This reading service is a lecture from the Southern Grace Union by Andrew Saywell on the 4th of August 2015. The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ has been entrusted with the Christian faith. In Jude verse 3 we read, earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. We have a God-given responsibility to contend earnestly for the faith entrusted to us.

The history of the Christian church has been one of defending the faith, both from those outside of the church and sadly from those within the church. Even within the New Testament era, the apostles wrote letters to the churches from those within the church. The apostles wrote letters to the church warning them about false teachers. The apostle Paul wrote, but though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. The early church defended biblical doctrines on the person of Christ and the trinity of the Godhead.

The Protestant Reformation was a titanic struggle against the priestcraft of the Roman Catholic Church, with the rediscovery of the Bible and its truth of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. It was the Puritan era that not only contended for the faith, but wrote a majestic confession of faith, a systematic theology quarried from the Word of God, Toward the end of that century, the Synod of Dort contended against Arminianism. In the 19th century, Charles Spurgeon contended for the faith that was once being downgraded by liberal theology. And in the 20th century, we have seen the rise of the charismatic movement. with its worldly worship and denial of the sufficiency of scripture, it is necessary for us to take our stand for the truth and against those errors in our day, to stand against Roman Catholicism, Liberalism, Arminianism and Charismaticism.

The title given to this evening is The Dangers of the Charismatic Movement. My aim in doing so is not to comment on individuals within charismatic churches, there are many good German believers within, but to warn God's people about some of the dangers that can affect us all. Throughout the history of the church there has been appearances of those claiming to possess the miraculous gifts given to Christ and the apostles. But these have been from Roman Catholic mystics, Anabaptists, and strange characters like Edward Oering, who some see as the forerunner to the modern charismatic movement.

Cults like Mormonism have also claimed to have the restoration of apostles and the accompanying of gifts. Pentecostal churches began the turn of the 20th century from the Wesleyan holiness movement, with its emphasis on the baptism of the spirit as being subsequent to conversion. But the modern charismatic movement started in the 1960s, gaining ground through the hippies and into almost all main denominations, both Catholic and Protestant. The claim was God had restored the gifts of the spirit, especially the gift of tongues, prophecy and healing. It is estimated that there are, in both Protestant and Catholic churches, 500 million charismatics in the world today.

Some would say we should celebrate such a renewal of the church and would regret such a papers speaking against it, but this movement is not from God, but of the world, the flesh, and in some cases of the devil. These are very real dangers, from easy believism on one end, through the embracing the culture of the world, to the denial of the church and the scriptures on the other end. In Matthew chapter 7 and verse 22, Jesus said, Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity. The charismatic movement does real harm to Christians, robbing them of what is truly spiritual, substituting golden truths of God's Word, the iron pirate of fleshly experience. They have embraced a worldly spirit instead of God, the Holy Spirit. What are the dangers of the charismatic movement?

I hope to present, in the time that we have available, five. the first of which is a low view of scripture. As Christians, we believe the Bible to be God's complete revelation to man, the only authority in the church. It contains all we need to know about life and godliness. It is inspired, authoritative, inerrant, complete and sufficient.

Charismatics believe God speaks through prophetic utterances, dreams and visions. A direct line from God challenges the authority of what we know for sure what God has said. For a Roman Catholic, God speaks today authoritatively through the Pope. robbing the church of its sola scriptura, scripture alone. The Mormons claim God has spoken to Joseph Smith, telling him how Jesus went to America. And the charismatic TV evangelist claims God has told him if they just give $100, they would receive a piece of cloth anointed by the Holy Spirit that would heal them of their crippling disease. The fact that it didn't work was because they didn't have faith. but more sincere Christians are under the impression that God speaks today and has even spoken personally to them. As Christians, we believe God speaks today exclusively through his word.

Since the apostles have ceased, so too have the accompanying spiritual gifts that authenticated it. In 2 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 12 we read, Instead, we have spirit-filled expository preaching. or even the gifts of communicating Bible truth to young children, we should have no problem in saying, God says in his word, if you believe in the Lord Jesus, you will be saved. Explanation as to what believed means and saved means is all part of sharing what God has said in his word. We believe that God the Holy Spirit may in his sovereignty accompany his word and apply it to the mind, heart and conscience of the hearer. we must hold fast to the exclusivity of God's words, its sufficiency for all we need here to know and that we must never add or subtract from his completed revelation.

In Hebrews 1, we are told that God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners speak in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, had in these last days spoken unto us by his Son. But charismatics say no. God is still speaking to us at various times in various ways. Either we stand with what the Bible says or with what these pretentious prophets claim. But someone might say, did not the apostles speak after Christ's death and resurrection?

They were given a special task of writing all that they heard from Christ, that the Holy Spirit would remind them of what they had heard. The extraordinary gifts authenticated them as apostles. But one exception from their company was the Apostle Paul. who was given direct revelation through Christ.

