Sermons by J.H. Blackman, Jr.

Are You Displeased with God's Word

INTRODUCTION:
1. THERE IS A GROWING TENDENCY TO BE DISPLEASED WITH WHAT GOD WANTS.
2. DISPLEASED DEFINED: "To incur the disapproval of"; "To be offended by"; "To dislike".
3. WHAT GIVES US THE RIGHT TO BE OFFENDED BY, OR TO BE DISPLEASED WITH WHAT GOD WANTS, OR HAS SAID?
4. MAN HAS CONSTANTLY SHOWN HE IS DISPLEASED WITH GOD.
  
  NOTE: Study with me for a few minutes how man has shown he is displeased with God.
DISCUSSION:
1. NAAMAN WAS DISPLEASED WITH GOD’S COMMAND (II Kings 5:1-14):
  1. Naaman was a great and honorable man (v.1).
    
    COMMENT: Naaman is not alone in being displeased with God for many good men are like minded.
  2. He desired to follow his own opinion: "Behold, I thought" (II Kings 5:11).
  3. He wondered why a substitute would not do just as well as what God commanded. (II Kings 5:12) "Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage."
    
    COMMENT: Many today are just like Naaman, displeased with God; wishing to follow opinions and substitutes.
2. RICH YOUNG RULER WAS DISPLEASED WITH THE LORD BECAUSE HE WAS NOT PERMITTED TO KEEP HIS IDOL (Matthew 19:16-22):
  1. Covetousness is idolatry. Colossians 3:5 "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry." …… Matthew 19:22, says that "….He was one that had great possessions".
  2. He wanted riches first and salvation second; but salvation must come first. Matthew 6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
  3. He wanted to trust in his riches. Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in Jehovah with all thy heart, and lean not upon thine own understanding." ….. I Timothy 6:17 "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy."
3. THE MEN WHO CRUCIFIED JESUS WERE SO DISPLEASED WITH HIM THAT THEY TOOK HIS LIFE. (Matthew 27:1-66):
  1. Some people today are so unhappy with Jesus that they crucify him afresh. Hebrews 6:6 "If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."
  2. Song: "Shall I Crucify my Savior?" The first stanza says: "Shall I crucify my Savior, when for me He bore such loss? Shall I put to shame my Savior? Can I nail Him to the Cross?"
4. MANY SPECIAL GROUPS TODAY ARE DISPLEASED WITH GOD:
  1. Atheists are displeased with the thought of God. Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God …" (Even the very mention of God).
  2. Modernists are displeased with the inspiration of the Scriptures. II Timothy 3:16-17 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." ….. II Peter 1:21 "For the prophecy came snot in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
    1. The Scriptures are just too old fashioned for their modern views.
    2. The Scriptures condemn too much of what they want to do and so have sought to change them with modern day translations.
  3. Roman Catholic Church is displeased with the completeness of the Bible. Jude 3 "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints."
    
    COMMENT:
    ( 1) They want to right to change or add to the Scriptures as decreed by the Pope when seen fit. Revelation. 22:18-19 "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."
    (2) They want the voice of the church to be as authoritative as the Bible; in this way they find consolation in having what they want, even though it is not mentioned in the Bible. (See Galatians 1:6-9).
  4. Protestant denominations are displeased with what the Bible teaches on Unity; One body; One faith; and One baptism (Ephesians 4:3-6).
5. EXAMPLES OF BEING DISPLEASED WITH GOD:
  1. Women preachers are displeased with I Corinthians 14:34 "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law."
  2. Churches which vote of membership are unhappy with Acts 2:47 "….And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."
    QUOTATION: (This is from THE STANDARD MANUAL FOR BAPTIST CHURCHES, BY Edward T. Hiscox, D.D., American Baptist Publication Society, Philadelphia, 1903, page 22):
    
    "It is most likely that in the Apostolic age when there was but ‘one Lord, one faith, and one baptism’, and no differing denominations, existed, the baptism of a convert by that very act, constituted him a member of the church, and at once endowed him with all the rights and privileges of full membership. In that sense, ‘baptism was the door into the church’. Now, it is different (Emphasis mine, JHB); and while the churches are desirous of receiving members, they are wary and cautious that they do not receive unworthy persons. The churches therefore have candidates come before them, make their statement, give their ‘experience’, and then their reception is decided by a vote of the members. And while they cannot become members without baptism, yet it is the vote of the body which admits them to its fellowship on receiving baptism."
    
    QUESTION: Why is it now different? And by whose authority was it made different? God’s Word does not change. Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." (See John 12:48-50).
  3. Those that practice infant baptism are displeased with what is said in Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; and Acts 2:38, which places teaching, faith and repentance before baptism.
  4. Churches which take up offerings every time they meet are displeased with God’s command to give on the "First day of the week" (I Corinthians 16:2).
  5. Martin Luther was so displeased with this statement in Romans 5:1 "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." That he inserted the word "only" changing the verse to read: "Therefore being justified by faith ONLY, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
    COMMENT: His insertion of the word "only" did not change it. And it plainly contradicts what is said in James. 2:24 "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only."
  6. In the Second Century men chose to have one bishop showing displeasure with God’s choice of a plurality of bishops, or elders, in once church. Acts 20:17 "And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church." Acts 20:28-30 "… Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made your overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them."
    COMMENT: This was the beginning of the papacy which developed into the first pope, Boniface III, 606 A.D.
  7. Some are so displeased with being guided by God’s Word, that they want to be guided by what it doesn’t say. Their usual quoted statement is: "The Bible doesn’t say not to do it."
CONCLUSION:
1. GOD KNEW THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME WHO WOULD BECOME DISPLEASED WITH HIS DIVINE ORDER AND WOULD DESIRE TO CHANGE IT: In several distinct passages God has warned (commanded) man not to change it:
  1. Deuteronomy 4:2 "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments of Jehovah your God which I command you."
  2. Proverbs 30:5-6 "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar."
  3. Psalms 119:160 "Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever."
  4. Galatians 1:8-9 "But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema. As we have said before, so say I now again, if any man preacheth unto you any gospel other than that which ye received, let him be anathema."
  5. Revelation 22:18-19 "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."
2. JESUS TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES TO PRAY: "Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth"
  Matthew 6:10. And we should remember Psalms 119:89 "Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven."
3. ARE YOU DISPLEASED WITH GOD’S WORD?
4. WILL YOU LET HIM HAVE HIS WAY WITH THEE?

SONG: "Let Him Have His Way With Thee".

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