Grace Fellowship Church Pastor/Teacher Jim Rickard Sunday, August 17, 2008

1 John Series 1 John 4:5 The Battle Royal

Cosmic Viewpoint verses Divine Viewpoint

11. The Cosmic believer begins to distort what he has learned from true Christianity into a system of legalism from his arrogant self-righteousness,

… or, on the other hand, he distorts grace into a system of false liberalism theology.

12. The result is the inability to distinguish unbelievers from the believer involved in the Cosmic System.

13. Both are living in the Cosmic System and ultimately think alike in compatibility with their trends and mutual involvement in the same world viewpoint. Cf. 2 Cor 6:14-17

14. The Pastor cannot force the believer to learn the truth of Bible doctrine. Your motivation must be the function of your own soul and volition.

15. In the interaction of social life, people are always trying to motivate others to like them, to be friendly.

This concept has also been brought into the local church erroneously to motivate believers to join the church and stay in the church. But this is not a valid method of grace.

16. Every believer must be self-motivated, which only comes from his or her own personal love for God the Father.

This leads to a true desire to hear the communication of Bible doctrine from the faithful Pastor-Teacher.

17. True teaching of Bible doctrine will either drive you away because you are negative, or it will provide you with self-motivation because you are positive.

18. Principle: Leadership motivates; management regulates.

Leadership must: a) Establish authority from the pulpit via accurate Bible teaching.

b) Motivate the believer under the virtue of enforced and genuine humility, to concentrate on God’s Word regardless of the subject or the believer’s circumstances in life.

19. The leadership Pastor teaches Bible doctrine and some application but does not coerce volition nor seek to regulate the life of the congregation.

20. The management Pastor seeks to motivate the congregation based on attention, flattery, recognition, and patronage. Rom 16:18; 1 Thes 2:5

21. The leadership Pastor also provides the basis for the manufacture of virtue, happiness, capacity for life, plus the application of honor, integrity and virtue to every circumstance of life. John 21:15-17; 1 Peter 5:1-11

Offering

Grace Fellowship Church Sunday, August 17, 2008 Tape # 08S-031 Cosmic Viewpoint verses Divine Viewpoint, Pt 2 1 John Series 1 John 4:5; John 21:15-17; 1 Peter 5:1-11 James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2008