This study was first taught on March 3, 2019

Topic: The Assessment of the Churches (11.3): The Church in Pergamos (The Challenges of Teaching Sound Doctrine (3))

(use the audio to study)

---

Background
In our study last week, we saw another set of hurdles that must be scaled if we are not to engage in teaching heresy and thus introduce syncretism into the church of God. These hurdles have to do with overcoming our fleshly desires and affections, and, are:
(1) The hurdle of gain and glory. This is essentially overcoming the temptation of covetousness, pride, and a desire for fame. What God promises you is eternal life; not the things of the world, which sadly, many are running after today! (Matthew 6:33)
(2) The hurdles of wanting to please men (rather than God). There is always the desire to want men to like you and what you are saying to them. However, when you serve God, it is Him that you must please; not men. Hence, you must not succumb to the temptation to colour the message of God in order to please men and thus introduce syncretism into the church of God!
(3) The hurdle of enduring with people who are not interested in doing the word of God. There are those who hear the word of God regularly, but, are just not interested in doing it; no matter for how long they hear it, or how hard you try to make them appreciate its benefits to them. You must, therefore, develop, through fellowship with the Holy Spirit, the temperament and comportment to keep teaching the unadulterated word of God, with all longsuffering, even if they wouldn’t heed God’s word—just make sure that you are faithfully presenting the message of God! Remember, how the Israelites riled Moses into sinning against God!
(4) The hurdle of remaining true to God’s instruction. There is the strong urge to circumvent God’s instruction, particularly, when such instructions may cause you pain, embarrassment, ridicule, etc. If you are going to keep teaching the truth that is in the word of God, and not introduce syncretism into the church of God, you must steadfastly, remain faithful to His instruction, even though, it may lead to persecution, affliction, discouragement, etc.
(5) The hurdle of not teaching false doctrine. In life, we desire the easy way out of life’s challenges, when what we need to do is remain resolute and overcome such an urge. In a bid to avoid the proper way of doing things, therefore, some people resort to short-cuts and other unscriptural ways of going about things and end up introducing syncretism into the church of God! You must overcome such an urge and refuse to teach false doctrine!

If you are to overcome your fleshly desires and passions, your desire must be to do the Will of God and to accomplish it, and, you must set your affections on heavenly things—eternal life—through the crucifixion of the flesh on the cross of Christ—an act of faith—thus deadening the flesh to arousals to sin, depriving the flesh of the power to have its way, and destroying the strength of the flesh. Indeed, without the death of the flesh, you would be unwilling and unable to scale these hurdles!

Scripture Text(s)
Revelation 2:12-17
Syncretism is a scourge in the body of Christ today, and must be dealt with appropriately. We have seen eight hurdles that must be scaled in order that syncretism is not allowed to creep into the church unnoticed. We shall now conclude with the last two.
Let us note that the hurdles reviewed earlier and the two to be looked at now, are not the only hurdles to teaching sound doctrine. Indeed, there are other hurdles, but if these ten are scaled, all the others would also have been scaled!
1 Timothy 3:6; 2 Corinthians 4:2; 1 Samuel 3:1-7; Psalm 103:7; Galatians 1:11-12; Hebrews 5:11-14; Matthew 13:20-23; 2 Timothy 2:3; Galatians 5:16-25; Romans 2:28-29; James 3:1-2; Proverbs 25:28; 16:32; 17:27-28; 23:1ff; 1 Corinthians 2:1-16; Philippians 2:1-11; John 4:34; Jeremiah 14:14; 23:21, 32; 27:14-15; Ezekiel 3:24-27; Psalm 32:9; Romans 8:14; Galatians 5:16-25; Jeremiah 23:18, 21-22; 2 Corinthians 12:2-4; Habakkuk 2:1; Mark 1:353-38; Exodus 24:9-14; Revelation 4:1; Isaiah 6:1ff; Proverbs 22:29; 1 Kings 22:1-28; Amos 3:7; John 15:15; Genesis 18:17-19.

Conclusion
The last two hurdles of spiritual immaturity and teaching only the word of God, bring us to the close of our discussions on “The Challenges of Teaching Sound Doctrine”. These last two hurdles require that you are growing spiritually in your personal relationship/walk with God. Being a Christian a long time, is not synonymous with growing in a personal relationship with God. Growing in a personal relationship with God is about you having a private/personal love-relationship with God, which itself requires that you are in constant fellowship with Him, implying that you are holy, humble, and, have submitted yourself to the discipline and direction of the Holy Spirit.

Putting it all together, to teach sound doctrine and not introduce syncretism into the church of God, you must become who God want you to be—in the image of Christ. This requires that you crucify the flesh and its passions (overcoming the urge for gain and glory, the urge to please men, the urge not to endure with ungodly men, the urge not to remain true to God’s instruction, and, the urge to teach false doctrine), and that your walk with God is fervent and effectual (spiritual maturity and teaching only the word of God).

The Lord’s message to the church today is that, anyone who overcomes the challenges of teaching sound doctrine; who has turned away from the temptation to teach false doctrines and bringing in heresy and syncretism into the church; and, who has returned to God in true repentance, shall be rewarded with the Bread of Life (the hidden manna—available only to those who are thus qualified) and shall never die. He shall also receive the insignia of purity and divine and acceptance, along with a new name known only to him. This is indeed a personal affair between you and God; and no one else!

Let us remember that many will say to the Lord on that day, “We taught in Your name”, and He will say to them, “I never knew you!”, meaning, “We were never intimate!” Hence, those who have no intimacy with God, had better steer clear of teaching Scripture, lest they fall into the temptation and condemnation of heresy and syncretism!

---

Back to all Bible Study Outline List