But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man, for I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but the revelation of Jesus Christ. As we have read in Galatians chapter 1, the apostle John was given a revelation of Jesus Christ, the history of the church is in symbolic form from the first to the second coming of Christ.

We are told at the end of that book, for I testify unto every man that hear of 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. Matthew Henry comments this sanction is like a flaming sword to guard the canon of scripture from profane hands. God has spoken. While the canon of scripture was being completed through the writing of the apostles, a scaffolding was put up of extraordinary spiritual gifts.

But as Paul wrote to the Corinthians concerning prophecy and the completed canon of scripture, he said this, Charity never faileth, but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail. Whether there be tongues, they shall cease. Whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

Acts 1 Corinthians chapter 13 verses 8 to 10. Now, the word perfect pertains to the completed Bible and not to the church or to Christ himself. The original Greek word Delios and the context clearly determine the object. God's revelation is complete, perfect. Is it any surprise that the extraordinary gift sees with the passing of the apostles? Has God gone back on his word since the 1960s began to speak through so-called modern-day prophets?

The danger is not only being deluded, but a denial of the completeness of the Bible. The second danger of the charismatic movement has to do with the regulative principle of worship. This movement is characterized as much by worship style to that of its claim to have the supernatural gifts. It is claimed that the Bible does not tell us how we should worship and that we must be free to adapt to the culture of the day. Such is the danger of having a low view of the sufficiency of Scripture.

The Psalms were the handbook of the Old Testament. They are God-centered, rich in doctrine, engaging the mind and affecting the heart. Reverence and joy are essential in the worship of God, an awareness that we are coming before a holy God who is both great and gracious, doctrinally rich, the truth of God's person and ways illuminate the mind, which in turn affect the heart. These principles are to regulate our worship, whether it be psalms, hymns, that is those which relate to hymn, and spiritual songs, which are those that relate to spiritual experience. However, there has been a revolution in rejecting the regulative principle for man-centered emotionalism. Spiritual worship has been substituted for the ecstatic worship of the pagan world.

We are told in the word of God, and be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the spirit. Ephesians 5 verse 18. People drink wine to disengage the mind, to relax and to forget about your troubles. and to be drunk is to be out of control. Being filled with the Spirit engages the mind with God's truth and, as a direct result, warms the heart.

Charismatic worship seeks to bypass the mind and directly acts upon the emotions. It is not what we believe, but what we feel that matters. Music plays an important part in affecting the emotions. I personally love classical music and sometimes get carried away when I put my headphones on. and I find myself in tune to the music raising my hands.

But there is nothing spiritual in this. Neither is there anything spiritual in having numerous musical instruments that have no more of an effect than is possibly intended. 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 2. You know that ye were Gentiles carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.

Ecstatic worship is what was practiced in the Corinthian temple, bringing the pagan worshippers into a heightened emotional state. The same kind of thing is seen in worldly music today, with its strong drumbeat enabling its listeners to be lost in the euphoria it produces.

This is purely carnal and totally out of place in the worship of the true living God. This contemporary worship scene is sadly now being taken up by reformed churches, New Calvinism seeks to blend Reformed teaching with rock-style contemporary worship or with rap and hip-hop. I don't believe it's appropriate for the worship of the Triune God who is altogether holy. A third danger of the charismatic movement is the strong ecumenical involvement of churches, Roman Catholics and liberals. Roman Catholics and Liberals having received the Spirit must be considered as brethren.

Shared experience is the common bond, rather than unity in the truth. Doctrine is seen as divisive and is quickly regulated as being of secondary importance. From its very start, leaders of this movement wanted to see one worldwide church as its goal, even to the point of having the Pope as its hedge. When truth is not premium, an experience that bypasses the mind is common practice.

Christians lack spiritual discernment. Easy-believerism is rife. Simply making the decision for Christ is accepted for conversion. When I was converted in the 1980s, books like Chasing the Dragon had a wide readership, particularly among students. The author, Jackie Pullinger, recalls how she met with drug dealers in Hong Kong in the late 1960s and confronted them with the gospel. The conversation went like this. Do you believe in Jesus? I don't even know who he is. That doesn't matter. Do you believe in him? Yes, I do believe in him. Then you are saved. That was how It is that so many so-called drug dealers were converted and brought to Christ.

How many within the charismatic churches have not been truly converted? Without a spiritual change, is it any wonder that the entertainment style performance is more acceptable to the carnal heart than worshipping God in spirit and in truth? Almost every charismatic church is part of the ecumenical movement. It matters not what denomination you are in, the fact that you have received the same spirit means you must be a Christian. Liberal and Catholics are accepted without question.

