he began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord
William MacDonald passionately exhorts believers to remain unwaveringly loyal to Christ, rejecting any compromise that diminishes His divine person and work.
In this compelling sermon, William MacDonald challenges believers to maintain unwavering loyalty to Jesus Christ amidst a culture that often compromises His divine truth for intellectual acclaim. He highlights the dangers of accepting heretical teachings and calls Christians to stand firm like the prophets, apostles, and martyrs before them. MacDonald urges the church to reject any form of betrayal against the Savior and to uphold the preeminence of Christ in all things.
Text
“…he began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord.” (Acts 11:23 NASB)
There is an alarming tendency in some Christian circles to fawn over men because they are scholars, even though they are disloyal to the Person of Christ.
Here is a man, for instance, who is a brilliant writer, a master in the use of illustrations, a commentator whose word studies are superb. But this man denies the Virgin Birth. He explains away the miracles of our Lord. He rejects the literal, bodily resurrection of the Savior. He speaks patronizingly of Jesus as one who must find a place in any gallery of the world’s heroes. To him, Jesus is just one among many heroes. What this amounts to, of course, is damning the Son of God with faint praise. This man is simply not true to the Lord.
It is shocking, then, to find Christians defending a man like this for his brilliant scholarship. With mealy mouth, they extol his intellectual prowess and pass lightly over his heretical treatment of Christ. They like to quote him as a respected authority and to move in the same scholarly circles. If challenged for fraternizing with one who is an enemy of the Cross of Christ, they use weasel words to play down the seriousness of the offense. Not uncommonly, they attack fundamental, Bible-believing Christians for daring to speak out against one who is such an acknowledged authority.
It is time that Christians recapture a sense of righteous anger when their Savior is being betrayed in the halls of scholarship. This is no time for compromise. The truth concerning His Person and work is not negotiable. We must stand and be counted.
The prophets did not speak equivocally when the truth of God was at stake. They were fiercely loyal to the Lord and lashed out at those who dared to deny or belittle Him.
The apostles too bristled at any effort to rob the Lord of His glory. They chose loyalty to Christ over renown in the theological world.
The martyrs chose to die rather than compromise their loyalty to the Son of God. They were more interested in God’s approval than man’s.
Our responsibility is to be faithful to the Lord Jesus in all things, and to take an adversary relationship to anyone or anything that fails to give Him His proper place of preeminence.
Sermon Outline
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I
- The danger of compromising loyalty to Christ
- Examples of scholarly denial of Christ's divinity
- The problem of defending heresy for intellectual prestige
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II
- The call to righteous anger over betrayal of Christ
- The non-negotiable truth of Christ's person and work
- The example of prophets, apostles, and martyrs
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III
- The responsibility of believers to remain faithful
- Rejecting anything that diminishes Christ's preeminence
- Standing firm in faith despite opposition
Key Quotes
“There is an alarming tendency in some Christian circles to fawn over men because they are scholars, even though they are disloyal to the Person of Christ.” — William MacDonald
“It is time that Christians recapture a sense of righteous anger when their Savior is being betrayed in the halls of scholarship.” — William MacDonald
“Our responsibility is to be faithful to the Lord Jesus in all things, and to take an adversary relationship to anyone or anything that fails to give Him His proper place of preeminence.” — William MacDonald
Application Points
- Evaluate teachings and teachers carefully to ensure they uphold the full truth of Christ's person and work.
- Cultivate a spirit of righteous anger against any form of compromise that diminishes Jesus' glory.
- Commit to standing firm in faith and loyalty to Christ, regardless of cultural or intellectual pressures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is loyalty to Christ emphasized in this sermon?
Because compromising on Christ's divine nature undermines the foundation of Christian faith and leads believers astray.
What dangers does MacDonald warn against?
He warns against accepting scholarly teachings that deny key doctrines like the Virgin Birth and resurrection.
How should Christians respond to heretical teachings?
Christians should stand firm, reject falsehoods, and prioritize faithfulness to Christ over intellectual acceptance.
What examples does the speaker use to illustrate faithfulness?
He cites prophets, apostles, and martyrs who chose loyalty to Christ over worldly approval or life itself.
Is intellectual scholarship discouraged?
No, but scholarship must be grounded in and loyal to the truth of Christ's person and work.