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” (Matt 24:35 NKJV) Let’s get ready to sing! Song #825: I Love My Savior, Too

A Faith Built on Sand The Foolishness of Popular Religion in a Postmodern Age Chapter 6: “The Newly Defined Tolerance”

Chapter 6: Outline 1. Freedom of Speech 2. Religious Pluralism is Self-Contradictory

What is “Tolerance?” “Tolerance” in 21st century culture: “The definition of new … tolerance is that every individual’s beliefs, values, lifestyle, and perception of truth claims are equal….There is no hierarchy of truth. Your beliefs and my beliefs are equal, and all truth is relative” – Thomas A. Helmbock “Tolerance is the virtue of those who believe in nothing. Rather than stand up for what is right or wrong, the voice of tolerance says we should just let everyone be, that we’ll better understand each other if we accept them as they are” – Ryan Dobson. “Tolerance—as it is often promoted—is a true enemy of humanity. It teaches that every lifestyle is not only permissible, but should even be celebrated, as long as it does not take too strong a stand on anything (and certainly not on the Bible)” - Dewayne Bryant

What is “Tolerance?” Tolerance... “the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with”

What is “Tolerance?” Distinction between patient disposition and condoning an activity. Toleration (longsuffering) is to be exercised as a general disposition of Christians (Gal. 5:22; Eph. 4:2; 2 Tim. 4:2). Toleration should be exercised in regards to the consciences of brothers and sisters in Christ (1 Cor. 8:8-13).

What is “Tolerance?” “Tolerance is not an easy-going indifference. If any one does not care about that which his fellow men believe in religion, that is not being tolerant; it is plain indifference. No faithful evangelist of God’s word can afford to be indifferent about that which his fellow men believe.” - J.W. McGarvey “Genuine tolerance implies freedom from bias and bigotry with reference to the views of others, and allows them freedom of thought in arriving at their conclusions.” - J.W. McGarvey

What is “Tolerance?” “Genuine tolerance is too often mistaken for easy- going indifference, and it is easy for those who are thus affected to drift into a spirit of compromise. Those who are engaged in New Testament evangelism have no right to compromise the word of God or fail to press the fight for right on every side. They must go out, not in the spirit of a conqueror with a desire to dominate others, or simply to add numbers to the church; but in the spirit of those who have made a great discovery and who desire above everything else to share it with others. Compare the action of Andrew and others as recorded in the first chapter of John.” - J.W. McGarvey

What is “Tolerance?” Limits to toleration... Evil cannot be tolerated (Hab. 1:13). Wickedness cannot be tolerated (Rev. 2:2). Sexual sin cannot be tolerated (1 Cor. 5:1-5). Idolatry in any form cannot be tolerated (1 Cor. 10:7; Col. 3:5). Doctrinal errors in matters of faith cannot be tolerated (Gal. 1:6-9; 2:4; 1 Tim. 6:3-5).

Postmodern “Tolerance” Fails It is self-contradictory. In America, it violates free speech. It makes its believers agnostics (i.e. “we can’t know the truth) and therefore won’t commit to anything with finality. Strips critical thinking and convictions based on reason. One of its effects is a misrepresentation of Christians.

The Danger to the Church “The attitude of Christ and the apostles was always one of implacable intolerance toward all forms of error in religion. Whether that error was found among friends or foes seemed to make not the slightest difference, the result was always the same ; error was exposed and condemned. From this procedure the New Testament does not reveal a single departure. And as long as that attitude was maintained the early church remained pure in her doctrine; her converts were fully converted ; her members were fully taught. Error could, and did, spring up ; but it was always local and spasmodic....

The Danger to the Church...Before it could make any serious inroad among the churches it was exposed and stamped out by inspired men. But even before the close of the first century the deadly leaven of “religious tolerance” began to work. Compromises began to be made with the Roman government, the Judaizers, and the pagan religions.” - Yater Tant (1935)

The Danger to the Church It makes people think they don’t have to change. Mt. 4:17; Jn. 5:14; 8:11; 1 Cor. 5:6 Rev. 2:2; Rom. 12:9 Sin deceives, blinds, hardens, enslaves and ultimately kills those who practice it.

The Danger to the Church “It is better to be divided by truth than to be united in error. It is better to speak the truth that hurts and then heals, than falsehood that comforts and then kills….[I]t is not love and it is not friendship if we fail to declare the whole counsel of God. It is better to be hated for telling the truth than to be loved for telling a lie.” - Adrian Rogers