1. Holy & Unholy
Movements
Matthew 7:15-20

3. God Constructed His Word in Phases
Moses and the Law (1500 B.C.)
Rest of OT
430 silent years
Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2)
Apostles (John 16:2-15; A.D. 95)

4. The End Result
Jude 1:3 - Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once and for all given to God’s people.

5. When Did God’s Revelation Stop Progressing?
Jews - the 39 books of the Old Testament.
Protestants - the 27 books of the New Testament.
Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians – include Apocrypha
Muslims - the 114 Surahs of the Koran (A.D )
Mormon’s - the Book of Mormon (A.D. 1830).
Bahia - the writings of Sayid Ali Muhammad and Bahaullah (A.D ).

6. Promises and Predictions about False Prophets and Teachers

7. Promises and Predictions about False Prophets and Teachers
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. (1 Tim. 4:1)
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. (2 Tim. 4:3,4)

8. Promises and Predictions about False Prophets and Teachers

9. Promises and Predictions about False Prophets and Teachers
Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
(2 Peter 3:17-18)

10. Acts 20:29-30
I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following.

11. The Apostle’s Creed
Fourth Century???

12. Augsburg Confession A.D. 1530
Article IV: Of Justification.
The Scriptures also teach that men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for Christ's sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor, and that their sins are forgiven for Christ's sake, who, by His death, has made satisfaction for our sins. This faith God imputes for righteousness in His sight. Rom. 3 and 4

13. Externalism / Hypocrisy
The Downward Pull
Moralism / Legalism
Externalism / Hypocrisy
Intellectual assent
Complacency
Formalism
Nominalism

14. General Generational Patterns
1st generation Christian - on fire for God
2nd & 3rd generation - live for God but don’t feel that same debt of gratitude as their parents
3rd & 4th generation – nominalism, formalism, abandon the faith

15. Philosophical Movement: The Enlightenment/Modernism A.D. 1700
Absolute truth can be known by being scientific about everything.
We can only know the truth about things that we can observe and test. All else, is either unreal or unknowable.
We need to re-examine every belief ever held.

16. Modernism Splintered Denominations
Congregationalism
Baptists
Lutheranism
Presbyterianism
Episcopalianism
liberals
conservatives
vs.

18. Disappointment & Disillusionment
After 250 years of modern thinking many are convinced . . .
that we will never arrive at the absolute truths.
that the scientific method has severe limitations.
that there is probably more to life than is explorable by the scientific method.

19. Postmodernism
Post-modern thinking leads to less knowing of the truth (scraps of truth)
Postmodern thinking leads to more relativism. (Not right or wrong; just different)
Postmodern thinking believes it is arrogant and wrong to assume that your beliefs are correct and everybody else’s are wrong.

20. The Emergent Church Movement
A cross-denominational movement of the late 20th and early 21st centuries that is attempting to relate the teachings of Christianity to a postmodern world.
Scot McKnight – The Five Streams of the Emerging Church (CT, Jan 2007)
Some streams are departing from the faith once and for all delivered to the saints; other streams are staying faithful to the faith.

21. Other Recent Movements
The Charismatic Movement ( )
The Promise Keeper Movement ( )

22. Matthew 7:15-20
Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

23. 2 Corinthians 6:14-16
Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.

24. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 – 22
Test everything. Hold on to what is good. Avoid everything that is evil.

25. Ephesians 4:14
Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

26. Faith of Our Fathers
Faith of our fathers, living still, In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword; Oh, how our hearts beat high with joy Whene’er we hear that glorious Word!
Refrain: Faith of our fathers, holy faith! We will be true to thee till death.

27. Faith of Our Fathers
Faith of our fathers, we will strive To win all nations unto thee; And through the truth that comes from God, We all shall then be truly free.
Refrain: Faith of our fathers, holy faith! We will be true to thee till death.

28. Faith of Our Fathers
Faith of our fathers, we will love Both friend and foe in all our strife; And preach thee, too, as love knows how By kindly words and virtuous life.
Refrain: Faith of our fathers, holy faith! We will be true to thee till death.

29. The Apostle’s Creed
Fourth Century???

30. The Apostles Creed
I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit;
born of the Virgin Mary;
suffered under Pontius Pilate;
was crucified, dead and buried.

31. The Apostles Creed He descended into hades.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.

32. The Apostles Creed I believe in the Holy Spirit.
I believe in the holy universal church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.