Doctrine is seen to divide and must be put aside. This is dangerous and exactly what the devil would want Christians to do. A fourth danger of the charismatic movement is its attitude to spiritual warfare. The attitude to spiritual warfare is completely misunderstanding the fight that we are in.

Exorcism is seen as part of the church's ministry today. I'm sure those among us who are better read would know that there is a world of difference between the vast number of spiritual warfare books published by charismatic publishing houses than that of William Gernell's Christian Incomplete Armour or John Owen's Sin and Temptation. Like the Pentecostal churches, there is a strong emphasis on pre-millennial dispensationalism. Everyday events on the world stage are filtered through the dispensational lens and culminating in the imminent return of Christ. Spiritual warfare is seen in walking through the town centre and praying that the devil would be cast out of establishments. This is a tragedy and they fail to see the true nature of spiritual warfare, the struggle against sin.

Remember that Pentecostalism came from the Wesleyan holiness movement, which believed that the believer could, after conversion, receive a second work of grace, or second blessing, in which he could be entirely, perfectly sanctified. No more struggle against sin is seen as the normal Christian life. A book of the same title by Watrini is standard reading for charismatics. The higher life view of the Christian life is delusional and just another danger to the Christian.

There are other dangers such as the lack of interest in church history. Why, you might say? Well, because in every appearance of charismatic-like phenomena, it has been associated with extremists and heretics. Men like Thomas Muntzer and the prophets of Sirachel to dwell upon the Reformation also runs contrary to the desire to unite with Rome. The Puritan era appears so contrary to the worldliness of charismatic churches, and the revivals of the Great Awakening lacked any speakening tongues or miracles.

As far as many Charismatics go, it's only the present that counts, all church history before the Charismatic renewal is considered as being in semi-darkness, with the coldness and without the true spiritual power that they enjoy today. The last danger of the Charismatic I will bring to you this evening is the failing to understand the true work of the Holy Spirit. In focusing on outward manifestations, the great work of the Holy Spirit is overlooked, his work in annihilating the mind to scriptural truth, in bringing conviction of sin, which leads to repentance, his inward work of regeneration, his continuing work of sanctification, and especially his producing of spiritual fruit.

We would focus much more on spiritual fruits and spiritual gifts. Gifts do not speak of Christian maturity. Fruits, however, does. As Christians, we believe in gifts, in working with children, in administrating, in organization, in hospitality, and especially in teaching the Word of God. We depend upon the Holy Spirit to accompany the spirit-filled preaching of his word. As we read in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse 5, For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were for your sake. The need of the hour is for spiritual maturity and discernment.

The so-called gifts that are claimed to be used by charismatics today are nothing like the real spiritual gifts that authenticated the Lord Jesus and the apostles. Think of the Lord Jesus. Can charismatics raise the dead? Of course they can't. Or when Peter and John healed the lame man at the gates of the temple called Beautiful, such miracles were undeniable. The same cannot be said of the healing that supposedly takes place today. The showmanship and hypnotic teaching techniques that are seen today are so different to the authentic miracles of the Bible, and they give the church a bad name.

Jesus said in John 14 and verse 12, Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me The works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father. The greater works that the church are to perform are not outward, but the inward work of the Holy Spirit, transforming the people's lives through genuine conversions. Peter preached on the day of Pentecost and 3,000 people were saved. Changed lives and growing likeness to Christ is the real ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. God empowers his church, not by signs and wonders, but through men and women with the Holy Spirit living out their lives for the glory of God, actively involved in their local church. The everyday work of the church in Christian service and the great outpouring of blessing in revival is the true work of the Spirit.

How sad that so many genuine Christians are distracted by that which is not in fact the work of the Spirit at all. In conclusion, we have the following to say about the charismatic movement, which highlights its danger to Christians today. It is not the work of the Spirit. It is not from God. The Holy Spirit leads the Church into truth and a holy life. It is a worldly spirit that leads to serious compromise.

The ecstatic worship is pagan in nature in that it bypasses the mind and appeals to the emotions. It produces counterfeit miracles that are nothing like those authenticated in Christ and his apostles. The charismatic movement is of the world, of the flesh, and in some cases even of the devil. These have always been the enemies of the Church of Jesus Christ. It is tragic that genuine Christians are caught up in it. It is of the world as seen in its worldly entertainment. It is of the flesh in the psychological tricks seen in the babbling of tongues speaking and mass hypnosis. And it is the denial of Scripture and alliance with the papacy. It is of the devil We would say that if you are in a charismatic church, that we would say the same as if you are in a liberal church or a Roman Catholic church.

Come out from among them, and be ye separate, sayeth the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. 2 Corinthians 6 verse 17. May God keep us spiritually alert to these departures from the truth, May he give us courage to take a stand. May he give us sympathy to those within. Above all, may he grant us a fresh outpouring of his Holy Spirit in a time of true spiritual revival. Amen.